Thread: Traxide Warning - High Charge Voltage

Hi Matt and as long as your cranking battery is a Calcium/Calcium type battery, short durations of 15+ volts is actually good for the battery.

Furthermore, the cold weather can also cause the voltage to rise. In Britain, I have read where 15.5v can be commonplace.

But if the voltage remains over 15+v, you will cook the battery.

NOTE, this higher operating voltage will have no detrimental effect on any of your vehicle's electronic.

All automotive electronic devices are specifically designed to safely tolerate voltages in access of 18+v, so your 15+v is fine where your electronic devices are concerned.

Keep an eye on that voltage level and make sure, on cold days, that it does not stay that high for more than 30 minutes after a cold start, and 10 minutes after a warm start.

SPECIAL NOTE, for anyone with an AGM cranking battery, late model D4s come standard equipped with AGM cranking batteries, the voltage must NEVER go over 14.7v at any time.

There is one exception, and that is if you are using an Optima. These AGMs can safely handle up to 15.1v.

Tim.
Since my battery management upgrade I occasionally see 15V for a short time.14.7 seems normal now until charged.
A typical trip to Perth,I leave the engel off,when I get to perth(1.5hours) I put it on freeze,the shopping goes in the fridge side or freezer side,it gets switched off as soon as we get home.
I get 14.7 on the way up until it gradually drops to 12.6.After the shopping centre it goes back to 15,drops to 14.7 quickly,then gradually falls to about 13.7 with the engel running,12.7 when it cycles off.
Much better than before,never saw much more than 12.7.
Andrew

Thanks Tim. Did some testing with my Nanocom hooked up yesterday. Went on two long drives and both times after half an hour the charge voltage dropped from 15v down to the mid to low 14's so I'm guessing it's the cars battery monitoring system doing its thing. It was interesting to note that my traxide wasn't in safety override mode each time I was running at 15v during the tests. As the traxide manual says, the SOM mode should kick in at 14.7v. I'll see if I can do some furthers this weekend if I can get my bench top variable power supply working. I'll also give the battery a full charge while I'm at it.

Hi again Matt, the USI-160 Cuts Out at voltages above 15.1v, and only if the voltage has risen above 15.1v, the USI-160 will not Cut-In again until the voltage drops back below 14.7v.