Quote:
Originally Posted by roccaas
2. Alt/Gen>Frame/Block Ground>through the frame>positive cable to the battery?
If 1, does the negative cable change direction of flow to let the power back into the battery? How does this work if the battery is still providing a buffer to the whole electrical system, and could be feeding some power from the battery to the system?
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Ignoring the whole positive-negative aspect, if the generator is providing more voltage than the nominal battery voltage, the battery will charge and the generator will be providing all the power for the car as well. I believe the battery will act as a "buffer" if you have an original generator; that's why you have to adjust your generator brushes to prevent too much current from "cooking" the cells. If you have an alternator the electronic regulator will control the voltage even if the battery is missing.