Defender tdci alternator amps

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Evan farmer

Active Member
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My 2012tdci currently has 4 very big spotlamps halogen on front i reckon theyre 100-150w each and i want to fit 4 spotlights on top also halogens these are quite small probably 50/55w
Would my altenator burn out with these and standard lights running at same time?
 
100w is about 7.5A load so 4 would be 30A, call it another 15A for the extra spots and another 10A for the normal headlamps / sidelights etc and you are now at 55A. If you have a 100A+ alternator it should be just about ok and still manage to charge the battery assuming you aren't continually stop / starting it and using all the lamps all the time.
 
I have 6 spots across the roof and 2 on the bull bar all fitted with 150Watt bulbs. I never had a problem with them when I was using the standard 65amp alternator. Although since fitting the winch I have now upgraded the alternator.
 
Evan farmer said:
My 2012tdci currently has 4 very big spotlamps halogen on front i reckon theyre 100-150w each and i want to fit 4 spotlights on top also halogens these are quite small probably 50/55w
Would my altenator burn out with these and standard lights running at same time?
Click to expand...

100W at 14.00V (that leaves some scope) then that is 7.14A so those 4 are 28A + 15.7A of the new 4 (55W) is 43.7A fair load but not bad - also add to that your main headlights which I assume will be on? So call it maybe 50A of lighting... roughly. Should be fine. My 300tdi alt is 120A. Go LED for your new ones and think about replacing the old ones eventually.

Just make sure your wiring is good - that is some fire starter loads right there if done with bad wiring.
 
dag019 said:
I have 6 spots across the roof and 2 on the bull bar all fitted with 150Watt bulbs. I never had a problem with them when I was using the standard 65amp alternator. Although since fitting the winch I have now upgraded the alternator.
Click to expand...
8 x 150 = 1200W (excluding normal vehicle lights). Just that load itself equates to 85A :eek: so you would have been draining the battery when they were on as the 65A alternator wouldn't be able to keep up with the load.
 
Kwakerman said:
8 x 150 = 1200W (excluding normal vehicle lights). Just that load itself equates to 85A :eek: so you would have been draining the battery when they were on as the 65A alternator wouldn't be able to keep up with the load.
Click to expand...
I know it would eventually, but with a 110 Ah battery it never caused me a problem.
 
funnily enough, im doing similar myself, bought a 100amp busbar, 100 amp breaker and 16mm cable. 'm going to run from the battery under the landy, up the engine bay to the busbar, Then i'm going to use normal cables from the busbar to the lights fused straight after the busbar
 
gazman said:
funnily enough, im doing similar myself, bought a 100amp busbar, 100 amp breaker and 16mm cable. 'm going to run from the battery under the landy, up the engine bay to the busbar, Then i'm going to use normal cables from the busbar to the lights fused straight after the busbar
Click to expand...
You want to position the breaker as close to the battery +ve terminal as you can that way you have the best protection if the main cable from the battery were to get chafed on the chassis. Any length of cable between the battery terminal and the breaker isn't ptotected if it were to get chafed
 
gazman said:
funnily enough, im doing similar myself, bought a 100amp busbar, 100 amp breaker and 16mm cable. 'm going to run from the battery under the landy, up the engine bay to the busbar, Then i'm going to use normal cables from the busbar to the lights fused straight after the busbar
Click to expand...

That is similar to what I have done although I have fused the batter supply in the battery box. The the lights are wired in pairs through relays with a fused power supply coming form the busbar.
 
Sorry didnt explain myself very well. I have a 100amp breaker for direct of the battery, I'm then going to fuse smaller fuses to suit the lights off the busbar to protect the smaller cables etc
 
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