Does the factory battery suck?

[num]

My truck is only a year old.   Battery is reading about 12.  Would it be covered under warranty?   Is this considered normal?  

[JimCost2014]

5 minutes ago, num said:

My truck is only a year old.   Battery is reading about 12.  Would it be covered under warranty?   Is this considered normal?  

Yes, and Yes.

[BlancoSilverado]

12v? Assuming when the truck is on?

 

As long as it doesn't go below 11 volts its fine. these newer trucks will fluctuate between 11.5-14.5 volts . The alternator charges on demand according to the EPM. (all while running)

 

Thanks for correcting me @dsr611

[babyj713]

16 minutes ago, num said:

My truck is only a year old.   Battery is reading about 12.  Would it be covered under warranty?   Is this considered normal?  

From my personal experience. Mine only last 2 years. Which is kinda sad. 

[num]

This was a leftover 18 that I bought in 19 I for driving it for a year with no issues I was towing something today and then noticed the battery level and dropped now that I’m driving back after about 20 minutes it went back up to 14. I think I’m going to just go ahead and replace the battery with a yellow top or something More stout.  
I hate to get stuck on the side of the road was trying to save $200

[CamGTP]

Still got the OEM battery in my 2016.

[CbrownGT]

OEM battery in my ‘14 lasted me 95k and 3500 engine hours before I changed it. It tested as “marginal” at time of inspection in December and passed, but I changed it before the single digit temps hit. 

[Grumpy Bear]

Original battery in my 2015. 117,000 miles and working just fine thank you. 

[gone_fishing]

As BlancoSilverado mentioned, the voltage will vary. I've seen as high as 15v to a low around 12v. The alternator will adjust depending on the needs of the electrical system. Temp seems to play a part too. I generally notice higher voltage in the winter vs the summer. If the truck starts easily then I would say your battery is fine.

 

Here are a couple articles I found explaining this voltage regulation:

 

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/350

 

https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/high-output-a-look-at-todays-charging-systems/

 

 

[Slvijoe]

WHAT GONE FISHING SAID.

[dsr611]

[Bash74]

This was a leftover 18 that I bought in 19 I for driving it for a year with no issues I was towing something today and then noticed the battery level and dropped now that I’m driving back after about 20 minutes it went back up to 14. I think I’m going to just go ahead and replace the battery with a yellow top or something More stout.  
I hate to get stuck on the side of the road was trying to save $200

If you do end up changing it I would stay away from Optima. I would go with a Walmart Valuepower before Optima. Their quality and batteries are complete garbage now. I stick to Interstate for my battery needs.

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

[PPK]

I bought an "18 manufactured in January 2019. Battery sits at 12.8 after it is driven an hour or so. Mine has occasion to sit through the week and i use it on weekends. Had some hiccups in the radio... which i figure is a flat battery. 12.0 after sitting a week... Typically an AGM battery will have 12.5 volts at 70 deg if it is half charged.

 

My battery is probably sulfated... so it does not really take a full charge anymore. it is probably at 1.5 years or so... 

[JimCost2014]

3 hours ago, num said:

This was a leftover 18 that I bought in 19 I for driving it for a year with no issues I was towing something today and then noticed the battery level and dropped now that I’m driving back after about 20 minutes it went back up to 14. I think I’m going to just go ahead and replace the battery with a yellow top or something More stout.  
I hate to get stuck on the side of the road was trying to save $200

If the battery is truly bad, it is probably because of this:

 

Today's vehicles have a lot of accessories and features that draw a small amount of current when the engine is off. If a vehicle sits on a dealer's lot for too long, the battery runs down. Car dealers call it "lot rot".

[Mileguru]

My 2017 went bad about one month ago (just about 3 years of use and only 22,000 miles). Got it towed and had the battery replaced, both for free under warranty. The battery was 100% dead though, not just weak.