Voltage stabilizer any good for bug?

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:03 am

Lately many brands of voltage stabilizer are being promoted for cars with claim that they save fuel and boost power or money back, are they any good for old bugs?

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:47 am

never heard of anyone using them..

I'm guessing small dual carbs would be the MPG improvement.

Post by **2088 bob** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:22 am

Excuse my ignorance but what the heck is a voltage stabilizer ,secondly what would stabilization of voltage possibly have to do with fuel economy . Or am i missing some important part of that post

R2.0 · Post by **R2.0** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:40 am

After a quick google search I'm calling "snake oil". Anything that purports to increase EVERY performance aspect of your car - performance, milaege, lifetime - sounds suspicious. I'm classifying this with magnets on the fuel line and the 100 mpg carburetor.

Post by **2088 bob** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:27 pm

shades of the tornado vortex generator for your air cleaner ... bunk total bunk !

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:42 pm

I'm sure over the life of the car a stable voltage could save like a buck of gas.. would cost about 300 for the dyno test.

Sounds bogus

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:20 am

Recently my bug voltage regulator was faulty which caused intermittent voltage reading to be between 11.5 V to 13.8 V. After replacing the alternator regulator I experience an increase in engine power of at least 10%, a 150 RPM increase in idling speed and the engine sound smoother, peppier and oooomps.

I did some test (after fixing the faulty requlator)... I notice that with only the engine running, the voltage measure 13.8V and start dropping as follows.... (at constant 2,000 RPM, running at 3,000 have no effect in jacking up the voltage--more amps maybe)...

a) 13.8 V with no electrical gadget switch on
b) 13.38 V with (a) plus 100 watt head and 40 watt parking/rear lamp on
c) 13.2 V with (a, b) plus air conditioner air blower on
d) 12.9 V with (a, b, c) plus air con compressor on
At stage (d)... I can hear the air blower speed slowed down by 30%
e) 12.7 V with (a,b,c,d) plus signal lamp on
f) 12.5 V with (a to e) plus wiper & radio/amplifier on

At 12.5 V it is getting close to running the car without the battery getting charged and possibly engine RPM drop and engine performance affected just like when my regulator was faulty.

Although the alternator state that it can supply between 25 to 45 Amps, I don't have an amp-meter, so I am not sure if it is charging the battery at 12.5 V at this stage while running all items (a to f) but logically--at 12.5V the pressure is certainly not there even if the alternator is cranking 35 Amps at 2,000 RPM

Today, I am now quite convince that a voltage stabilizer--if it can maintain constant voltage will definitely have a performance effect on the car.

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:25 am

sorry made a typo at above (c)....

a) 13.8 V with no electrical gadget switch on
b) 13.38 V with (a) plus 100 watt head and 40 watt parking/rear lamp on
c) 13.10 V with (a, b) plus air conditioner air blower on
d) 12.9 V with (a, b, c) plus air con compressor on
At stage (d)... I can hear the air blower speed slowed down by 30%
e) 12.7 V with (a,b,c,d) plus signal lamp on
f) 12.5 V with (a to e) plus wiper & radio/amplifier on

Post by **Marc** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:02 am

sagaboy wrote:...convince that a voltage stabilizer--if it can maintain constant voltage will definitely have a performance effect on the car.

Faulty logic (again). You had a bad regulator and you fixed it, so now your car runs better. Fine, I can accept that.
But this does not prove that any more "stabilization" than is offered by a properly-functioning stock electrical system will produce any tangible benefit.

BTW, I've run racecars with stock-type ignition (points and Blue Coil) and NO charging system whatsoever. Even these high-compression engines didn't start to lose any power, idle rough, etc. until the voltage to the coil got down to around 10.5V.
Where are you taking these voltage readings? And what kind of parking light setup do you have that draws 40W? 20W would be more like it.
As has been stated before, a fully-charged "12V" battery reads about 13.2V - the charging system must be capable of putting out at least that much or the battery will never be fully charged. From the data you've posted, it seems likely that when you have the A/C on your battery isn't getting enough to maintain 100% charge.

"Voltage stabilizer" devices are often nothing more than a 49¢ Zener diode encapsulated in an impressive-looking package to justify their cost. These can only trim off any voltage in excess of the diode's rating, they can't raise your voltage any higher than what the generator is providing. A car with electronic fuel injection that's being driven batty by voltage spikes would probably benefit from something like this, but your bug shouldn't need one.

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:42 pm

I am using 10 watt bulb for my parking light and I wired my parking light to run all 4 bulb (one on each corner of the car).

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 9:46 pm

I took the reading by connecting the meter wires directly to the battery terminals.

Post by **Marc** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:43 am

sagaboy wrote:I am using 10 watt bulb for my parking light...

Why? Stock parkinglight and taillight filaments are 4 or 5W each and should be plenty bright. Making the tailllights brighter could make it harder for the guy behind you to recognize when the brakelights come on; in front the turnsignals (on late-headlight cars) won't stand out as well either.

The parking lights are all on at the same time with stock wiring - what did you find it necessary to change? Do you have the early headlamps, and changed the front parking lights from Term 57 to Term 58 so they're on even when the headlights are on?

This is an alternator and the max voltage you're seeing at the battery is 13.8V? Where did you come up with the 25 to 45A figure? I presume from the load-test procedure. A stock alternator puts out 50-55A and the voltage with minimal loads should be 14.2-14.7.

Verify that your coil is connected properly - the black power wire from the ignition switch goes to + Term 15, and the points/condenser (usually green) wire goes to - Term 1.
An engine will run with reversed coil polarity, but it'll need more voltage to fire the plugs "backwards".

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:58 pm

Thanks Marc -- OK, I change them back to 5W (brighter is not such a good idea after all. I got 14V at B+ and 13.8 at the battery terminal

I made a mistake stating 25A - 45A

The faded lable on the bosch alternator state: 23A - 51A

"Verify that your coil is connected properly - the black power wire from the ignition switch goes to + Term 15, and the points/condenser (usually green) wire goes to - Term 1. An engine will run with reversed coil polarity, but it'll need more voltage to fire the plugs "backwards".

OK, I checked, they are all correctly connected as stated above...
BUT
I am using an original bosch electronic ignition distributor with 2 wires "Green Black" and "White Black". The "Green Black" is connected to the coil + and the "White Black" to the coil negative.

I wonder if I should reverse them or perhaps it is not necessary because the wires electonic trigger the spark, therefore reversing them won't make any difference--but by right--"White black" should go to coil + and "Green Black" to coil negative--I think

Or perhaps thats the cause for my plugs to be fired "backwards".

Will appreciate any suggestions.

Post by **Marc** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:38 pm

So long as the power from the ignition switch is connected to Term 15 on the coil your spark polarity should be correct - and for all I know reversing the connections for that ignition system could fry something (never tried it).
What I'm looking for is some reason why your car would be so sensitive to supply voltage that's only slightly low - specifically anything which might be "borderline" in your ignition system. Is the coil the correct one for this electronic ignition? Has anyone added a ballast resistor that doesn't belong there?

sagaboy · Post by **sagaboy** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:11 am

Marc, you are right...
I believe the reason for my "boderline" sensitive to supply voltage are due to....

My current use of non standard distributor with (below) coil that may not be suitable for it.

I was thinking that the electronic distributor is just a device that simply trigger a spark to the plugs and the coil a device that provide the voltage and since the substitute dizzy fit my bug like a glove and getting the timing right there shouldn't be any problem---apparently perhaps it didn't.

Distributor current being use on my bug for the last 3 years.
Dizz Specification
Bosch Electronic 0 237 601 021 a centrifugal/vacuum distributor
(It is also used on Alfa 33, 1.5, 1490 cc 990-92, Engine 307-34
with El-i Ignition coil make/type: coil Bo/0 221 600 002)
Supply voltage: 11 - Volts without ballast resistor
Dwell angle: n / a Deg
Primary resistance: 0.7-1.0 Ohms
Secondary resistance: 6700-9600 Ohms
Ignition Timing - unleaded: 8.1 ATDC @ 900 Deg eng/rpm (without vacuum)
Spark plug make: Lodge/type: 25HL /gap: 0.7 mm

Currently now, my bug uses this coil with no resistor balast because it is use with the above Bosch Electronic distributor, I am not sure the coil is suitable for my bug as well