13.6v when running

[ozgti]

I have a 2011 4motion tdi132. It only puts out 13.6v Max when driving. Is this normal? I thought they were supposed to be 14 +ish volts?

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[H8T0W8]

13.6v is totally normal mate [emoji1303]

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[ozgti]

If that's the case, why does it seem hard to start sometimes?

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[Sunny43.5]

Even if yours was putting out 14v that would not help its the crank amperage that counts , I would suggest to get the battery load tested it will tell you if its getting weak .

[ozgti]

Bloody hell... It's a new battery!!

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[Sunny43.5]

Okay then it needs further checking for some other issue , does it turn over slower or just hard to fire up . Could be just the colder weather I know ours seems slower at the moment to fire up but like yours the battery is fine . What is strange is my petrol T5 starts normally but the wifes T5.1 diesel is slow to start .

[Stickshift]

My 2011 132 puts out 14.2+ volts with engine running. Having the heated seats and heated mirrors on can increase demand on the alternator and reduce system voltage.

Checking the health of your alternator and battery would be good for peace of mind.

[ozgti]

Okay then it needs further checking for some other issue , does it turn over slower or just hard to fire up . Could be just the colder weather I know ours seems slower at the moment to fire up but like yours the battery is fine . What is strange is my petrol T5 starts normally but the wifes T5.1 diesel is slow to start .

It does both sometimes. Others is fine. We had an issue a while back which was a cracked head leaking coolant I to the cylinder, so it was trying to crank with fluid in there. Might need to check the alternator..

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[Sunny43.5]

Also check the main battery cables as they can get corrosion between connections especially the earth ones , I found on my sons T4 many years ago the earth cable going to the engine block from the body was dodgy , after a clean up no more problems .

[brad]

Our Honda was cranking slow. The ridiculously small battery died and we thought that was the issue. 3 months later it started again. Eventually the starter motor gave up.

Why don't you get a sparky to check your system. It should only take 30mins max.

Alternator output
Battery load test
current draw
voltage drop between components
resistance in the wires

[Syncrotek]

If the voltmeter used is reading correctly, 13.6v is too low to keep a 12V battery fully charged,
you might have to check it with a known accurate voltmeter, 14.2V to 14.4V is the usual voltage
on the non smart alternator. If the battery has been discharged lately it might take quite some
charging to bring it to ~14.3V.

[ozgti]

Drive from musswelbrook to Sydney and still 13.6. Peaked 13.7

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[TonyMax]

Your battery stores the cranking power to start your vehicle. Your alternator provides charge to keep the battery charged. The regulator (usually built into the alternator these days) prevents the alternator from over charging the battery and I believe it also determines what voltage shows when the engine is running.