Can you really pull a battery cable and the engine still runs?
U may want to see how Del reacts to this.
@67Dart273 Hopefully he is back on here soon. Kim
Hi Kim. Very sporadic, for me, for now.
This so called test is an old wives tale, and proves nothing, and may harm "stuff" because on many systems, especially if the alternator is charging (a low battery) "hard" it will cause a VERY high spike.
This can damage modern electronics, your stereo, etc
Why does it NOT prove anything?
Two situations. Let's say the charging system is just fine, and you think it isn't, and you yank a cable and it STOPS. This might only mean, that it is idling too low, and won't charge enough at that RPM to cover the loads
Situation two: You pull the cable and it STAYS running, but the alternator actually has at least one diode In this case the output will be "dirty" and just one diode can turn (estimate) a 37--40A alternator into about a 15-20A alternator. This is especially true if the bad diode or stator section is shorted instead of open
You will NEVER find this "test procedure" in any mechanics book anywhere.