Battery Voltage

[royalkangaroo]

I've read some different posts and understand that the battery voltage fluctuates. Mine seems to be high lately, and today was the highest I've seen yet. Truck is stock aside from Morimoto HIDs. Any cause for concern? It's also been 0-10 degrees or so the past couple days, if that has any impact.

 

[crankman]

Might be just charging the battery a bit more due to the cold. Why not pop the hood and put a meter on the battery see of it matches your gauge. Might give you some piece of mind. Looks like its well within the upper limit line on the guage maybe about 15 volts.

[Sean Neilan]

Normal ops cause of the cold. Nothing to be concerned about.

[Nasty]

You're truck has a battery current sensor. It will fluctuate for "gas mileage" normal on 05-current

[FL335i]

When a battery is going bad, I've noticed that even after a long drive the voltage is still up there. Doesn't drop down after say 30 minutes of driving the hwy like it normally does. Noticed this on my truck and my in laws cruze.

[ShamrockShooter]

My 16 with 10k miles has been pegged to the right on the gauge for weeks. It's been below freezing. When I started it the other day I got a low battery warning on DIC for a few minutes then it went away. So like the OP I am curious now too. I normally drive 20 minutes each way to work so it should have time to charge it would think.

[Sean Neilan]

If y'all are on stock battery it might not hurt to do a battery test. Me and several others on here had our batteries replaced under warranty.

[Krusty]

I've read some different posts and understand that the battery voltage fluctuates. Mine seems to be high lately, and today was the highest I've seen yet. Truck is stock aside from Morimoto HIDs. Any cause for concern? It's also been 0-10 degrees or so the past couple days, if that has any impact.

 

Factory gauges are little more than idiot lights as far as accuracy. Use a multi-meter and/or load tester to check battery voltage and condition.

 

On my 2007.5 I ran a Dash-Hawk engine monitor - to keep track of the diesel particulate filter cleanings and exhaust gas temp. But I found it constantly helpful with accurate digital water temp - digital RPM - and corrected for tire size digital MPH.

 

 

 

[xkvator]

_{My '17 stays right around the OP's pic...}

 

_{the '09, '13 and '15 fluctuated normally, but the '11 I had stayed up high, so I stopped at a dealer I pass everyday after work and asked the Service Mgr.}

 

_{He got a meter and checked the battery voltage, and said its ok...I thanked him, and pulled out, and the needle on the gauge dropped to the 12v area, and fluctuated normally after that...}

[Nasty]

If you're on the freeway with the lights off, it should be in the high 12s. If you.have your lights on, it should charge constant at around 14.6. 05 and up are pcm controlled alternators with a battery current sensor

[MonkeyMouth]

If y'all are on stock battery it might not hurt to do a battery test. Me and several others on here had our batteries replaced under warranty.

 

I agree. I have a 2015. Built Jan 30, 2015. Bought April the same year.

My battery recently died last week. And got in warrantied due to the 3 year, 36,000 bumper to bumper.

 

I got about 4 slow starts. The last 2 barely catching. So once it starts cracking slow. It's best to get it check.

[Krusty]

I've read some different posts and understand that the battery voltage fluctuates. Mine seems to be high lately, and today was the highest I've seen yet. Truck is stock aside from Morimoto HIDs. Any cause for concern? It's also been 0-10 degrees or so the past couple days, if that has any impact.

 

134 Instruments and Controls

 

Voltmeter Gauge

 

When the ignition is on, this gauge

indicates the battery voltage.

When the engine is running, this

gauge shows the condition of the

charging system. The gauge can

transition from a higher to lower or a

lower to higher reading. This is

normal.

 

If the vehicle is operating

outside the normal operating range,

the charging system light comes on.

See Charging System Light 0 138

for more information. The voltmeter

gauge may also read lower when in

fuel economy mode. This is normal.

 

Readings outside the normal

operating range can also occur

when a large number of electrical

accessories are operating in the

vehicle and the engine is left idling

for an extended period. This

condition is normal since the

charging system is not able to

provide full power at engine idle. As

engine speeds are increased, this

condition should correct itself as

higher engine speeds allow the

charging system to create maximum

power.

 

The vehicle can only be driven for a

short time with the readings outside

the normal operating range. If the

vehicle must be driven, turn off all

accessories, such as the radio and

air conditioner.

 

Readings outside the normal

operating range indicate a possible

problem in the electrical system.

Have the vehicle serviced as soon

as possible.

[bakerk2]

Totally normal. Mine does this (2017) and it freaked me out at first. It starts and goes to 15.3v ish. After 2 min it adjusts. When it's below 30 it stays high. 15.5 or so (radar detector and dash basically tell the same story). The first day above 40 and it dropped to 13.0-13.2. IT'll pop up to 14.8 and or 14.4 as it cycles. If it were at 15.5+ at 50 degrees I'd worry.