Help with electrical problem
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
Help with electrical problem Hey guys. I am having a electrical problem with my '07 Monte Carlo SS.
When the car is running, randomly the battery voltage (as shown on my aeroforce gauge) will start jumping all over the place. It will drop from 14 volts down to 12.3 or then back up to 14.5 then 13.8 then down to 12 and then 14 again and so on. It's all over the place and while its doing this I can see all the lights inside and outside dim when it drops.
I have changed the alternator, battery, and made sure connections and grounds were clean and tight. I tried unplugging the battery voltage sensor, and it made no difference. I don't know for sure if that is a good or bad thing unplugging the sensor made no difference...
Any ideas? Is it worth trying a new voltage sensor?
When the car is running, randomly the battery voltage (as shown on my aeroforce gauge) will start jumping all over the place. It will drop from 14 volts down to 12.3 or then back up to 14.5 then 13.8 then down to 12 and then 14 again and so on. It's all over the place and while its doing this I can see all the lights inside and outside dim when it drops.
I have changed the alternator, battery, and made sure connections and grounds were clean and tight. I tried unplugging the battery voltage sensor, and it made no difference. I don't know for sure if that is a good or bad thing unplugging the sensor made no difference...
Any ideas? Is it worth trying a new voltage sensor?
Launching!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
From: Ontario
I think our cars do that by design, the alternator regulates the voltage and output isn't consistent.
Someone with more experience on these cars electrically will chime in I'm sure.
You could also do a big 3 upgrade to the elec system.
Someone with more experience on these cars electrically will chime in I'm sure.
You could also do a big 3 upgrade to the elec system.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
It wasn't an issue before though so something can't be right. I have come out from work twice the past couple of months with the battery being dead, which is what made me decide to do a new battery and alternator. The battery I had in it was a Delco one that was almost 3 years old.
Anybody ever have to change the voltage sensor before?
Anybody ever have to change the voltage sensor before?
Teching In
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: NY
Hey guys. I am having a electrical problem with my '07 Monte Carlo SS.
When the car is running, randomly the battery voltage (as shown on my aeroforce gauge) will start jumping all over the place. It will drop from 14 volts down to 12.3 or then back up to 14.5 then 13.8 then down to 12 and then 14 again and so on. It's all over the place and while its doing this I can see all the lights inside and outside dim when it drops.
I have changed the alternator, battery, and made sure connections and grounds were clean and tight. I tried unplugging the battery voltage sensor, and it made no difference. I don't know for sure if that is a good or bad thing unplugging the sensor made no difference...
Any ideas? Is it worth trying a new voltage sensor?
When the car is running, randomly the battery voltage (as shown on my aeroforce gauge) will start jumping all over the place. It will drop from 14 volts down to 12.3 or then back up to 14.5 then 13.8 then down to 12 and then 14 again and so on. It's all over the place and while its doing this I can see all the lights inside and outside dim when it drops.
I have changed the alternator, battery, and made sure connections and grounds were clean and tight. I tried unplugging the battery voltage sensor, and it made no difference. I don't know for sure if that is a good or bad thing unplugging the sensor made no difference...
Any ideas? Is it worth trying a new voltage sensor?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
From: Ontario, Canada
I think I'm going to spend some time again just going through all the grounds, connections and looking over the wiring.
It was doing it again today. Out cruising on the highway, I look and the Batt volts and they dropped down to 12.8 and stayed there. Looked again maybe 5 minutes later and it's back up to 14 like it should be...
It was doing it again today. Out cruising on the highway, I look and the Batt volts and they dropped down to 12.8 and stayed there. Looked again maybe 5 minutes later and it's back up to 14 like it should be...
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Launching!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
From: Ontario
I think I'm going to spend some time again just going through all the grounds, connections and looking over the wiring.
It was doing it again today. Out cruising on the highway, I look and the Batt volts and they dropped down to 12.8 and stayed there. Looked again maybe 5 minutes later and it's back up to 14 like it should be...
It was doing it again today. Out cruising on the highway, I look and the Batt volts and they dropped down to 12.8 and stayed there. Looked again maybe 5 minutes later and it's back up to 14 like it should be...
Let me know if you find anything, perhaps I have an issue that's being covered up by having a deep cycle battery (hence not finding it dead).
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,316
Likes: 3
From: Dolla$ , TX
I would hook up a scan tool and watch the pulse width that is commanded of the alternator, you will see if it's the computer doing it or not.You can also manually ground the alternator to make to run 100% power to see what output you get. The alternator does manage voltage, but does not mean you won't see battery voltage when the alternator is commanded a low duty cycle. Also, don't be fooled by voltage gauges inside the vehicle, make sure you are reading directly from the battery, or at least compare the voltage to make sure whatever you are looking at is accurate. Also I've run into a problem on the ground connection near the batter where it has corroded internallycausing intermittent no start and voltage fluctuations. I ran 0 gauge wire "big 3 upgrade"since I was there anyways
