Night driving ?

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Back in 1929, how did the model A battery stay charged up if the car was used frequently after dark with the headlights on?

[WHN]

I don’t think there was that much night driving being done back in the day.

Back in the early sixty’s when my 31 Sport Coupe was my daily driver. I can’t remember having a problem running the battery down. Enjoy.

[Badpuppy]

Same as today - adjust third brush according to driving habits. Adjust higher for more night driving, lower for daytime only. Limiting headlights to 21CP was helpful also.

[Tom Endy]

Back in the day the problem was driving on long trips during the day, it would overcharge the battery and boil all the water out. I recall as a little kid coming out to California on a Greyhound bus and seeing cars running with their headlights on during the day while crossing the desert to pull some of the power off.


Tom Endy.

[2manycars]

The model A instruction book (owner's manual) says:
During the winter months in sections where low termperatures prevail, the charging rat should be adjusted to 10 amperes: in the summer this rate should be cut down to 6 ampers. The rate can, of course be increased ro decreased to meet individual requirements. for example, the owner who takes long daylight trips could cut the charging rate down even less. On the other hand, the owner who makes numerous stops should increas the normal rate if his battery runs down.

[Kurt in NJ]

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I have direct fit halogen bulbs, have stock generator , never use charger or maintainer, about 40% night drives, got 16 years out of last optima, 4 more years out of 10 year old and 12V cut in 1/2 , I do run a higher than most charge rate (14amps), on long day trips I turn on headlights for a while (seat of pants time method), could drive all night with 4 hours of day driving

The charge rate needs to be adjusted to cars use, most set it too low for their use
At one time I would set at 18 amps for 50 cp regular bulbs to make them bright, the generator has survived this use untouched for45 years, I do leave the cover band off for ventilation

[Bob Bidonde]

FOMOCO expected the Model "A" owner / driver to periodically check the specific gravity of the battery's electrolyte and adjust the charging rate accordingly.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

A single wire, 6 Volt positive ground alternator eliminates these problems!
I've seen even ancient 2 cylinder cars, in English tours, with an alternator! What GOOD is a battery & a starter, if it doesn't WORK?
Bill W.

[Dino's A]

But, some might get carried away with adjusting the third brush to the point that you start burning out bulbs. I run a 6 volt Mel Gross built generator and a electronic cutout which is very durable.

[Keith True]

When you adjust the third brush for more amps,the volts don't go up.It is still the 6.2 or whatever it is supposed to be.Just the rate of charge goes up.I've pretty much given up on driving the A's at night.My headlights are fine,I can see just fine with them.It is the blinding new lights on other cars.The A is just the right height for the lights to go off like flashcubes in the cab with me.

[Cool Hand Lurker]

When you do drive at night and the lights from another car behind you reflect off the inside of the windshield, just tilt out the bottom of the windshield a bit to get relief.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I agree with Kurt. So many people have gone nuts with installing super bright lights, and many are aimed too high. When I drove to Gilmore last year I noticed about half the semis were using super bright lights that blinded me.

[Brobrian]

Agreeing with everyone here. I ran my ‘28 for 20 years every day. It had a powerhouse generator and had to check voltage occasionally, moved brushes seasonally, used lights to prevent overcharging, and wasted several batteries along the way. Finally switched out for a 6 volt alternator, mostly out of laziness. It’s all part of the joy of being a Model A driver. Enjoy!

[eagle]

I do a considerable amount of night driving and yes, I had to adjust my 3rd brush to compensate. I put a voltage regulator on and haven't touched it since. There are a few varieties, I've got the fun projects cutout can type. The internal type would be better but this one is so easy. Battery stays charged without overcharging, I can run all night if I want. Works for me!