Talk:Automobile accessory power

Accessory power usage?

A welcome addition to this article would be estimates for the typical peak and average power usage of various automobile accessories, either in absolute terms or as a percentage of the total powerplant output. My impression is that total accessory power for lights, audio system, air conditioner, etc. is a negligible percentage of the total engine power output, but it would be good to have references. --IanOsgood (talk) 21:23, 10 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Found a ref and an image from another article. --IanOsgood (talk) 19:09, 7 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Compressed air in cars

"Pneumatic (compressed air) systems are rarely found in passenger cars." Can anyone think of an example other than the windshield washers of late '60s VW Beetles, which tapped into the spare tire to pressurize the windshield washer? I remember being vastly impressed with this as a child, though even then I could imagine the consequences of going too long between checks of the spare tire pressure.(Perhaps there was some mechanisim to avoid draining the spare completely? Or perhaps in Germany you checked all your tire pressures every time you filled up so of course you'd never run the spare flat?) --Wtshymanski (talk) 14:38, 4 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

So it would appear to be a completely accurate statement. What exactly is your problem with that? 86.150.66.174 (talk) 15:37, 4 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I was hoping for more examples. Do you know any? --Wtshymanski (talk) 15:10, 5 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I can think of more vacuum systems than positive pressure pneumatics (as they can be topped up from throttle manifold vacuum). Mercedes Benz used them for door locks, the Lancia Montecarlo used vacuum servos with a vacuum reservoir for the heater controls. In the 1950s this was a very common way of driving windscreen wipers, with a 1/4 turn vacuum motor – known for its habit of slowing down the faster you went. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:23, 17 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Diesels

At present the article states “Diesel-powered vehicles, including mobile construction equipment and heavy trucks use 24 volt electrical systems”. Can anyone think of a better phrasing for this, since diesel cars use 12 volt electrics just like their petrol-fuelled counterparts? Mr Larrington (talk) 01:06, 3 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]