Posted January 24, 201213 yr Is this normal? I guess its hard to say, but I own a 2004 Impala, stock alternator. My battery finally died after 9 years of use and when I threw the new one in its charging at 15.5volts. Im just hoping a regulator isnt shot or anything stupid. Obviously constant overcharge can cause batteries to prematurely fail. Just checking to make sure everything is normal here.
January 24, 201213 yr Is this normal? I guess its hard to say, but I own a 2004 Impala, stock alternator. My battery finally died after 9 years of use and when I threw the new one in its charging at 15.5volts. Im just hoping a regulator isnt shot or anything stupid. Obviously constant overcharge can cause batteries to prematurely fail. Just checking to make sure everything is normal here.It could be that high if the battery wasnt charged good, but if it stays that high I would double check with a calibrated dmm.
January 24, 201213 yr I've seen quite a few cars run higher voltage when charging and sit around 12.4 when on battery alone. As ling as its not hitting any higher you might lose a little battery life but it won't do any real damage. Now if it spikes you can fry your ecu. So just keep a close eye on it, and if it doesn't start to drop have the regulator tested.
January 24, 201213 yr How cold was it outside? Mine will charge in the 15's at about 30 degrees and my voltage set point is 14.2
January 24, 201213 yr even at 15.5 some batteries can fail.... sounds to me like your alt maybe on the fritz. one sure way to find out.. take your car to an auto parts store and have them test it on your car. they are able to test diodes regulators and stators in most cases
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