95 legacy wagon ej22

 

ok so my question is this.

 

what should my voltmeter read when idling with no accessories running? and what about with engine sittin @ 2k rpm.

voltage doesnt change for anything except when load is applied then it drops.

heres what i know:

 

it usually reads about 13.2

cooling fans on with H/L on: 12.4

headlights on: about 13.1

blower on full blast with H/L on : 12.5

with brakes on n H/L on with turn signal going :11.8-12.2 (goes up when blinker clicks off but down again when the light clicks back on)

 

i also stress tested it with my stereo LOUD, H/L on, brakes held, blower on high, and blinker on. n got around 11.3

 

had the alternator bench tested and put out 100a faithfully

 

also i have 2 batteries on an isolator BUT it was like this before i did that.

 

i have sanded down all the grounds i could find under the hood to bare metal.

i have also done "the big 3" (8 awg from neg. battery terminal to body, 8awg wire from body to engine block, and 8 awg from alt charging post to isolator)

 

any thoughts? i know there is going to be a lower voltage on the front battery from resistance but i have never ever seen above 13.4-13.5 from this car. even with the rpm @ about 2k.

 

thanks guys!

-jarrid

i have never ever seen above 13.4-13.5 from this car.

How much would you like to see? I haven't seen above that on any of my soobs either (except on my '00obw when something went bad in the alt and I was getting 16 volts out).

 

Your loaded tests seem about like what I see. I notice when loaded hard the voltage will slowly dip, like 12.4 then after a few seconds 12.3 and so on. I imagine it dips as the battery discharges and the current drawn by everything running drops to what the alt is putting out.

i was thinkn maybe 14.5 ?

 

also mine doesnt drop slowly.....its instantaneous as soon as i turn on the accessory it drops.

Voltmeter in the car is notoriously inaccurate. Hook a digital voltmeter across the battery terminals to see what is truly accurate. It's normal for voltage to drop a little under load.

well thats the thing....i have 14.3v on the back battery but only 13.6 @ highest on the front battery..... btw the battery boiled over once and i filled it the next day with bottled water n ran it.....didnt think it damaged it because it still charges the same and sits @ the same voltage and holds voltage when the car isnt running pretty well