excessive idling time cause engine wear ?

I've heard that letting your engine idle for long periods of time can cause damage due to low oil pressure. Is this true?

If this is true, can damage be minimized by increasing or varying rpm's ?

I ask because I've installed a high amperage (250amp) delco alternator in order to be able to recharge an auxillary battery (115 a/h delco voyager) at idle. I haven't hardwired anything yet so I'll be using jumper cables and an ammeter to test the recharging rate.

I'm thinking of adding some kind of mechanical throttle kicker to raise the rpm's to speed up the process. Or, should I use a scan tool to increase rpm's? I seem to remember a test function of the scan tool that raised engine rpm's to 1000.

Would this be harmful to do for 1 hour?

Any thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated.

2002 S-10 Blazer 4X4
4.3L vin W

Naw, you will be fine, don't raise the rpms.

The engine will do it itself if the charging rate gets to low.

Where did you get a 250amp delco alternator?

This is where I got the alternator from.

http://www.alternatorparts.com/Extreme%20Duty%20Dual%20Rectifier%20CS-144%20type.htm

How long will you be idling it?

All day long?

Just long enough to recharge the battery. My inverter shuts off when the battery voltage drops to 10 volts. I have to do some testing to see how long it takes to recharge from 10 volts to a full charge. Maybe 1 hour a day?

Your alternator is not a battery chanrger.

Remove it and charge it with a battery charger only.

I have heard idling for long periods of time is bad, too. I'm not sure all the reasons why. It isn't due to low oil pressure though. The mininum required oil pressure for a 4.3 at 1000rpm is 6psi (yep that's it). Most of them have between 30 and 40 at idle so...oil pressure is not an issue.

Just long enough to recharge the battery. My inverter shuts off when the battery voltage drops to 10 volts. I have to do some testing to see how long it takes to recharge from 10 volts to a full charge. Maybe 1 hour a day?

Are you planning on doing this every day? You better make sure it is a good deep cycle battery.

BlazerLT is right an alternator is not a battery charger, it is a battery maintainer. Repeatedly using it to charge a dead battery will kill it.

I'm not going to do this every day maybe a couple of weeks out of the year when I'm on vacation. The battery is a delco voyager M30HMF 115 amp-hour. How low should I let the charge go?

I'm not going to do this every day maybe a couple of weeks out of the year when I'm on vacation. The battery is a delco voyager M30HMF 115 amp-hour. How low should I let the charge go?

Is it a deep cycle?

I'm not going to do this every day maybe a couple of weeks out of the year when I'm on vacation. The battery is a delco voyager M30HMF 115 amp-hour. How low should I let the charge go?
Is that one of those with the blue sticker and a little green, red, or black charge indicator window?

I know I've owned one of those for one of my boats, but I'm not sure which one it was. (I've owned a lot of trolling motor batteries) If it is the one I am thinking of...thay are pretty good batteries and hold up well.

Yes I'ts a deep cycle. Also, they don't put those green dot's on them anymore it causes more problems than it is worth.

As for an alternator not being used to recharge a battery, what about on a boat? I've seen a lot of dual battery systems where the auxillary battery is recharged by the alternator. (I know, wrong forum. ;)

then use a mariene alt in your vehical

What makes a marine alternator different?

Yes I'ts a deep cycle. Also, they don't put those green dot's on them anymore it causes more problems than it is worth.

As for an alternator not being used to recharge a battery, what about on a boat? I've seen a lot of dual battery systems where the auxillary battery is recharged by the alternator. (I know, wrong forum. ;)

Whta are you going to be powering with the second battery?

Also, in a boat application, there is usually a battery charger incorporated into the boat's electrical system which charges the battery up when you are hooked to 120v AC when you are docked at a powered parking spot.

We never idled the boat to charge ours up. 460 big block doesn't make for an economical battery charger if you catch my drift.

Our boat was a 30 foot Bayliner Avanti and it has one of those HUGE deep cycle batteries.

Whta are you going to be powering with the second battery?

Also, in a boat application, there is usually a battery charger incorporated into the boat's electrical system which charges the battery up when you are hooked to 120v AC when you are docked at a powered parking spot.

We never idled the boat to charge ours up. 460 big block doesn't make for an economical battery charger if you catch my drift.

Our boat was a 30 foot Bayliner Avanti and it has one of those HUGE deep cycle batteries.

Just to clarify....he's not using a second battery he was replying to me and you telling him that an alternator is not a battery charger. He wants to know why it is okay on boats and not okay for trucks.

Yes I'ts a deep cycle. Also, they don't put those green dot's on them anymore it causes more problems than it is worth.

As for an alternator not being used to recharge a battery, what about on a boat? I've seen a lot of dual battery systems where the auxillary battery is recharged by the alternator. (I know, wrong forum. ;)

My boat only uses the alternator to maintain the starter battery. The AUX battery (trolling motor) gets charged by plugging in the built-in charger when I get home.

Why wouldn't it be easier for you to use a generator instead of an inverter? It most cases it would be better than the shortened life span of the battery and alternator. Your circumstances maybe different....just offering alternatives.

Just to clarify....he's not using a second battery he was replying to me and you telling him that an alternator is not a battery charger. He wants to know why it is okay on boats and not okay for trucks.

I think I know that.

I am telling him that he should NOT have the second battery charged by the alternator.

I have a 1000 watt inverter that I intend to use when I go camping. I'm going to use a compact microwave and a 200 watt sleep apnea machine.

Most of the boats around here are on moorings, as they are much cheaper than slips, and they don't see an ac outlet for the entire season.
Power boats usually have an onboard battery charger where as sailboats generally do not.
My fathers sailboat, a 33' Hunter uses the alternator to recharge the auxillary battery.

Thanks everyone for your replys, I'll have to plug something into my inverter to drain the battery so I can test recharge times. I just wanted to make sure I won't damage anything in my engine by letting it idle for an hour. Maybe I'll wait for some better weather as were expecting up to a foot of snow. When I get some results I'll post them here.

Hate to bust your bubble, but you can't run a 200 watt item off a 100watt inverter. It will trip the overload.

Sorry typo on my part It's a 1000 watt inverter

oh, well that's diffferent. That will work. :)

Portable microwave? That ain't camping :)

You'll want to get some sort of battery charger for your truck. 2 amps is the most you should charge a deep cycle battery with, charging faster than that will sulfate the plates. Can't you get a camp site with electricity so you don't even have to worry about taking an inverter?

Portable microwave? That ain't camping :)

You'll want to get some sort of battery charger for your truck. 2 amps is the most you should charge a deep cycle battery with, charging faster than that will sulfate the plates. Can't you get a camp site with electricity so you don't even have to worry about taking an inverter?
thats my thought exactly, pay the extra few a night, and you will be fine, your looken to take and put quite a load on your trucks electrical system... on the other hand, it would be awsome to be in the "rustic" portion of the camp ground and runnen your microwave n' what not

How about just getting a couple of 12 volt solar panels to charge up your battery. A friend of mine does this, and it works great

Thye are very lower amperage and can only be used for battery maintanence rather than charging.