Will a bad voltage regulator drain your battery?

Will a bad voltage regulator drain your battery?

The diodes are part of the rectifier assembly that converts the alternator’s AC output to DC. A leaky diode also can allow current to drain out of the battery through the alternator when the vehicle is not being driven. A faulty voltage regulator can also cause charging problems.

Is 14.7 volts too high?

On a hot engine on a hot day, the normal charging voltage might drop to 13.5 to 14.3 volts. Fully charged automotive batteries should measure at 12.6 volts or above. When the engine is running, this measurement should be 13.7 to 14.7 volts. So, to answer your question, Yes, 15 volts is too high.

Is 14.5 volts overcharging?

If the alternator is working well, your multi-meter should read somewhere in the vicinity of 14 volts (typically 13.8-14.2). If it is reading excessively higher than 14 volts (greater than 15 volts) it is possible that the voltage regulator on your alternator is faulty or going bad.

How do I know if my alternator is overcharging?

Symptoms of Your Car Alternator Overcharging:

1. Car Battery Voltage Gauge Reading is High. You notice a high voltage reading on your cars vehicle’s dashboard.
2. Car Battery Gets Hot When Charging.
3. Your Headlights Burn Out Quickly.
4. Your Car Battery is Bulging on Sides.

What happens if an alternator is overcharging?

Alternators that overcharge will typically produce excess voltage to the battery, making the battery case swell up, become very hot and lose its electrolyte through boiling. Improperly jump-starting the vehicle can send a surge through the battery that destroys one or more cells in the battery or shorts it out.

Why is my battery overcharging?

A car’s battery will overcharge if the voltage regulator isn’t working correctly. A voltage regulator is usually part of the alternator, and is used to keep a steady flow of voltage to the battery. If it sends too much, the car battery will overcharge.

Can you ruin a battery by overcharging it?

As a result of too high a charge voltage excessive current will flow into the battery, after the battery has reached full charge. This is called thermal runaway and it can destroy a battery in as little as a few hours. …

How do I stop my battery from overcharging?

Pro tip: a good rule of thumb to help avoid the trap of overcharging is to make sure you charge your battery after each discharge of 50% of its total capacity. If the battery will be stored for a month or more you should charge to full capacity before storing and then charge throughout the storage time.