Ok, so everything I've touched today has turned to...poo On the way home just now I noticed my ammeter was reading discharge...about 1 white line worth, which is twice the distance the needle ever travels even during grid cycling. I'm suspecting my el-cheap-o voltage regulator, no big deal, but here's the kicker--a voltmeter across the battery terminals reads 14.4V while idling. AND, when I shut the truck off, the battery reads 13.7V. I didn't check high idle charging, I'm just too frustrated with my sub-par day at this point. What ya'll think?

crackingacoldoneandthinkingaboutsteakfordinnerg162 5s

 

I think your ammeter is smokin' something.

 

AND my volt meter...shouldn't battery voltage drop to 12-ish when the engine is off? I wouldn't doubt my dash is tweeked knowing how many times its been off. None of this bothers me nearly as much as the rumble in the floor felt on 4th gear deceleration...but that's another thread

 

The battery gets what's known as a surface charge due to its capacitance. Turn on the headlights and walk away for 10 minutes, then shut them off and check the battery. It should read 12.6 V.

 

Thanks, Dave