How much really do accessories affect fuel consumption?

[@nickwells20]

Im so glad this channel does the English voice over. It sounds dumb at times but the content of this channel is so good and unique that it's worth it.

[@fayis1977]

Goidmorninig sir

[@edva7040]

he speaks quite good

[@PassionForGrammar]

he speaks quite well

[@dodgydruid]

Yes it is nicely done except the Americanisation of what is being spoken in Russian is rather irritating when you hear Vlad say clearly aluminium and the narrator forces the Americanised aloomeyum, its a small thing and you would hear squeals of anger across the US if a Russian tried to force a Russian term over an American one. Says on the periodic table aluminium and has so for over a century. Fender is another irritant, Europeans and Russians use "wing" with the fender itself being the mudguard lip which "fends" off anything that could get caught up in the wheel just like a boat fender will fend off anything that can damage a boat side when travelling or at anchor.

[@Mr._Comedian]

*Turns on both seat heaters. "I will gloss over the stereo, because not all cars have one."

[@CreakyCricket]

It's Russia. Maybe modern cars come with seat heaters.

[@darenzy]

@@CreakyCricket Yes, exactly. Most if not all of Russia have very cold winters, so it makes sense even base spec cars come with heated seats. Unlike here in southern Europe like Italy, Greece, and Spain where even high spec cars rarely come with heated seats. Still, very odd not having a stereo lol.

[@blueleoo2592]

The current actually drops because the alternator is charging the battery with less current when the accessories draw most of the current. When the current was high, the alternator was actually charging the battery more than supplying the accessories.(because they were turned off) If the current had been measured directly after the alternator it would have been as expected higher with everything turned on.

[@albi2k88]

I think current measurement was perform wrong way. If multimeter was clamped on alternator to battery wire and battery to car wire simultaneously that shows only how many amps goes to battery, same sitution when battery to ground was mesure (incoming and outcoming current cancel out). Amp meter should be clumped on alternator wire only or battery to fuse box only.

[@Jarda_B]

That could be the case it really depands on the car and where you measure most modern cars from my knowledge have one thick cable from the positive to the anternator + the starter and than second red cable running from the positive terminal to the cabin for all of the electronic......... To have right measurement you would of course need to clamp both of the cables

[@GreenPlanet30]

the amp meter should have been connecter in series to battery from alternator

[@dino6627]

The alternator can only supply a limited current at idle speed, so the voltage drops with high load and the battery can actually be draining instead of charging.

[@skuula]

It's the alternator current that decides its mechanical power consumption. Whether the current goes to the battery or to the accessories doesn't matter.

[@PromasterHOF]

Back in the 1970’s when I was drag racing (NHRA) in the stock modified class, when you went for the tech check they always checked to make the alternator or generator was properly charging. I had a hidden switch which I could turn the alternator off so it wouldn’t draw horsepower from the engine

[@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627]

Oh I need that switch.

[@ouch1011]

Unless you're powering your house while drag racing or drag racing a scooter, the alternator on or off makes *zero* difference to your track times. Even a high power alternator pulls maybe 2hp while charging under full load, which is completely imperceptible in the butt dyno or track times. Any difference you "felt" was placebo effect.

[@CotyRiddle]

@@ouch1011 you would be suprised.

[@CotyRiddle]

never seen a old honda have you. them alternators can pull the idle down pretty low when engaged. *computer controlled,*

[@1marcelfilms]

@@CotyRiddle The turn signals alone will make the idle go up and down slightly

[@3rdpig]

You need to have your meter on the alternator output cable, putting it on the battery is only checking battery charging amps, the alternator can't charge the battery if the accessories are using it's full output.

[@davidjernigan8161]

I was thinking the same thing. Probably should have had a current shunt on the alternator output and measured the current at the shunt.

[@Nuka21]

Doesn't the alternator connect directly to the positive of the battery? Would have thought a current meter on the positive would be the same as reading on the alternator feed to the battery

[@ThisisForTheTV]

A shunt style is cheap and reliable.

[@simonallan9941]

​@Nuka21 yes the battery feeds accessories and alternator keeps it from draining below rated voltage ⚡️ with any luck

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

@simon lol

[@noneentered1]

Measuring current to the battery just shows charge level. Once the battery recovers from the energy used to run the starter, there will be very little flowing into the battery. The clamp should have been around the alternator power lead.

[@Chris_Garman]

In the 60's, many economy tests were done by the U of S on a VW Beetle. The windshield wiper drag used 1 mpg (Canadian). Taping the body seams saved 1 mpg. The same university made a 2000 mpg (Canadian) vehicle in the late 60's, then a 3000 mpg vehicle in the 90's.

[@eritronc]

9:29 you have to measure on the big cable that came out of the alternator. Any other measure point you are not measuring the load on the alternator.

[@WINZRacingBoss]

When racing motorbikes they used to check alternator output on anything "production class" to make sure you weren't bypassing and getting a few more horses

[@TechOne7671]

The clamp meter needs to be on the output of the alternator, this will indicate the alternators current. This will be difficult due to space restriction. Also the car has 2 sources of energy in parallel, the alternator and the battery. The battery will take up the load when the alternators voltage drops to the battery voltage due to lack of speed. The total electrical load is not required, only what the alternator supply’s. 750w is 1 horsepower and would need circa 62 amps at 12v assuming no loses. Getting a bit out of scope for this comment now. Still I love your experiments. All the best.

[@nigelterry9299]

I tested the effect of aircon v open windows. 45mpg with aircon less than 30mpg with the windows open. I’ve run the aircon ever since……

[@Miner-49]

Known that for decades now. Too much drag when windows are down.

[@1marcelfilms]

Yeah and you are just blowing warm air into the car with the windows open

[@TheGoddamnBacon]

At what average speed?

[@FB-gm6el]

​@@Miner-49 yet, everyone thinks driving 90mph is a much better idea than the Carter Administration's 55mph limit. the effect of drag goes up exponentially with velocity.

[@MattBrownbill]

I wonder how much fuel the lady next to us in McDonald's used today. Sat eating in her car with it in reverse and foot on the brake for at least 15 minutes. 😮

[@charlie_nolan]

I don’t understand how people idle their cars not in park. At work sometimes I’m in a car idling for 4-12 hours and it doesn’t use nearly as much fuel as you’d think.

[@forgotcr]

Maan I saw a similar situation yesterday, it was in a parking lot of a gas station, all the spaces were full, and this guy sat in his car with the reverse and foot on the brake waiting for somebody to leave a parking slot

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

I use the aircon in my truck as brakes, while going downhill :) .

[@giggiddy]

Almost like a jake brake😅

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@@giggiddy Yup, that sounds about right :) . They will brake, even when not being broken to.

[@WagTsX]

I thought i was the only one that does that! It works very well.

[@CNCmachiningisfun]

@@WagTsX Indeed. Sure, you freeze solid during the trip, but your brakes last forever :) .

[@andikappradana]

I did it too. AC put a load not only on the alternator, but also on the engine to crank the compressor

[@AxlOropeza]

I love this channel, it never fails to answer some of the most inocent but yet interesting questions i've hever had about cars.

[@marksr49341]

I think the amp reading may be odd because you measuring the "flow" of current into AND out of the battery. But at idle the alternator is just keeping up with load not having enough output to supply the load and still charge the battery.

[@nukedogger86]

I was not expecting the level of drops even with alternator load. Really cool test!

[@christophermarshall5765]

The reason for all this is because during operation, the alternator provides all the necessary power for the vehicle electrical system. The greater the load, the more power the alternator will provide, because of the output being controlled by the regulator. When the electrical load is low, the output from the alternator will go to the battery, after the vehicle electrical power is met.

[@dejanmarinkovikj9575]

Few things could improve test on higher level: 1. Turnings steering wheel 2. Pressure on brake pedal 3. Pressure on clutch 4. Cigarette lighter pressing multiple times 5. Glass wipers, etc... Normally, nobody in real life will be doing all this but would be interesting 🙂

[@ahmadrizqiramadhan7846]

Opening and closing all power windows, windshield washer/sprayer. Also the alternator can actually supply more power if the engine is revved a little higher (1500, 1750, 2000 rpm).

[@andikappradana]

I don’t think pushing a clutch has an effect on alternator because clutch is pure hydraulic without any electricity at all. Well, at least in my car

[@AlfinoFr]

@@ahmadrizqiramadhan7846 tried that... Yanking steering wheel left and right, while rolling up and down all 4 windows, AC full blast, stereo on, headlight on, hazard on... the battery indicator lights up instantly. voltage drops to low 12

[@dejanmarinkovikj9575]

@@andikappradana yes, not affecting alternator but consumption

[@angusnz7910]

Won’t turn the stereo in as not all cars have one…as he turns on heated seats 😝 Several half hour idling and no air movement the engine fans aren’t cutting in and out ?

[@univisiontech1]

Must be because they're near the arctic circle 😅

[@stijnx6]

very interesting video, i drive a volvo and i always wondered if the light that are always on use fuel and how much. always great video's on this channel.

[@Roberto89471]

simple answer for the Amp meter = you are measuring how much electricity is entering the battery at no load u were charging the battery at 5-7 amps at full load the alternator was outputting all it could and u were only charging the battery with 0.5 - 1 amps if u want to know how much the alternator is producing u have to measure at the B+ from the alternator

[@JerryWalker001]

An alternator puts out current with a high ripple so you will find it difficult to measure the average current with the type of meter you are using. The voltage does of course seem stable because the battery acts like a capacitor. If you used a scope to look at the current then you would see a lot of ripple (NOT AC) and this confused a simple current clamp.

[@kentworch]

Awesome experiment and video. Things like that are the kinds of things I'm most interested in. The air conditioner is definitely the biggest load on a car, especially from my experience with old cars. I still drive my first car till this day after decades and half a million miles (over a million kilometers). I keep good oil in it and it just keeps on running. I nicknamed it the coffin cheater because it has earned that title. It simply refuses to die. Anyway I definitely loved the video, and it was really cool to see these things tested out. God bless y'all and Merry Christmas.

[@Altacat]

...sweet Ghostbusters shirt !! : )

[@martinweizenacker7129]

The low beams test should have been done with standard halogen lamps, not LED (which consume way less power and are not road legal in many parts of the world).

[@JJFX-]

Where are LEDs not legal? I'm so tired of getting blinded by some truck in my rear view. Not that long ago I thought for sure someone was tailgating me with after market lights. I let them pass me at a stop light ready to make my frustration known until realizing it was just an old lady in some Volvo SUV.

[@zetnakatel]

@@JJFX- basically whole Europe?

[@martinweizenacker7129]

@@JJFX- Yes, basically all of Europe (and more), unless for very specific and strict exceptions of certain tested and approved combinations of headlights and lamps. But that's beside the point. People usually don't believe or consider that driving with the low beams on all the time does consume more fuel. Well, at least from this test the conclusion is that the amount of fuel it takes is not exactly insignificantly low.

[@JJFX-]

@@martinweizenacker7129 Interesting... I had no idea that was a thing. A quick search seems that it's mostly aftermarket LEDs? I'm not a fan of ridiculous car regulations in my state but I can get behind that. Nothing wrong with efficient LEDs in general but it's getting out of hand. Even the factory lights on a lot of BMWs and such are really annoying... feels like you're being chased by a tweaker holding a spot light.

[@martinweizenacker7129]

@@JJFX- Yes, that's why it's strictly regulated. Basically, if you put an El-Cheapo aftermarket LED into a halogen headlight, it will most likely produce unwanted light patterns and potentially even spill light above the cut-off threshold if the surface area emitting the light does not faithfully emulate the physical size and exact position the filament in a halogen lamp would have. After all, the headlight is tuned down to fractions of a millimeter to throw the light where it's needed while not blinding others. And it relies on strict tolerances of the lamp to accomplish this. Factory headlights of modern cars (BMWs) are often blinding because the automatic high beams function simply does not work well under all conditions. For example, if there is dirt on the sensor (usually at the top center of the windscreen) it'll have a harder time recogizing other cars and stay on high beams, blinding everybody. Crazy, yes.

[@volvopentaman]

Very nice video and demonstration of how different loads consume much more fuel! About measuring alternator load, you should put the ammeter (the clamp) on the alternator cable going between alternator and battery. Now measuring just from battery cable (possibly going just to battery) you are effectively measuring the amperage drain or load from the battery, so just telling if battery is being charged or discharged. :) 14,25v on the multimeter tells battery being charged/being kept stable. 12,65v is basically telling battery is being discharged even if engine is running. But the load is so high on the alternator that the battery is in fact supplying a part of the energy (that is why the ammeter clamp is showing MINUS amperage = energy is going from battery to car electrical system and battery being discharged). It would be interesting to do same experiment on a car with a big engine like a V8 or V12 and comare differences. Of cours you should up the fuel amount in same ratio as engine displacement, otherwise a 4-5L V8 would run like 10-20min with 500ml. :) And a good practice would be to have the battery full charged between experiment parts to factor out battery draining/charging that consumes power.

[@direfox240]

The short explanation of what happened with the clamp on meter, to the best of my understanding. Alternator charge wire goes to a fuse in the fuse box. After the fuse is a distribution bar/BUS bar that everything else gets power from the Alt. including the battery. Meaning the power/amperage loop can completely bypass the battery. Except for the Alt. voltage reference circuit/wire, to stabilize voltage and power up the windings/electromagnets.

[@HamburgerAmy]

cut alternator cables = 9999mpgs

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

Remove fuel tanks = infinite fuel

[@I_know_what_im_talking_about]

Bypass the alternator completely with different belt routing and a smaller belt. 😈

[@IridiumMotorola]

Plz make a engine without a camshaft with electronic actuation as used by Koenigsegg it was very interesting to see. efficiency and power should increase love from india never skip a single video of yours

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

The actuation of the vales is the real tricky part as it takes a lot of energy to move them fast and exact. I think it was Mercedes who tried to make something like this back in the 70's. However it could have been anyone. They discovered that using electromagnets for moving the valves was not a realistic option. If i remember correctly the Koenigsegg solution uses pneumatics to operate the valves controlled by electric valves controlled by the computer. So there is a bit more than just replacing the lifters with a compact electro magnetic lifter. And if you make the valves work you still have to control them using a computer. This will require quite a bit of programming and development. The fact that Koenigsegg is the only manufacturer that has developed a system like this says it's not simple. And even they haven't been using it for any of their engines so far as I know. At least not in anything they have sold to a customer. Again this is as far as I know. If you know more then please post about it.

[@Madpegasusmax]

and if the temperature knob was set to max hot , the blower will keep the engine at normal temperature , so the main radiator fan(s) will not turn on (they consume a lot of power) . And as expected , the AC will increase consomption , that is very high with engine at idle on low torque , plus no air naturally passing to help the AC fan(s) on the condensator .

[@LarrySong712]

the reason your clamp on battery terminal is Lower on full load, because you're measuring the charging current not the load current. you should measure the alternator output.

[@Fabio-ch5jm]

To have a more accurate test, you could have used a charged battery after each test, some tests discharge the battery and increase the load on the alternator in the next test.

[@jannekarppanen9346]

Hey you were measuring battery charging current. You want to measure thick cable from alternator.

[@lokeshmore08]

@Garage 54 Видео такого типа действительно информативны.

[@neilduncan8657]

you should measure the amps at the positive alternator wire.

[@graemew7001]

My car averages low 40's mpg in winter and high 40's/50mpg+ in summer. Its all to do with the lights, heater etc used in winter, the density of the air outside and the time it takes to initially warm up the engine.

[@PREDATEURLT]

All you say is true. If there is snow on the road it also introduce resistance for wheels to roll.

[@graemew7001]

@@PREDATEURLT Thank you, that's a point I hadn't considered as we don't get snow so much nowadays but that also eats into your economy as you also tend to stay in lower gears in the snow.

[@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627]

Idling is higher when temperature is cold about 950 rpm and reduced to 750rpm at 82celcius

[@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627]

All are display by obd2 meter

[@dodgydruid]

Problem with air conditioning systems is they are deliberately inefficient as per the planned obscelescence found in modern cars, the whole clutch system still used widely is its ancient technology designed before the war and materials used for solid pipework are inferior for the job needed. I helped years back a friend who was fed up with his Jaguar's aluminium pipes on his a/c just breaking and leaking all the time and we spent a weekend shaping and fitting full stainless steel pipework and he changed the solenoid clutch unit for something industrial fitted with a simple pulley that sat in the fan belt train and it never leaked once over many years and because the energy to power the pump was part of energy used to drive the fan and water pump, the drain on the engine was negligible.

[@marcsparenberg3072]

You should measure the current on the alternator cable. Because all power is needed elsewhere so there is no power left for the battery. That’s why the voltage drops.

[@loveaviation]

Under normal city driving, my car (2018 Honda Accord) only charges the battery when the car is decelerating if the electrical system is working properly and battery is in good condition. When the car is stopped or during acceleration the battery is not being charged to save on fuel. When the lights come on or other electrical accessories then the car charges the battery during idle and acceleration.

[@UncleHo5]

For an accurate measurement you can connect a flowmeter on the fuel supply line and another one on the return fuel line. By measuring these 2 values you know exactly the amount of fuel burned by the engine with and without load. This is how the fuel consumption is measured on ships. We have to take counters every day at midnight and we know exactly how much we consume in 24 hrs period

[@AlfinoFr]

most modern car have returnless fuel line. means the fuel pressure is regulated internally inside the fuel pump.

[@Jarda_B]

About the electronics, it really depands on the car and where you measure most modern cars from my knowledge have one thick cable from the positive to the anternator + the starter and than second red cable running from the positive terminal to the cabin for all of the electronic......... To have right measurement you would of course need to clamp both of the cables Also possible that the batery was charged from the previous run so it is possible that it was close to charged so smaller voltage difference and smaller curent, dont forget that to charge battery from 0 to 80% it takes the same time from the 80% to full

[@totalyfrikinawsome]

Most of the guys in the comments are right about the power draw showing on the meters. Without load most of the power from the alternator is going to charging the battery but that load gets routed to other systems with all the accessories

[@twocvbloke]

It's true that tow different people can drive identical cars and get different fuel consumption, and often it's attributed to their right foot, some are gentle with their throttle use, others just hoof it everywhere and brake hard a lot, burning up more fuel to do the same journey, and that's before you ad the electrical loads onto the engine... :)

[@tooltime9260]

With the clamp meter on the battery cables, inaccurate load is guaranteed. For a proper test, the wire coming off the alternator before any tree is where it has to be measured. Also, to ensure load specs, the battery itself has to be fully charged and that can take a "few miles of driving" at least, to accomplish. Just idling until the clamp meter reads about 2 or less amps is close enough. All accessories OFF. After the battery is charged, then you can test loads "accurately". A primary spec to know is what the alternator is rated on any particular car. Is it 100 amps? 125? What? Blindly testing without knowing its specs cannot guarantee whether it's being overloaded or not. The IAC will keep the RPMs relatively stable even though the system voltage will drop. Under full electrical load and in gear, as long as the voltage is above 12.6 MINIMUM, nothing will suffer. If you did this all the time, the battery could eventually die much earlier than normal, let alone shorten alternator life. Some cars have a computer program where if the alternator is constantly trying to charge the battery for beyond a preprogrammed period of time, a "battery" light will come on. The computer is always watching the battery condition. Some models have the "sensor" right at the positive battery post. It is a shunt design. The battery relies on a deep, full charge of a minimum of 13.6 to remain healthy. As to the clamp meter, ensure it is clamped in the right direction when no load is present to make sure it reads POSITIVE. When an alternator can no longer maintain proper voltage because of load, measuring voltage at the battery will give a false reading because it is then that the battery is back-feeding the system with a higher stored voltage which will be higher than what is actually being put out by the alternator. For any of this to be accurate, direct readings from the alternator itself, voltage and amperage, is the only way.

[@jimnyplayer]

消費される電流を測定するのであれば、オルタネーターB端子からメインヒューズへ伸びる太いケーブルにクランプするべきでした。 バッテリーから出ているプラス線では主にスターターを回す電流(出力)と充電電流(入力)の測定になります。

[@katieandkevinsears7724]

The best ways to save gas are to maintain the vehicle properly and drive conservatively.

[@calthorp]

Everyone knows it is to install a mast & sail on your car, Then only use your engine when the wind is unfavorable!

[@godfreypoon5148]

Best way is to leave the windows open all the time until the rain causes the floor to rust out, then you can propel the car with your feet.

[@calthorp]

@@godfreypoon5148 How about fitting bike peddles.

[@leoisso7033]

It CAN affect fuel consumption very much. With my little 1.2 L gas engine in my first car it used more than 1 Liter /100 km more if i only started AC which is very much if you usually use about 5 to 6 L/100km. But with my 3.0 L TDI I´m driving rn it honestly does not matter.

[@anonimas12]

to be fair, 5/6L/100km is a ton already for an engine that size.

[@Colorado_Native]

My 5.7 l Jeep Hemi just laughs. A full tank of gas is a challenge.

[@leoisso7033]

@@anonimas12 not for a car from 1998. And it was usually filled with stuff for work.

[@bitkarek]

that Getz is loaded!!! so many features!

[@LVUFC]

I was thinking that ! My 2011 daily driver basically had none of this stuff. Pretty insane.

[@tejaspadhye]

Indian Getz got nothing!

[@bitkarek]

@@tejaspadhye i have seen only poverty specs in europe too. This car is meant to be cheap, not full of luxury.

[@tejaspadhye]

@@bitkarek still, I have not seen this many options in top model Getz here

[@ivansegedi]

hi, very interesting video. in some next experiment, try with the old battery to see if it has any effect on consumption, I am very interested in the results.

[@Fk8td]

Love these guys but Honestly should have used a scale for fuel to be more accurate. Thats the best way to make sure it is actually the same amount.

[@jeromevdb2956]

Could be interesting to do the same experience during driving, and also with 'classic' bulb light.

[@118luke]

Can you guys do an experiment for me? Could you try adding a 1:10 mix of petrol to diesel. Then drain the fuel and try a 2:9 mix, then 3:8 etc (repeat the test and increase the petrol amount each time) to see what ratio will make the engine stop running. Then try it the other way round in a petrol engine car, repeat the experiment and add a bit more diesel each time until the engine stops. It's something I've always wondered about.

[@newagetemplar6100]

There are 2 different types of clamp meter , one that does AC and the other that does DC . I can’t remember the specific differences , but off memory one has a laminated steel core , the other I think has a Hall effect sensor on the end of one of the clamps.

[@Thingstest-rl8xu]

⚠This test has major problems... Volts dropped because the car is at Idle and barely run the alternator Because That need to spin much higher to make power. Amp meter on battery cables often is "useless" for above test. You need amp meter on Alternator's Main Output wire to see power used. All alternator amp "rating" is Peak Amps possible and you get a Small Fraction of that at Idle. Alternator RPM is Not the same as Engine RPM and "gear up" to spin 2 to 2.5+ times faster then the engine. For most street vehicles, Often you only see Peak Amps above 65 to 80kph (40 to 50mph) and why when stuck in traffic for a long time many vehicles have a "dead" battery because the battery tried to make up the power needed by the Total Load. This is what Volts shown with everything Turned On. Look up any alternator power chart like several GM types. Check any Amp Clamp meters as many still read AC Amps only. DC Amp Clamps have special rules because most are Hall Effect type and easily mess up by what is near it. If you reset/cleared the meter standing near the car, often have to do that again just before you clamp any wire.

[@arlochristman8668]

If you use a decent scan tool you can look at the % engine load and see how much things change when you turn things on and off.

[@frankgiancola7]

An alternator is 66% efficient which is driven by the motor which is 25% efficient so it takes 6 watts of mechanical energy to make 1 watt of electrical energy .

[@uzaiyaro]

The battery in your clamp meter needs changing. That could explain part of the weirdness. Also, zero the clamp out every time you use it.

[@R3cKi7]

alternator is taking all the load. you are seeing the idle charge current not the load current. most alternators start working over 1500rpm

[@felipeperez1059]

Wait not all cars have stereos? What? Just having to say that tells me that a good percentage of cars don't have stereos. . . I grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the US and I don't remember the last time I saw a car that didn't have a stereo in it. Man that makes me feel more grateful

[@benji376]

inside heater on means radiator fans won't be running as much or if at all so maybe that's why it lasted longer

[@ProudDad1976]

8:56 You read how much the battery is being charged and not what the alternator is feeding the car. If you had the amp-probe on the positive of the alternator, then you would see the draw from the car.

[@orozcocris93]

engine masters did a test with all the other things run on the belt by the engine. power steering was the lowest draw followed by the ac and the one that took the most was the alternator and that was without any accessories on as the engine was not connected to a car. cant imagine with a bunch of other things taking in electricity how much it really affected. would need to look up that video again to give accurate numbers but that is the results of it. in this one the ac was the most but because the alternator was also active in the fuel economy test. isolated the alternator draws more of the engine power

[@gristlevonraben]

great video! what about windshield wipers? we need a winter snow test, wipers, heater, lights, and radio! just kidding, you guys keep warm, please, during this winter.

[@MarkNewphone]

Did you switch on the window wipers and rear window demister ?

[@Unzem]

Everyone is saying to measure the wire coming from the alternator. You can measure it from the battery, but you have the clamp flipped the wrong way, you just rotate it 180 and put it back around the cable coming off the battery.

[@tooltime9260]

Wrong. The clamp meter registers the same no matter which way it's clamped on. The only difference is the "-" in front of the numbers. A direct line from the alternator is the ONLY way to see alternator output. Fussing around the battery will not always work because different manufacturers wire their cars THEIR way, some tapping power before the battery. To the car, the battery looks like another accessory, not the origin of power. The ONLY way then is directly from the alternator BEFORE any taps (tree connections) are found. I hope you're not a mechanic.

[@Unzem]

On AC your clamp position doesn't matter. On dc the clamp needs to be facing a certain way. Thanks for starting off showing you don't know what you're talking about. Cars don't wire their power distribution to the alternator, the alternator always goes back to the battery, especially on newer vehicles, the alternator is controlled by the PCM and excites the alternator field to charge or not charge depending on voltage in an effort to maximize fuel mileage. You don't need the alternator field energized pulling a load all the time if the battery voltage is high enough. I've work as a heavy duty diesel technician over a decade now.

[@CreakyCricket]

@@tooltime9260 She's a dealer mechanic?

[@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627]

And automatic transmission in D increase fuel consumption by 400%

[@MelodicTurtleMetal]

Ridiculous. There would be 10%-20% max difference staying in drive with the brake vs neutral or park due to the torque converter being engaged. Would be more interesting to see the extra wear on the gearbox over time from frequent changes into neutral or park vs staying in drive.

[@Frank-g7x8v]

Well the current clamp should go on the negative terminal cable... Not positive.. but this wouldn't show load either.. you would want that to be on the alternator output cable.

[@swrekcfest]

Maybe a more scientific way would be to take the battery out , then measure and log the power supplied by the alternator , after that convert the Watt Hours to Joules , or etc and compare the equivalent energy of that 500 ML gasoline . Maybe that would be more precise , at least it would take the battery charging out of the equation. Thanks for the video !

[@simonallan9941]

If you want your alternator to charge the battery etc more than normal, like if you have more than normal amounts of accessories running, just disconnect the S wire from the alternator, so it thinks the battery is not charged = up to 15.2v, I have a switch for mine so I can charge my solar power bank in winter 😀

[@dino6627]

That will reduce the life of halogen headlamps and the car battery. I would use a boost converter module insted for the solar power bank.

[@dionlawler5515]

there is multiple ground points on an engine if you bypass one it will mess up the reading you need to clap the charging wire from the alternator and the battery disconnected

[@evercano8924]

I am impressed with this channel and also i am hearing this in spanish! 😮😮😮😮

[@ebergutierrez4994]

Good video bradder

[@essb00]

The clamp ammeter should have been put on the (+) wire output of the alternator.

[@ranaammar9433]

You forgot to turn on the roof lights

[@habiks]

You're measuring the current wrong. You need to measure the wire that comes out of alternator.. what you're measuring now is how much the battery charges/discharges. In last test, the battery was almost full, but the main current went from alternator into lights, heaters, etc.. not into battery (this is why the current was 0 into battery).

[@ranger178]

the problem is you are also charging the battery after it uses some power to start car especially in first run when you had no loads it was probably not 100 % charged after sitting around

[@gapho5198]

Not sure the heater will do much about current draw, IIRC it gets it's heat from the coolant system, not resistive heaters.

[@bakedpotatoe4195]

The blower motor

[@j0rss]

not the heater, AC. In most cars AC pump is driven by the engine itself. So load on the engine equals more fuel consumption.

[@subg9165]

@@j0rss before commenting on a youtube video you should generally watch the whole thing

[@SuperDd40]

That fuel looks like it came from Chernobyl. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@frankspencer5368]

Or Savannah River Site🪤

[@BENVOLIO9]

looks like our low octane petrol (gasoline) in Australia hahahaa

[@otero2235]

I thought it looked like kerosene.

[@goranstevanovic4724]

Each country has different color codes for fuel. It's utterly arbitrary.

[@albi2k88]

I think current measurement was perform wrong way. If multimeter was clamped on alternator to battery wire and battery to car wire simultaneously that shows only how many amps goes to battery, same sitution when battery to ground was mesure (incoming and outcoming current cancel out). Amp meter should be clumped on alternator wire only or battery to fuse box only.

[@jack8356]

Check the cable coming off the alternator positive side

[@Iam-ix4he]

Spelling mistake in the title Its not Accessories, its Air Conditioning

[@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627]

Yo dude, just use obd2 meter. Idling without load is 0.45 litre per hour. Air-conditioning alone increase fuel consumption by 100%

[@robintodd3901]

Everything draws off the higher voltage first. That being from the alternator before the battery.

[@CharlieHull-k5o]

Put the clamp on the wire between the alternator and the battery

[@jordan-mn6yy]

you should also charge 2 big phones at the same time. (with fast charge if available)

[@rastaralph7154]

A big amplifier would be a great test 💚💛❤️

[@jannekarppanen9346]

For having some effect from amplifier, you need to play sound with full volume. For low volume it takes max 1 W.

[@rastaralph7154]

@jannekarppanen9346 Yes I'm talking about playing music on full bass using at least a 1kw amp running at about 40+ amps 👍💚💛❤️

[@Markcain268]

Yes, it's surprising how quickly a high power music system can drain the battery, a 250 watt system will draw around 25amps when the bass is up high!

[@user123-pf5ib]

V8 hydrogen fuel engine with twin charge ( turbo and supercharger) and put it to the lada

[@IceAge20017]

In some European countries LED headlights are considered "Fuel saving devices". Pish posh. Might save 1ml a year.

[@dandiegidio7729]

Cars are strange. I had a 2005 ford escape with 370k miles, and the ac didn't affect the mileage at all, and I swear it accelerated better with the ac on.

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

Open windows create lots of Drag, so in the End, AC Loads aren't all that bad.

[@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627]

The LED headlights is very efficient.

[@theinspiringengineer-railw153]

Once the car is running - connect a flat but healthy 12v battery across the battery in the car to see what difference it makes charging up a flat battery :)

[@nedkaiser9949]

Nearly all cars with AC, engages the compressor for defrost. Should of left heater on floor, or vent, for third test.

[@shabadoo24]

My dad always said not to turn on ac because it makes the engine burn more fuel. So, rolling the windows down was the way to keep cool

[@kunka592]

Apparently rolling down the window is much worse for fuel economy due to increased drag. Just keep the AC on.

[@MarkNewphone]

​@@kunka592depends on the speed you are doing

[@dino6627]

Unless you use AC regularly to keep the oil circulating, the seals can dry out and the gas will leak out, costing more money to refill.

[@cormacsomerville375]

Very interesting, do you think a bigger engine would use more fuel with a/c or do you think those results would transfer to most internal combustion engines? Ie- I have 5.4l Ford V8, do you think it would be similar consumption??? Ps. Love the show! Top job! Peace out from Sth Australia ✌️☘️🙏🇦🇺👍❤️✌️👋👋👋

[@boronat1]

before seeing the vid, for my personale exp (avoiding the computer that tells you) you just feel it in the engine, slow respone , less hp overall PS : i like that you guys start fiddling with interesting stuff rather than some overcomplex dumb (but funny) things

[@jacobharryman822]

Hey I just asked for this! Nice!

[@coachgeo]

good point others made... heater/front defroster does not draw that much. They are just fans. Rear window defroster is wire heat but it didn't stay on long. Glad you did AC too..

[@foellerd]

Little known fact, turning on the defrost vents also turns on the AC compressor automatically.

[@coachgeo]

@@foellerd yes-ish. very low though... just to dehumidify

[@MarkNewphone]

Those fans use quite a bit of power on full blast. More than the headlights

[@tooltime9260]

All fans draw big juice, whether heater or radiator. It's the blade resistance that creates the heavy draw. A rear grid can easily draw 25 amps. A/C clutch cycles, so that will not stop.

[@JParkes43]

I’ve genuinely wondered about this. As I always get worse mpgs when ids raining or dark etc.

[@ouch1011]

It has way more to do with the weather and road conditions that how much power your alternator is drawing. Alternator draws about 2-3hp at the absolute most, that will be almost unmeasurable in mpg. Colder temperatures (increased air density, causing more drag) and increased rolling resistance from rain will have a *substantially* larger impact.

[@nigelterry9299]

What happened to the 2 door gullwing Lada? That looked awesome!!

[@EmDzei]

One thing bothered me about the fairness of the test. The battery should always be at the same voltage at the start. But your test is indicative, meaning that electrical devices increase fuel consumption.