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stupid question

huthy14

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Okay so I put a yellow top d34 battery in my ve ss. I have the volt and oil pressure gauges on the cheap Atari screen or what ever u call it.

After I put it in and went for a drive the volt gauge was one bar off hitting 16 and it would drop back up a bar and then go back up one which is I thought was great. That was about hour of driving.

The next day it's back to its normal self where it always sit with my old battery sitting most of its time on the 12 and going up to 14 occasionally but not staying there very long then goes back to 12.

My question is because I don't get Holden to service my car have I missed software update that tells the alternator to charge the battery longer or something like that. It just seems odd that's all that the battery was great and now it shows that it was no better then my old one. Going by the gauge that is.

Am I expecting to much or is this normal

Car starts fine no dramas at all.
 

lmoengnr

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What were you expecting?
 

Wongy295

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Car starts fine? What more do you want/need? :p
 

RiCeY

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Should sit above 14v when the engine is running....
 

VR38

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Dirty/bad connections somewhere?
 

Slick6

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Ricey, doesn't the alternator vary power output depending on vehicle requirements?

My understanding is that the full battery will drop charge cranking over, then the charging system runs at 14+ volts, then once replenished it drops down.

Previously if your battery was knackered it spent its time constantly trying to replenish and never get their.

My gauge does the same thing since the my new battery was put in. Which was a standard battery fitted by a dealer.
 

VR38

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Ricey, doesn't the alternator vary power output depending on vehicle requirements?

The amps vary with load, the volts should be constant to a point, high load like cranking or high beams etc will draw so much amps that the voltage will fall slightly.
 

RiCeY

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Heaps of variables decide the alternator output, mainly electrical load. For example if headlights are on it will regulate between 13.9–14.5 volts.

Also system voltage should never drop below 12.56 volts, if it does the alternator will output voltage to a charging voltage between 13.9–15.5 volts, depending on the battery state of charge and estimated battery temperature.

Heaps of other factors but generally most of the time it would be around 14v.
 
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