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Ignition left switched on


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For the first time in 21yrs of boating, I forgot to turn the ignition off after stopping  the engine (Gardner 2LW). It may have been for upto half hour before I noticed the red light. 
 

Could this have done any damage to the alternators?

Edited by Markinaboat
Typo
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2 minutes ago, Markinaboat said:

For the first time in 21yrs of boating, I forgot to turn the ignition off after stopping  the engine (Gardner 2LW). It may have been for upto half hour before I noticed the red light. 
 

Could this have done any damage to the alternators?

 

Very unlikely if they were wired properly, they may get a tepid but no more than that. If the D+ was wired direct to the switch rather than via a bulb then the rotor may get rather hot.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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4 minutes ago, Markinaboat said:

For the first time in 21yrs of boating, I forgot to turn the ignition off after stopping  the engine (Gardner 2LW). It may have been for upto half hour before I noticed the red light. 
 

Could this have done any damage to the alternators?

Last year I inadvertently left ours on (also 2LW) for two weeks between visits to the boat, as the red light had failed, so I didn't notice. No ill effects as far as I could tell.

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1 hour ago, Athy said:

Last year I inadvertently left ours on (also 2LW) for two weeks between visits to the boat, as the red light had failed, so I didn't notice. No ill effects as far as I could tell.

If the red light had failed there was probably no current flowing through the alternator 

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2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

If the red light had failed there was probably no current flowing through the alternator 

I've no idea. The alternator still works, though.

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54 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

If the red light had failed there was probably no current flowing through the alternator 

 

If Athy has a Beta or some other engines they put a parallel resistor across the warning lamp so it would still energise with a blown bulb, but just not so readily,

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20 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

If Athy has a Beta or some other engines they put a parallel resistor across the warning lamp so it would still energise with a blown bulb, but just not so readily,

2LW he said

 

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3 hours ago, Markinaboat said:

For the first time in 21yrs of boating, I forgot to turn the ignition off after stopping  the engine (Gardner 2LW). It may have been for upto half hour before I noticed the red light. 
 

Could this have done any damage to the alternators?

 

Now we know why some engine panels have enunciators for the ignition! (warning buzzers, for the uninitiated).

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