Mk 1 Laguna - how far with no alternator

hamsterboy

Hi All
The belt broke in my Mk 1 Laguna yesterday and I gotta get to work this morning and I'll have someone there run me to the motor factor to pick one up.
Thing is, will my car make it. No belt means no alternator means no battery after a while. I have had the battery on a charger all night.
I live about 12 miles from work and the road can get pretty busy in the mornings (Clarenbridge to Parkmore, Galway City)
I am tempted to drive to work, disconnect the battery and then after I get a belt, reconnect and drive home.
This sound like a plan or would you risk it??

HB

Henry Ford III

I wouldn't.

ART6

Use the old trick -- Make a temporary belt out of your wife's/girlfriend's tights. It works and it has the added benefit that lies in the obtaining of said temporary belt:D

R.O.R

I made it 20km's in a Mondeo with a knackered alternator before it completley died. No radio and no lights to eek it out as far as possible.

Unfortunately it was a long way from my destination and a call to the AA to rescue me off the M1 ensued. Quick jump start and almost made it back home (following the AA man) before he had to juice it again.

Might make it, but you'll be puckered all the way expecting it to die.

hamsterboy

Feck it, I aint gonna chance it guys.
Gonna try have a garage close by pick her up and sort it.
Cheers for the advice anyway

HB

analfabets

A lot depends of how good the battery is. I drove 36 kilometres once with no alternator the car was still running fine. The battery was almost brand new.

shamwari

I would advise against it too until it was properly repaired. Also, I believe that on the single cam petrols and the diesels, the water pump may also be driven by the alternator belt. Therefore, even if there was enough power in the battery to drive the distance, you would also run the definite risk of cooking the engine.

Alun

Wouldn't try it this morning if the weather where you are is anything like here on the East Coast .. headlights, wipers, heater, demister etc. it'll be dead in no time.

ART6

ART6 wrote: »

Use the old trick -- Make a temporary belt out of your wife's/girlfriend's tights. It works and it has the added benefit that lies in the obtaining of said temporary belt:D

I doubt tights work in place of an alternator belt, no doubt in days gone by when the fan was belt driven they did the job.

evanSpiddal

I made it from Dublin to Galway in a 2002 Renault Laguna with an alternator that wasn't charging (which i found out at a roundabout in Galway :mad: ) The battery was replaced in Dublin after the car wouldn't start, which according to the garage in Dublin was the only problem but a garage in Galway then confirmed the alternator was fecked!

RandomAccess

Deep draining the battery could harm it.