Lehman alternator - 13.2 volt

winty · Oct 2, 2015

Underway, radar, AP, 2 VHF, 2 displays, voltage at battery bank is 13.19 volt. Is that too low, is my alternator faulty? 1500rpm Lehman 120. I have not metered at alternator , to much sea state to get there safely. Metered at 1hr, 2hr, 4hr underway, same voltage. Batteries are 2 GC-145 new and installed yesterday.

Age of alternator unknown, engine hrs 2675.

meridian · Oct 2, 2015

Was your battery fully charged when you started? What kind of alternator do you have?

Ski in NC · Oct 2, 2015

If batts were fully charged before the trip, 13.2 will maintain them at full charge.

If batts were somewhat below full charge, 13.2 will only charge them super slowly.

You should be ok unless you shut engine down and then discharge the batts. If you do that, you need over 14v to top them up. On gen or shore power with a good charger will do that, then 13.2 can maintain.

kchace · Oct 3, 2015

If you really only have those loads and no more then you have an alternator problem, but there can be other causes. You need to measure at batts and at alt output to know for sure. As Ski said you won't be discharging your batteries at that voltage, but it's not right either.

Ken

High Wire · Oct 4, 2015

Is the voltage low because:
1- its still charging the new bank
2-Its maxxed out too small of an alternator
3-instrument error
4-alternator malfunction
5-you have a "smart charger/ regulator" setup and you are on Float
6-battery isolator
7- something else

A DC clamp-on ammeter will tell the story.

Lehman alternator - 13.2 volt

winty

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meridian

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Ski in NC

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kchace

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High Wire

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