Quote:
Originally Posted by Urbanite
I thought anything below 13.7V could be an indication alternator is on its way out. Could you explain your point that my scenario is normal. Thx.
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That is false.
State of charge and temperate compensation matter when charging a lead battery. The voltage will be variable depending on those two conditions.
Voltage alone is a poor indicator of alternator health. There are more appropriate industry standard tests for this including looking at AC ripple and load testing. If you can't get the rated amps out of the device, that would be a much larger concern.
Anything over 13v you are basically still charging the battery when you consider maintenance / float voltages are generally about 13v +/-
For a DIY approach, you are better off using an amp clamp meter, throwing a huge load on the truck, and measuring it's output in amps to make sure its functioning as expected.