Quote:
Originally Posted by Wgosma
Well that is interesting, I think I see what you're saying but isn't the alternator always turning - and it's 'drag' on the engine essentially constant?
Perhaps I'm missing something here…
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Yes, it's always spinning, but electronics in it can vary the output, dramatically increasing or decreasing the load on the engine. The idea is when you're accelerating, the alternator goes into very low load/output, therefore increasing engine power and reducing fuel consumption. Then when you brake, it engages/increases the load/output of the alternator and charges the battery. It's all about increasing MPG. If your vehicle has the Efficient Dynamics display in the cluster, it will go into the blue when the alternator is using BER.
