Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all
Will a standard altenator with a 550CCA Batt
in a 1.3L Sierra, be able to take a thermo fan out of a KE Laser,
or do i need to install a bigger alt
Thans Pep

Not entirely sure but if you set it up with a relay it should be fine. Anyone with one on there zooks??

I don't know what a zook alternator puts out, but I'd be cautious about it. Your thermatic fan could easily pull 15A or so at 12V, probably 10A at a minimum. If you aren't running any other extras then that might be okay, but if you are running, say, a pair of spotlights as well than you could be putting an extra 30A load on your alternator that may only be a 35 or 50A unit to start with.

So, what I am saying is that I don't have an answer but I can tell you that you should definitely research further before you go ahead with it.

This is probably a bigger issue on a 4WD since off-road, your fan will run a fair bit more than on a road car (where vehicle speed gets the airflow instead).

Mine has been in for 13 mths now.... no problems, still using the stocko 45A Alt.

Thanks for your input guys,
I'll get the thermo checked to see how many amps it pulls, and i
will definetly wire it up with a relay and a thermo switch.
Can anyone tell me how many amps a set of spotties draws with standard 100w bulbs?
I know there a formula for this but i can remember it
Thanks Pep

Pep wrote: Can anyone tell me how many amps a set of spotties draws with standard 100w bulbs?
I know there a formula for this but i can remember it
Thanks Pep

Amps=Watts/Volts

Bad JuJu wrote:

Pep wrote: Can anyone tell me how many amps a set of spotties draws with standard 100w bulbs?
I know there a formula for this but i can remember it
Thanks Pep

Amps=Watts/Volts

about 17 amps

I just put an electric fan in my Rodeo (cheaper than a new fan clutch) I did buy a new aftermarket one but it leaked after 2 months and wouldn't "lock up" any more so they replaced it and the new replacement did the same thing.
I got my money back.
Anyway I have a Bundy which was running a grunty fan ex BMW which I hijacked for the Rodeo and with a 30A relay and 30A fuse it blew the first time I switched it on after I wired it up.
So I bought a 70A relay and a 40A fuse and it's good now.

Anyway it would pay to seek the advice of an auto electrician before you choose a fan because if your alternator cant power everything then they will draw power from your battery's reserve and may flatten it.
sudso

Thanks for all your help guys.
i think i'll wait until i've put a large altenator into the zook
before i put the thermo in, as it's not a prob on road but over the weekend
4 wheelin it ran between 1/2 and 3/4 i
kept having to go for quick drives to get som air flow.

sudso wrote:Anyway I have a Bundy which was running a grunty fan ex BMW which I hijacked for the Rodeo and with a 30A relay and 30A fuse it blew the first time I switched it on after I wired it up.

In this case, it was probably the start surge which was blowing the fuse - I doubt the fan is drawing more than 30A continuous.

If you were using glass fuses, you may have got away with a 30A anti-surge fuse. But a 40A fuse works too.

Scott

If you don't go wheeling alone much, you could consider putting in a thermo fan and seeing if you end up with a flat battery or not. Then if you do, you know you need a bigger alternator, so you unhook the thermo fan until you have fitted one.

This could be a good option if you already have the fan or you can get the fan really cheap.