powering down the alternator

[green swift]

I have already changed every light except headlights and dash lights over to LEDS. I have noticed with this new mod the car going up hills is effortless not like before. I also notice you don't need any throttle to move the car in first gear. The load on the engine is reduced a huge amount. I have not been able to do any highway testing yet no time...I have been told DO NOT SELECT THE SWITCH ON OR OFF WHILE ENGINE IS ON OR SEVERE ELECTRICAL ISSUES COULD HAPPEN LIKE BURN OUT THE OBDII COMPUTER.... Only select charge on when car is off and if you want to go power off then again select it when the car is off to be safe. I will post my gains cheers.....

[DracoFelis]

Originally Posted by green swift

I have already changed every light except headlights and dash lights over to LEDS. I have noticed with this new mod the car going up hills is effortless not like before. I also notice you don't need any throttle to move the car in first gear.

Yes, quality LED modules can actually be brighter than stock (many of the cheap modules are dimmer than stock, but some of the quality ones are brighter than stock), while still giving you aprox 90% power savings over incandescent bulbs (a win-win situation IMHO).

And while you can't convert your headlights to LEDs (yet), it is still pretty amazing how many watts those other (secondary) lights (that come on with your headlights, and also if you just use the "1st position" on the headlight switch) add up to. Depending upon the car (all cars seem to have a different mix of bulbs these days), you can easily save anywhere from 50-200 watts of power (whenever your lights are on), simply by converting car lights to LED modules. And while that still isn't a huge number of amps of power, with many cars (especially smaller, and generally more "fuel efficient" cars), it can be more than enough power difference to make a very noticeable (if not real huge) difference in both idle speed and total fuel economy.

OTOH keep in mind that while LEDs are often "a good thing", you get even more power savings by simply turning off lights when they aren't needed. For example, during bright daylight I have my exterior lights all the way off to save on power (and yes, it does make a small difference vs just running my LED modules).

And I also limit my use of the full headlights (which like virtually all cars, tend to be power hungry) to only when I really "need" them (either to see, or because I'm legally required to have them on), and not when I just want other cars to see me. If I just want other cars to see me (which includes all sorts of marginal lighting conditions from heavy overcast to simply being near sun down), I instead use my secondary lights (i.e. all the exterior lights EXCEPT for the headlights and fog lights). Yes, even with my secondary lights now being LED modules (which only draw about 1/10th the power that the stock bulbs would), the secondary lights still draw a few watts of power when they are on (which is why I turn off even my secondary lights in bright daylight). However, IMHO that power usage (for the secondary LED lights) is a small price to pay to be easily seen (by other drivers) during marginal lighting conditions!

BTW: I'm assuming you don't make this mistake, but just in case anyone else reading it does...

I've actually seen quite a few clueless people run their "fog lights" (the lower set of front facing "headlights", that are only supposed to be run during fog or heavy rain/snow) all the time they have their normal lights on. Apparently they figure they look "cool", or they think it will somehow make it easier for them to see (when in fact most "fog lights" only really help visibility in some types of bad weather). Not only does this waste a lot of power (i.e. lowers fuel economy due to the extra electrical load), but fog lights also tend to blind other drivers (in much the same way as running with your "high beams" always on would do). And to add insult to injury, fog lights are also illegal to leave on all the time in many areas (i.e. in many states, you technically can get a ticket if you run your fog lights when the weather is good, or if you fail to turn them off when approaching other cars).

As to me, the electrical circuit for my fog lights actually has a problem with it, and those "fog lights" mean so little to me that I still haven't bothered to get that fixed after 3 years or so. IMHO just make sure your headlights are top-notch (I have the very bright "Toshiba HIR" bulbs in my main CRX headlight assembly), and your secondary lights (which in my CRX are now super bright LED modules) are in good shape, and "fog lights" seem a bit redundant. Yes, my car has a place where they are mounted, but I still think the times when I want a lot of light "very low" (and am willing to pay for the power usage to get that extra light) will be few and far between. At all other times, "fog lights" (at least traditional fog lights, there are now starting to be after-market LED fog lights) are just a waste of power (and therefore fuel economy) IMHO.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by DracoFelis

If I just want other cars to see me (which includes all sorts of marginal lighting conditions from heavy overcast to simply being near sun down), I instead use my secondary lights (i.e. all the exterior lights EXCEPT for the headlights and fog lights).

Not only does it save energy, but it prevents glare.

Now if manufacturers could just use those lights, or similar lights, for DRLs instead of using headlights...I hate DRL glare.

but fog lights also tend to blind other drivers (in much the same way as running with your "high beams" always on would do).

I've read this countless times posted by others, but despite being very sensitive to glare, most "fog" lights don't bother me -- and certainly don't bother me as much as most DRLs. Especially GM fog lights, which tend to be 27 watt 880 bulbs in diffused housings... Anyway, glare offense for me would be greatly reduced if cars with "fog" lights had their DRLs rewired to them.

Besides glare, lots of dimmed-headlight DRLs end up fooling drivers into forgetting to turn on their headlights, and they're driving with no rear lights on and insufficient forward lighting.

I have my DRLs disabled and just turn on my "secondary" (as you call them) lights when I think they could enhance my visibility, though my GMC has inoffensive dedicated DRLs.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Not only does it save energy, but it prevents glare.

Now if manufacturers could just use those lights, or similar lights, for DRLs instead of using headlights...I hate DRL glare.



I've read this countless times posted by others, but despite being very sensitive to glare, most "fog" lights don't bother me -- and certainly don't bother me as much as most DRLs. Especially GM fog lights, which tend to be 27 watt 880 bulbs in diffused housings... Anyway, glare offense for me would be greatly reduced if cars with "fog" lights had their DRLs rewired to them.

Besides glare, lots of dimmed-headlight DRLs end up fooling drivers into forgetting to turn on their headlights, and they're driving with no rear lights on and insufficient forward lighting.

I have my DRLs disabled and just turn on my "secondary" (as you call them) lights when I think they could enhance my visibility, though my GMC has inoffensive dedicated DRLs.

My truck uses the low beam headlights at reduced brightness. I've been driving with my headlights on for many years... Its a byproduct from when I used to drive emergency vehicles and 6 ton trucks. I just got in the habit of always driving with my lights on.

-Jay