The second battery, like factoring large numbers
Desertphile
under the hood of the 1997 Checy Tahoe I drive: there is nothing
about it in the owner's manual. This is yet another mystery,
along with calculus and women, that baffles me.
Is there any reason for putting a second battery there, other than
to jump-start the primary if and when necessary? If so, how does
the second battery stay charged? And is there such a thing as the
femal orgasm?
--
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Desertphile's Desert Soliloquy. WARNING: view with plenty of water
"Why aren't resurrections from the dead noteworthy?" -- Jim Rutz
aarcuda69062
Desertphile <deser...@invalid-address.net> wrote:
> Damned if I can think of why there is a place for a second battery
> under the hood of the 1997 Checy Tahoe I drive: there is nothing
> about it in the owner's manual. This is yet another mystery,
> along with calculus and women, that baffles me.
>
> Is there any reason for putting a second battery there, other than
> to jump-start the primary if and when necessary? If so, how does
> the second battery stay charged? And is there such a thing as the
> femal orgasm?
One reason would be that one of the optional engines was a Diesel which
would require two batteries in order to supply sufficient starting power.
Another reason would be an optional snow plowing package that included a
second battery because the electric over hydraulic plow units tend to
consume a lot of power.
A third reason would be a towing package that included a second battery
to power a travel trailer.
The second battery stays charged because it is; connected directly to
the alternator in the case of the Diesel, or, connected via an isolation
relay to the alternator in the case of the plowing or towing package.
Can't answer your last question since it merely appears to be a bad joke
gone wrong...
Bill
>
> Damned if I can think of why there is a place for a second battery
> under the hood of the 1997 Checy Tahoe I drive
>
Basically you can use a 2nd battery to power things when the engine is off,
then still be able to start the vehicle with the 1st battery.
So imagine going up to the forest for a picnic, turning off the engine,
opening the doors and turning on the stereo for several hours. The battery
wears down to the point where the engine will not start. You are stuck!
(This would not have happen with a 2nd battery properly wired to power the
accessories when the engine is off.)
And if wired correctly, after the engine was started, the run down 2nd
battery would be connected to the electrical system so it could charge back
up on the drive home.
A 2nd battery can also be wired to just power the "battery" connection on a
trailer. Again you park somewhere, use the electricity in the trailer, but
would still be able to start the vehicle with the 1st battery.
And about the only way I know to fully understand how these work is to look
at the GM factory wiring diagrams for the specific vehicle - and know
electrical wiring. Asking a salesman would get you wrong information
probably. Ask 6 salesmen and you will probably get 6 different answers! And
auto mechanics are not known for their ability to understand electrical
things...
William R. Walsh
> Damned if I can think of why there is a place for a second battery
> under the hood of the 1997 Checy Tahoe I drive: there is nothing
> about it in the owner's manual. This is yet another mystery,
> along with calculus and women, that baffles me.
> Is there any reason for putting a second battery there, other than
> to jump-start the primary if and when necessary? If so, how does
> the second battery stay charged?
At least this mystery has a solution. If you had a diesel engine in there
(did they offer one in the Tahoe?), you'd have a second battery as well.
Maybe it's a vestige of something that would be more at home in a pickup
truck.
The batteries are wired in parallel, so the alternator charges them both and
only ever sees a really large twelve volt battery.
On my '84 GMC Sierra (6.2L diesel), the glow plugs take their power
primarily from one battery while the starter seems to pull more on the
other. And having a 78 amp alternator to charge up two 1000CA/900CCA
batteries is a joke.
William