High Voltage Surge

[Rawze]

(09-23-2016 )Dcolumbia Wrote:  14.5 is too high. if you are regularly running 14.8 then eventually you will burn up the batteries due to over charging. Your voltage gauge could be showing 14.5 but actually be charging less. always check this at the batteries. Mine would spike mostly while it was raining and they are all right, it was the voltage regulator in the alternator. Changed it out and now it runs between 13.5 and 14 always, no spikes. This did not start happening until I had the engine washed for the first time. Probably coincidental I am sure and continued doing it during rain storms for about 8 months until it finally annoyed me enough to change the alternator.

The voltage is important depending on what type of batteries you have.

Cheap-o lead acid batteries -- 134.8 Volts is optimum, and they can take 14.2 max.

Glass-matts -- 13.2 Volts is optimum, and 13.8 is max. 14+ will shorten their lifespan.

Gell-Cells -- 13.2 Volts is optuimum, and 13.6 ids MAX. Anything above this, and you cook them and they typically go bad in less than a year. They also REQUIRE the Alternator "sense" wire to be hooked up, and not be jumpered out for correct charging.

Those numbers are from just my own experience,.. NOT from the battery data-sheets. This is what I have seen with others trucks out there.