Re: Can the alternator run the car by itself?
When starting from a dead stop, the alternator NEEDS a small electrical feed to excite the fields and start charging. With the fuse blown no electricity is available for feeding. On newer cars the idiot light is the feed to excite the alternator. On one wire 6 volt alternators there is a small feedback and that is what drains the battery when it sets for long periods without being used. The residual magnetism in an alternator won't generate enough electricity to get past the diodes and feed back into the circuit.
The residual magnetism in a Model A generator will generate 1/2 volt, and this is fed back to the field windings to increase the magnetic strength and increase the output.......and the cycle continues uncontrolled until it reaches it's limit by design, which can be up to about 40 volts. That's why it's important to have a battery in the circuit at all times, or have an EVR in the generator to limit the output.
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