Quote:
Originally Posted by Mxfrank
Nonsense to nonsense. This alternator is very far from unloaded. An alternator that's busy charging a run down battery will generate a huge inductive spike if the battery cable is suddenly removed. Without the battery to absorb the spike, something nasty can happen to the alternator (and/or the OVP if so equipped). Since you were probably jumping from a fully charged battery or a running car, the jumped circuit didn't present much of a load. But in this case, the battery is obviously run down. It would be a shame to go through a couple of alternators before a loose or dirty ground strap was identified and repaired. One useful precaution would be to charge the battery off the car before installing the new alternator.
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You need a much better understanding of how an alternator works and how the voltage regulator reacts to loads before making claims that you know nothing about. The alternator can be fully loaded at once (block loaded) and fully unloaded (load dumped) in one single step and still survive without any damage. It is designed to operate this way. Even if the regulator is slow to react, the worst that can happen is an instantaneous voltage spike, which if a load is present will absorb it. If no load is present, it will dissipate in the windings and iron of the alternator.
The alternator isn't magic, nor is it something that's sensitive. They can take an enormous amount of abuse and still come running back for plenty more.