too much voltage?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,713
Likes: 2
From: In my House
too much voltage?
..SO I was cleaning around under the hood and checking oil today and found that this is the second time in 2 months that I have a little corrosion around the positive terminal. I checked the voltage with the truck running and the lights on and its charging at 14.6volts.......Is this too high? Shutting the lights off has no effect on the numbers
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
I always use the Red and Green felt washers that you put on the post before putting the cables on. The are impregnated with an anti-corrosive oil. My battery terminals never need cleaning. The corrosion is cause from gases that leak between the posts and the battery case.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,907
Likes: 143
Some added info on this is the condition of the battery has a direct effect on the charge voltage.
4.2 to 4.6 is a normal acceptable level up from the old days.
Observation over some amount of time will hint of a battery that is getting a bit old if the voltage tends to stay up at the high end of the range.
One cell, low electrolyte etc can be a cause. The regulator senses the battery voltage.
If the voltage level does not come up to the regulator 'reference value' the regulator keeps forcing the alternator to keep charging a battery that cannot be brought up.
This can boil the electrolyte out over time and cause the corrosion you see on the terminals due to the spray from the vent caps or the vent system on the battery.
Bottom line is the battery can be the cause, the regulator can be a cause or just too high a load that keeps the alternator charging a large part of the operating time.
This same discharge/charge cycle is what eventually ages the battery in any event.
Good luck.
4.2 to 4.6 is a normal acceptable level up from the old days.
Observation over some amount of time will hint of a battery that is getting a bit old if the voltage tends to stay up at the high end of the range.
One cell, low electrolyte etc can be a cause. The regulator senses the battery voltage.
If the voltage level does not come up to the regulator 'reference value' the regulator keeps forcing the alternator to keep charging a battery that cannot be brought up.
This can boil the electrolyte out over time and cause the corrosion you see on the terminals due to the spray from the vent caps or the vent system on the battery.
Bottom line is the battery can be the cause, the regulator can be a cause or just too high a load that keeps the alternator charging a large part of the operating time.
This same discharge/charge cycle is what eventually ages the battery in any event.
Good luck.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 693
Likes: 1
From: Indiana
Easy way to clean your post is a wire brush on a drill. You can easily pick up the wire brushes for drills at Lowes. Its how I clean nasty truck battery's and connections at work. The green and red felt washers work, I use die electric grease either way you got to use something. I found out and have seen it happen over time that corrision spreads down the line like cancer. If you keep the dehydrated battery acid on the post they will eventually corrode out the post from the inside out. Some people say to paint the post on battery's but it happens to be one of the #1 things that urks me! If you paint your post it will be impossible to get a JumpStart or charge your battery. Simple as that.
Most vehicles 13.5 to 15 is the good place to be on charging. If it were me I would clean the post and recheck your voltage. I have experienced that right after starting some vehicles charge 14.2 to 14.6 and then after getting home I check again and the voltage is 13.8 to 14.0 volts.
Hope this helps
Most vehicles 13.5 to 15 is the good place to be on charging. If it were me I would clean the post and recheck your voltage. I have experienced that right after starting some vehicles charge 14.2 to 14.6 and then after getting home I check again and the voltage is 13.8 to 14.0 volts.
Hope this helps
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,907
Likes: 143
There is a preferred coating to use on battery terminal posts and connectors but it's not easily available to the user.
It's called 'NO-OXIDE-A'.
Lightly coat the post and connector inside and out then assemble.
It blocks out the outside world but has no effect on conductivity.
Large power systems that use large copper buses and emergency battery strings heat this material then dip the ends in before assembly.
It can be had in small tins, tubes and larger cans.
You would need to look up a source if interested.
Good luck.
It's called 'NO-OXIDE-A'.
Lightly coat the post and connector inside and out then assemble.
It blocks out the outside world but has no effect on conductivity.
Large power systems that use large copper buses and emergency battery strings heat this material then dip the ends in before assembly.
It can be had in small tins, tubes and larger cans.
You would need to look up a source if interested.
Good luck.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,232
Likes: 3
From: NE Texas
The old way we prevented this in the Army back in the sixties/seventies before the fancy products available today:
Clean the cable and the battery post thoroughly and smear grease underneath the bottom face of the battery terminal, not allowing any grease on the inside where the connection is made.
Then put on the battery terminal and tighten it up after first making sure the inside is clean.
Then smear regular ol' gun grease all around on the terminal and the TOP of the battery post.
This is messy and a bit primitive, but is also very cheap and very effective.
Clean the cable and the battery post thoroughly and smear grease underneath the bottom face of the battery terminal, not allowing any grease on the inside where the connection is made.
Then put on the battery terminal and tighten it up after first making sure the inside is clean.
Then smear regular ol' gun grease all around on the terminal and the TOP of the battery post.
This is messy and a bit primitive, but is also very cheap and very effective.
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