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Originally Posted by fred93
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Thanks for the reply and the link--good info-
More questions--sorry!
I checked the generator max output and it is 12.30 amps--per your post this should be okay for a car that is driven mostly in the daytime.
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I also noticed something else today. While running the engine at a high idle and I turned on the headlights the amp output of the generator dropped to 6+ amps (which I feel is about normal) BUT as soon as I turned on the headlights the engine rpm dropped noticeably--is that normal???
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A 12 amp charge rate is too much for a car that is driven mostly in the daytime. It will boil the water out of your battery fairly quickly UNLESS you drive with your lights ON during the day. Even then, 12 might be kind of high in summer.
The Ford Service Bulletins said use a 10 amp charge rate for normal driving, which would include some night driving. Commercial and delivery vehicles (that are driven primarily in the day) only need a rate of 3-6 amps, they say (page 391 of the Service Bulletins). See also page 209 where they say 10 amps in summer, 14 in winter, and 8 if you drive mainly during the day.
Hope this helps.