What should voltages be?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
What should voltages be?
Ok, slowly adding my xgauges to my SGII... Punched up the voltage gauge (the regular one, not the xgauge) and started looking at my numbers today. At cold start voltage runs from 10.5 up to 11.8ish while at idle. Under power it jumps up to 12.2 to 13.8ish. I know low voltages can kill the FICM really fast, so want to make sure that my volts are okay, and if not, find out what they should be. I know the FICM is supposed to run 45-48ish, and I'll be putting that xgauge in tomorrow to check and see what it's at.
Assuming my volts are too low, what's my likely culprit? Batteries? Alternator? Don't think my truck has an upgraded alternator, but not sure yet, either. I need to look.
I'm about 24 hours over on working for this month so I'm going to be working only on an as-needed basis the rest of this week and plan to put lots into working on the truck this week. With that in mind, suggestions of relatively easy and VERY cheap things I can be doing to make the truck better are welcome (I don't get paid till Friday so I can't afford much...)
Assuming my volts are too low, what's my likely culprit? Batteries? Alternator? Don't think my truck has an upgraded alternator, but not sure yet, either. I need to look.
I'm about 24 hours over on working for this month so I'm going to be working only on an as-needed basis the rest of this week and plan to put lots into working on the truck this week. With that in mind, suggestions of relatively easy and VERY cheap things I can be doing to make the truck better are welcome (I don't get paid till Friday so I can't afford much...)
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Yeah, I was actually looking at that a while back... it'd be handy up here when the cold weather hits for warming it up quicker in the mornings before I go drive... thanks for reminding me! On that topic, I assume I don't need to leave my truck plugged up all night... just stick it on a timer for a couple hours before I anticipate using it? Is there a specific amount of time that is too long to leave it plugged up?
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Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Saratoga Springs,UT
The alternator dont kick on till Upto 2 Minutes after the truck is started
The Truck wont let the Alternator turn on till the Glow Plugs turn Off
this is to Eliminate a 80-100AMP Voltage Spike when the Glow Plugs Shut Down
Before the truck is started Look at the Volts
The Standing Battery Voltage should be around 12.4-12.6volts give or take
The Truck wont let the Alternator turn on till the Glow Plugs turn Off
this is to Eliminate a 80-100AMP Voltage Spike when the Glow Plugs Shut Down
Before the truck is started Look at the Volts
The Standing Battery Voltage should be around 12.4-12.6volts give or take
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The alternator dont kick on till Upto 2 Minutes after the truck is started
The Truck wont let the Alternator turn on till the Glow Plugs turn Off
this is to Eliminate a 80-100AMP Voltage Spike when the Glow Plugs Shut Down
Before the truck is started Look at the Volts
The Standing Battery Voltage should be around 12.4-12.6volts give or take
The Truck wont let the Alternator turn on till the Glow Plugs turn Off
this is to Eliminate a 80-100AMP Voltage Spike when the Glow Plugs Shut Down
Before the truck is started Look at the Volts
The Standing Battery Voltage should be around 12.4-12.6volts give or take
On Saturday, I did a kitty/muffler delete and starting the truck in the moring the alternator was almost instant in charging. Moving the truck around in the shop I noticed it took nearly 2 minutes (as had been mentioned) for the alternator to kick. With engine temps in the upper 180s and only being shut down possibly 2 minutes or so to open the bay doors and move some fork lifts around the glow plugs shouldn't have been cycling for that amount of time.
I'll still keep my 3G over the 6G any day. I definately notice more of a kick when starting now versus the low charging 6G.
I almost wonder if the delay isn't more for the weak 6G than it is for the glowplugs and modules. A 6G can't handle all those amps first thing at idle.
Josh
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 19,055
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From: Saratoga Springs,UT
Well the OEM alt cant Produce the AMPS for shure But I dont think thats It
The Alternator could handle it for the short time It would run at 100% 2 minutes isnt nothing
The Amp/Volts Spike is the KICKER Here
But if the Alternator turned on Imediatly when trucks are started that 80-100amp SPIKE would Take its Toll on ALL Electronics over Time and Kill Stuff of ALL the Time. We would get to a Point where All the trucks Electronics/Computers and stuff Would start Fail at a Very High Rate
So when YOUR Alternator starts charging almost Imediatly Whats the EOT gauge Read??
The EOT helps determine the Glow Plug Run time. So that said Both EOT and Glow Plug Affects Alternator start
The Alternator could handle it for the short time It would run at 100% 2 minutes isnt nothing
The Amp/Volts Spike is the KICKER Here
But if the Alternator turned on Imediatly when trucks are started that 80-100amp SPIKE would Take its Toll on ALL Electronics over Time and Kill Stuff of ALL the Time. We would get to a Point where All the trucks Electronics/Computers and stuff Would start Fail at a Very High Rate
So when YOUR Alternator starts charging almost Imediatly Whats the EOT gauge Read??
The EOT helps determine the Glow Plug Run time. So that said Both EOT and Glow Plug Affects Alternator start
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Well the OEM alt cant Produce the AMPS for shure But I dont think thats It
The Alternator could handle it for the short time It would run at 100% 2 minutes isnt nothing
The Amp/Volts Spike is the KICKER Here
But if the Alternator turned on Imediatly when trucks are started that 80-100amp SPIKE would Take its Toll on ALL Electronics over Time and Kill Stuff of ALL the Time. We would get to a Point where All the trucks Electronics/Computers and stuff Would start Fail at a Very High Rate
So when YOUR Alternator starts charging almost Imediatly Whats the EOT gauge Read??
The EOT helps determine the Glow Plug Run time. So that said Both EOT and Glow Plug Affects Alternator start
The Alternator could handle it for the short time It would run at 100% 2 minutes isnt nothing
The Amp/Volts Spike is the KICKER Here
But if the Alternator turned on Imediatly when trucks are started that 80-100amp SPIKE would Take its Toll on ALL Electronics over Time and Kill Stuff of ALL the Time. We would get to a Point where All the trucks Electronics/Computers and stuff Would start Fail at a Very High Rate
So when YOUR Alternator starts charging almost Imediatly Whats the EOT gauge Read??
The EOT helps determine the Glow Plug Run time. So that said Both EOT and Glow Plug Affects Alternator start
Either way, a 6.0 diesel is going to be running off the batteries on a cold start anyways. So Ford must have been trying to save the alternator.
Josh
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