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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Trucks / February 2005battery over charging
My 1992 dodge dakota alternator is charging 14.5 volts all the time and has ruined two batteries , all wiring seems to be ok any help would be appreciated Uh maybe TEST THE ALTERNATOR..... Duhhh  SignatureSteve Williams > My 1992 dodge dakota alternator is charging 14.5 volts all the time and > has ruined two batteries , all wiring seems to be ok any help would be > appreciated Steve, I have installed a new alternator and still have the same problem,the alternator does not have a built in voltage regulator it is regulated in the engine computer. Steve, I have installed a new alternator and still have the same problem,the alternator does not have a built in voltage regulator it is regulated in the engine computer. Replace the computer then?? Is charging voltage something a tech can adjust with a scan tool? Greg Then either replace the computer OR put in a separate regulator. Both are viable options. Before you do either I would check ALL the wiring for bad connections and bad grounds. The computer regulator senses the voltage through a lot of wire, a bad connection in the circuit will cause it to raise the voltage to compensate for what it thinks is low voltage. I would also have the current alternator tested to make sure it isn't putting out any high frequency spikes through a bad diode. That could also cause the voltage reading in the computer to act strange. Then go from there. One bad ground connection could cause it as well. That includes a bad battery cable connector also. SignatureSteve Williams > Steve, I have installed a new alternator and still have the same > problem,the alternator does not have a built in voltage regulator it is > regulated in the engine computer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- > William and Mary Perhaps you would care to explain this logic. SignatureIf at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving > Uh maybe TEST THE ALTERNATOR..... > Duhhh [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups > ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- You can either replace the computer or modify the electrical system and hang an external regulator on it and bypass the existing one. SignatureIf at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving > My 1992 dodge dakota alternator is charging 14.5 volts all the time and > has ruined two batteries , all wiring seems to be ok any help would be > appreciated >You can either replace the computer or modify the electrical system and hang >an external regulator on it and bypass the existing one. Or you can correct the poor ground or wiring connection that is allowing the regulator to regulate high. A voltage drop in the sense circuit will cause the output voltage of the alternator to climb by the amount of the voltage drop. > My 1992 dodge dakota alternator is charging 14.5 volts all the time and > has ruined two batteries , all wiring seems to be ok any help would be > appreciated 14.5 volts is about the right charge voltage for every vehicle I've ever owned. It should not go higher than that with higher engine RPM's. How are your cables and connections? Sometimes you have to peel back the insulation to really see if there is corrosion working its way down. High resistance will quickly destroy a battery. Maybe something pulling current even with the ignition off? William voltage charging between 13.5 volts and 14.5 volts is normal. I think you have a voltage draw. something on your truck is staying on draining your battery. >William voltage charging between 13.5 volts and 14.5 volts is normal. I >think you have a voltage draw. something on your truck is staying on >draining your battery. I agree 100% with this diagnosis. By repeatedly deep-cycling your battery, the battery is destroying itself prematurely. A lead-acid batter has a finite number of charge/discharge cycles, which ordinarily is a very large number, literally thousands of cycles under normal use (it should last several years). However, under ABNORMAL use, where every recharge has to bring the battery up from a significant state of discharge, the life-cycle is quite small, in the hundreds. Normal use, for the sake of definition here, means a battery that performs mainly one function, starting the engine. This is a very brief (a few seconds) of discharge followed by a brief recharge and thereafter a general, very low current "float" charge while the engine is running. What we suspect (strongly suspect) is that your battery is being subjected to a constant drain while the engine is off. This could be something as little as a trunk or glove compartment light that is remaining on. Or possibly an aftermarket amplifier that is "wired hot" all the time. It could also be a defective alarm system. Whatever the cause, **SOMETHING** is draining your battery. No, not to the point that it won't start your vehicle, but we do get to that point *eventually*. The point is, once the engine is started, the alternator is then recharging a considerably discharged battery for a long time (several minutes or longer) until it becomes fully recharged once again. This type of use definitely will cause premature battery failure. Even something as insignificant as a radar detector will **eventually** run down your battery. No, certainly not overnight, but over a weekend or a long holiday weekend where you leave your vehicle parked the whole time, the small, steady discharge will add up. Gere and Ramman, I think you may be right, I checked for battery draw and I found a 1½ amp draw with ignition off started removing fuses and when fuse no. 6 was removed it cleared the battery draw, checked that circuit and it was the tachometer module, removed the module and replaced fuse problem solved, I can drive without a tach. The store I purchased the battery from replaced it no charge. I want to thank all of you for your input this is a good group, keep up the good work. |
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