ya know .. i just checked ..my stock car reads 14.4 and drops to 13.6 at the scanmaster ..my modded car with big amp alt reads 15.0 drops to 14.1.. is this cause of a low battery to start with ?
New Kirban 200 amp alternator reading 15 plus volts on scan master.
- Thread starter LEGACY_GN
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- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
Yes sir, in my experience a low battery will make the charge voltage higher (EDIT) but should still not exceed 14.8 at the battery.
Now I'm curious what mine is. I'll be right back.
Now I'm curious what mine is. I'll be right back.
LEGACY_GN
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2007
Yes sir, in my experience a low battery will make the charge voltage higher.
Now I'm curious what mine is. I'll be right back.
I had Oreilly check the battery and the new alternator. Battery showed as good with 13 something volts and alt was puting out 15.3 at 58 amps.
mines been this way since spring when i had the alt rebuilt ..200 amp also ..i thought i was good ..looks like im hunting a problen now .
I was wondering if you might have hotwired your computer as the rest of the turbo Buick community(myself included) sees about one volt less through the Sanmaster.
The typical generator,for our cars puts out 14.5 volts. Sometimes less. Sometimes more. My old generator put out 14.5-14.8 volts. After replacing the regulator,it puts out 14.2-14.5 volts.This is the kind of scenario that I would use the word bad to describe a regulator. It's not really bad,but it's less than it was and I don't like that.Your voltage doesn't mean that it is overcharging as overcharging is an amperage thing. The generator charges(put out more amperage) when it needs to. I doubt that another generator from the same source would put out voltage this high.
The question is,does the higher than average output voltage of your generator mean it is bad? A better way to describe it might be,better than average. However.there is a reason why this voltage it not typical to most generators. Until a couple of days ago,I would have told you that 14.8 is the safe limit,but we4Mateo has been running a generator,with adjustable voltage, and sees 14.8 on his Scanmaster. He's done this for 40,000 miles. If his car is typical,his battery should see much higher than that. I don't know if this is true because he hasn't posted the voltage at his battery yet. I think it's likely that a better word to describe your voltage regulator is gooder. Gooder than average.
Why, because some one says you have a problem. Take the caps off your battery to view the fluid level. It might just be that the only person who has a problem is the guy in the oncoming lane at night when your headlights are on.
i would hate to burn something up .my headlights are pretty bright tho .
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
Stand by. I have a video uploading with the dvm next to the sm. The dvm lead is on the alternator lug. Some of you may be surprised.
i can dig it !
LEGACY_GN
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2007
How many miles have you driven like that?
over 5 thousand this summer ..in all traffic conditions.. 2 long road trips of over 1500 miles .. hell lonnie dires even drove it for a couple hundred mile's getting the trans right . never one problem .
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
LEGACY_GN
Active Member
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- Apr 16, 2007
You sir are awesome. So, watching your readings mine is consistantly about a half a volt higher than yours. 14.8 is low end and 15.5 is high end. Also, hearing someone drove 5000 miles with volts in the 15 range makes me feel better.
What's really interesting is I've heard for years you lose half a volt between the alternator and the scan master, but you just proved that wrong.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
No,he's just showing you that his doesn't do it. You already know that yours doesn't. Mine and most that I know of vary .5 to 1 volt. I'd sure like to have mine read the same.
So you used the under hood shot to prove that you were reading voltage at the generator and if it just happens to make you look like you're showing off the motor,well it couldn't be helped. It's one of the many costs of good science.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2006
So you used the under hood shot to prove that you were reading voltage at the generator and if it just happens to make you look like you're showing off the motor,well it couldn't be helped. It's one of the many costs of good science.
I try not to show off. You see how well it works?
