voltage issue

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

I've been having some issues with the voltage in my truck. When i start it it will be around 14.0v-14.5v but after about a minute without playing any music it will drop to about 12.2v and roam between 12v-13v. I dont get any voltage drop when playing music either(maybe .1v-.2v drop but thats normal) if anything it will go back up just a little. Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Frostedflakejake 148]

How did you measure voltage? Try it with two different meters to see if they are the same.

I'm assuming your alternator isn't outputting enough. When you turn your car on, it's cold, and the RPM is higher, right? Around... 1300rpm? 1000 rpm?

And then after a or so it drops to something like 600-800rpm correct?

[shizzzon 461]

pull ALL batts out.. If you got more than one, then when you pull them out, let them rest for a good couple hrs.

Then measure voltage of each battery independently.

Let us know the resting voltage.

[jonbearsmt 919]

check for a bad cell,. you can disconnect each leave your starting battery if you have more then 1 take it to autozone they can load test the batteries in your car, and also check your alternator for faults.

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

just pulled it out and measured and its sitting at 12.8. will measure again in a bit.

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

before i put the kinetik in it would like to start at 14.4 and drop to 13.1 and stay there, but dropping to 12.0 and wandering between mostly 12.0-12.6 seems fishy.

[ssh 924]

Sounds like your alternator is only working for a few minutes when you start it and have it running (14v), then after a few minutes your alt stops and voltage drops down to the batteries' resting voltage.

Do you have a stock alt or aftermarket? If aftermarket, did you have to manually wire in the remote turn on?

[gibsonm21 1]

Do you have a newer chevy truck?

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

Sounds like your alternator is only working for a few minutes when you start it and have it running (14v), then after a few minutes your alt stops and voltage drops down to the batteries' resting voltage.

Do you have a stock alt or aftermarket? If aftermarket, did you have to manually wire in the remote turn on?

stock alt. @ 12.8 resting voltage the batt should be fully charged right? is it possible my alt is cutting off because of this?

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

Do you have a newer chevy truck?

2010 Nissan Frontier

[ssh 924]

Sounds like your alternator is only working for a few minutes when you start it and have it running (14v), then after a few minutes your alt stops and voltage drops down to the batteries' resting voltage.

Do you have a stock alt or aftermarket? If aftermarket, did you have to manually wire in the remote turn on?

stock alt. @ 12.8 resting voltage the batt should be fully charged right? is it possible my alt is cutting off because of this?

12.8 is good, I don't see why the alt would turn off because of this.

It also seems unlikely that a near brand new alt would go out so early. Guessing not too many miles?

With all the batteries disconnect, except for the starting battery, it idles around 13v? Then with the extra(s) in the rear, it idles at 12v?

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

Sounds like your alternator is only working for a few minutes when you start it and have it running (14v), then after a few minutes your alt stops and voltage drops down to the batteries' resting voltage.

Do you have a stock alt or aftermarket? If aftermarket, did you have to manually wire in the remote turn on?

stock alt. @ 12.8 resting voltage the batt should be fully charged right? is it possible my alt is cutting off because of this?

12.8 is good, I don't see why the alt would turn off because of this.

It also seems unlikely that a near brand new alt would go out so early. Guessing not too many miles?

With all the batteries disconnect, except for the starting battery, it idles around 13v? Then with the extra(s) in the rear, it idles at 12v?

22k on the truck and only one kinetik 1800 in the front no other batts

[ssh 924]

Sounds like your alternator is only working for a few minutes when you start it and have it running (14v), then after a few minutes your alt stops and voltage drops down to the batteries' resting voltage.Do you have a stock alt or aftermarket? If aftermarket, did you have to manually wire in the remote turn on?

stock alt. @ 12.8 resting voltage the batt should be fully charged right? is it possible my alt is cutting off because of this?

12.8 is good, I don't see why the alt would turn off because of this.It also seems unlikely that a near brand new alt would go out so early. Guessing not too many miles?With all the batteries disconnect, except for the starting battery, it idles around 13v? Then with the extra(s) in the rear, it idles at 12v?

22k on the truck and only one kinetik 1800 in the front no other batts

before i put the kinetik in it would like to start at 14.4 and drop to 13.1 and stay there, but dropping to 12.0 and wandering between mostly 12.0-12.6 seems fishy.

So when you say before, do you mean: stock battery, idling, 13v. Then swapped out for kinetik, idle and 12v?

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

Sounds like your alternator is only working for a few minutes when you start it and have it running (14v), then after a few minutes your alt stops and voltage drops down to the batteries' resting voltage.Do you have a stock alt or aftermarket? If aftermarket, did you have to manually wire in the remote turn on?

stock alt. @ 12.8 resting voltage the batt should be fully charged right? is it possible my alt is cutting off because of this?

12.8 is good, I don't see why the alt would turn off because of this.It also seems unlikely that a near brand new alt would go out so early. Guessing not too many miles?With all the batteries disconnect, except for the starting battery, it idles around 13v? Then with the extra(s) in the rear, it idles at 12v?

22k on the truck and only one kinetik 1800 in the front no other batts

before i put the kinetik in it would like to start at 14.4 and drop to 13.1 and stay there, but dropping to 12.0 and wandering between mostly 12.0-12.6 seems fishy.

So when you say before, do you mean: stock battery, idling, 13v. Then swapped out for kinetik, idle and 12v?

the stock batt started at 14.4 then after a min would go down to 13.1 and stay there. after i put the kinetik in it would start at 14.4-14.6 and stay there the whole time.

[ssh 924]

I heard of this being done on older vehicles, but not sure if it could present a problem on a vehicle as new as yours, but:

If you were to loosen the ground terminal on the battery, start the truck, let it idle for a few minutes until your seeing that low voltage, then lift the ground terminal off the battery post and hold it.

If the truck dies, your alternator isn't charging.

Hopefully someone can chime on this.

[gibsonm21 1]

Get it tested.

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

I heard of this being done on older vehicles, but not sure if it could present a problem on a vehicle as new as yours, but:

If you were to loosen the ground terminal on the battery, start the truck, let it idle for a few minutes until your seeing that low voltage, then lift the ground terminal off the battery post and hold it.

If the truck dies, your alternator isn't charging.

Hopefully someone can chime on this.

just did this. stays on when i disconnect the neg terminal. i think i may have found my problem though sadly..

[ssh 924]

What's the voltage when the battery is disconnected and the truck is idling.

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

What's the voltage when the battery is disconnected and the truck is idling.

13.1-13.4

[jonbearsmt 919]

never leaving your car running and pull off a terminal.. on older cars you can (80s and older) but not now days.

OP that looks like an issue.. what happend looks like heat.

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

im guessing it was my heat pad for my battery(live in nd so its like hella cold) but whats weird is theres something bulging out from the batt not sure exactly how that happened. luckily i kept my stock batt so its in right now and the voltage seems fine staying at 14.4 while idling. still with the damage to the batt seems like it would read a steady 12.8 disconnected

[jonbearsmt 919]

that sucks..

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

yeah.. Think im gonna get me a 1400 next time instead of an 1800 too. this ones a little big for the battery bay. anyway thanks for the help guys im just glad it wasnt my alt

[On3Hundr3dProof 19]

well just ordered a d5100r from the ssastore to replace my hc1800 Will kinetik terminals work with xs batteries?

Edited January 5, 2012 by On3Hundr3dProof