Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

With a fully charged battery, the standard Packard generator was more than sufficient for normal use. Where I think the problem might show is if you had a partially discharged battery and then used the AC on high and other accessories at the same time.

All the AC units from 53 on were fused at 30 amps as are most all of the aftermarket units. At max blower, most draw under that--20-25 or so and considerably less at low speed. If you happen to be running max AC at night, the headlights will also draw quite a bit--maybe 10amps. Those two items will cause the generator to be putting out at limit which was 30amps (or less in some cases). Factor in a radio which can draw 4-5 and it would be hard to build a full charge back up and even worse if the car was driven slowly enough so generator not putting out max.

It has always struck me a bit funny that they did go to the larger radiator and bigger fan from the start but no extra electrical. Packard was not alone though. I guess AC was just new and rare enough that the need hadn't become apparent. By the late 50's early 60's more were offering a larger generator option.

Let's remember that things like motors are fused for the "starting" current draw which is several times higher than the "running" current. A motor might be fused at 20 amps because it might draw 15 amps for a few moments to wind to speed but might only draw 5 or so amps to run.

The generator was sized to the expected load and since A/C was offered, it should be more than capable of handling that now as it was then. It wasn't rocket science for a competent engineer to calculate the maximum load and size the generator accordingly.

I think 5 or so is too low a number. Just out of curiosity, will try and find an amp clamp or something else this week to see what average AC motors do pull. My Fluke DMM and Weston analog are only 10 amp max so couldn't put those in the circuit but a cheapo thing that's been knocked around but just lays over the wire for sensing was reading 18 at full speed on the 56. I'm pretty sure an 80 Chevrolet with 4 speed fan was pulling well over 20 when that was checked years ago. That one pulled enough that the beefy resistor wires that controls the speed has to be in the airflow or will melt.