Car maintanence

[zeitgeist]

Coming from the UK where car batteries if looked after can last 6+ years and tyres are often replaced only when the tread level is below the legal minimum I find it hard to believe that a battery would need to replaced after/every 2 years and similar with tyres, is this normal?
I assume the reasonings are road surface related for the tyres and climate related, air-con usage etc., for the battery, what else should I be expecting?

[Terry]

Coming from the UK where car batteries if looked after can last 6+ years and tyres are often replaced only when the tread level is below the legal minimum I find it hard to believe that a battery would need to replaced after/every 2 years and similar with tyres, is this normal?
I assume the reasonings are road surface related for the tyres and climate related, air-con usage etc., for the battery, what else should I be expecting?

In my experience, Yes - it's normal

Not sure of the 'quality' of the locally available batteries compared to UK, but the local temperatures sure do knock the hell out of them. I've owned many vehicles here and the batteries tend to die very rapidly on or around their 3rd birthday!
As for tyres, yes the roads contribute to their wear and tear, but it is also the relative extreme sunlight that degrades the tyre wall. As a matter of principle, I replace tyres every three years regardless of the wear.
If you keep a car (Not so much the pick-ups) for any length of time - expect to replace shock absorbers every 5 years or so - definitely a road issue.

[Dannie Boy]

Although heat does affect the life of tyres, Thailand doesn't have the extreme temperatures of say the Middle East where you might have to replace them every 3-4 years. An important aspect is maintaining the tyres at the correct pressure and preferably rotate the wheels/tyres from back to front and they should be good for at least 4 years, possibly longer.

[STEVE G]

I think we've discussed this before on here but when it comes to batteries, a lot of people drive around in traffic with the air conditioning fan running at full speed which will be using more power than the alternator is providing at low engine speeds and will be draining the battery. Someone I knew in Hua Hin bought a Hilux at about the same time as me and got through three batteries in a few years whilst mine lasted seven years. I keep the fan on a low setting and turn it off when starting the engine.
As for tyres, at my old house I had no shelter and the sidewalls perished from the sun before the tread wore out after about five years.

[Terry]

.............As for tyres, at my old house I had no shelter and the sidewalls perished from the sun before the tread wore out after about five years.

This is the point that I was trying to highlight.

[Nereus]

I think we've discussed this before on here but when it comes to batteries, a lot of people drive around in traffic with the air conditioning fan running at full speed which will be using more power than the alternator is providing at low engine speeds and will be draining the battery. ................

Sorry, cannot agree with is. The whole point of a car alternator is to provide a high amperage output at "low" speed. A car alternator runs at between 2 and 3 times the crankshaft speed of the engine, and is designed for up to 10,000 rpm or more, so its output is near its design capacity at engine idle. Yes, the a/c fan will draw more current at the full speed setting, but in relation to the rest of the alternator load, it will not make any difference to what is going to the battery, regardless of what setting is on the fan.
A battery and alternator in good working condition will recover the power used to start the engine in a very short period of time, unlike an old type of DC generator.

Batteries made in this country all seem to suffer from the "made on Monday morning" problem! Like anything else, it is possible to get a "good" one, and there are many other factors that also affect its life.

[STEVE G]

Well I reckon that a 90A alternator will be doing less than 2,000rpm when the engine is idling at about 750rpm and at that speed it'll only be putting out about 40 amps if you're lucky.

[Nereus]

Well I reckon that a 90A alternator will be doing less than 2,000rpm when the engine is idling at about 750rpm and at that speed it'll only be putting out about 40 amps if you're lucky.

There are graphs on the Internet in which it can be seen that the out putput is almost straight up to maximum from just above idle. Also, most diesel engined cars have at least 3 to 1 ratio of the alternator drive, so @ 750 rpm it would be rotating around 2,250 rpm.
And what is it that draws 40 amps at engine idle?

[STEVE G]

And what is it that draws 40 amps at engine idle?

I think the blower on full power is over 14 Amps and each headlight is over 8 so you're up to 30A already which only leaves you less than 10 to run everything else.

[Nereus]

And what is it that draws 40 amps at engine idle?

I think the blower on full power is over 14 Amps and each headlight is over 8 so you're up to 30A already which only leaves you less than 10 to run everything else.

8 amps for each headlight equates to 100 watt lamps, is that correct?
The biggest load with air con is more likely to be the compressor clutch, but usually the whole system is on one fuse, so without actually measuring it is hard to tell which part is the highest.

Some of the more modern systems being used now have the alternator output controlled by the engine ECU, rather than a seperate or builtin regulator. There are evidently new European rules connected with fuel effciency and polution laws that are proving a problem to meet.
The alternator load keeps getting more and more with the addition of more and more electronics, adding more and more to the size of the alternator.

[STEVE G]

I'm back out next week and if I've got the time, I'll get a multimeter out and see what I can measure.

[Terry]

With the trend towards LED lights - this must surely reduce the load

[Nereus]

With the trend towards LED lights - this must surely reduce the load

Absolutely, but they also reduce your wallet by a large amount!
But it is more the addtion of such things as electronic traction control, electrically controlled transmissions, braking systems, electronic fuel injection, high powered entertainment systems, even electric steering is being developed, electrical adjustable and heated seats, the list is endless!

[Nereus]

Although heat does affect the life of tyres, Thailand doesn't have the extreme temperatures of say the Middle East where you might have to replace them every 3-4 years. An important aspect is maintaining the tyres at the correct pressure and preferably rotate the wheels/tyres from back to front and they should be good for at least 4 years, possibly longer.

Yes, quite correct concerning the heat. In Australia we have thousands of kilometers of roads where the air temperature is around 50 degrees C, and many of these roads are in areas where sustained high speed is normal.

Maintaining correct air pressure makes a big difference to tyre life. The following is a well followed practice in outback Australia:

Firstly, you require an accurate tyre pressure gauge. Start off with the manufactures recommended pressure with the tyre COLD, or at ambient temperature.

Drive for about 30 minutes at your normal speed. Stop and measure the pressure immediately in all 4 tyres.

You are looking for a 4 psi rise in pressure due to the air in the tyre heating up.

If the pressure rise is LESS than 4 psi, it indicates over inflation, so bleed off about 1 psi.
If the pressure rise is MORE than 4 psi, it indicates under inflation, so increase the starting pressure by about 1 psi.

It may be necessary to do this proceedure several times until you find the starting (cold) pressure that gives a 4 psi rise. You may also find a difference between front and rear tyres, and different load and road conditions will affect the result.

This proceedure works for all size road tyres, although I do not know about motor cycles.

[bsdk1960]

So anyone know were too buy a reliable tire pressure meter around Hua Hin ?