Guys/ Gals with digital Volt meter

Reading of what?

SSREAPER

From the header of the thread...

I am gonna guess volts.

What do I win?

Or am I disqualified cause I don't have a digital voltmeter?

Bounces between 13.3 and 13.4... if I’m running all 6 HIDs and bumping the stereo, I’ll see 13.2.

Around 13.6V, usually. I'll try to remember to pay closer attention during tonite's ride.
Update - Totally forgot!

Mine is around 13.9

Mine is 13.5 with stereo (2 amps powering) and some lights on.

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Quote from Dochatley

So a range of 13.4-14. I know it will vary with draw but I wonder if there is a set reading that Polaris says it should be. Anyone know?
Reason for this post in the first place is I am on 3rd. Battery, ( this one a larger champion battery). I don’t run much off it, have a 10 amp auxiliary fuse block for a few led lights, have LED headlights, keep on a battery tender whenever not driving and my digital volt meter says 13.2-13.3 while cruising. I’m pretty sure that should keep it charged.

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Now were in my knowledge base...Your sling only uses the battery for starting. Once started you vehicle runs off the alternator. Your alternator has a variable voltage regulator inside it. The ecm figures out from a bunch of readings (charge of battery, load of items running, rpm, ect) and determines what the regulator should put out.

Example...If you put in a freshly fully charged battery, start the vehicle and have ZERO lights no leds nothing but the engine running then it will put out low voltage 13.0-13.3 as you start adding items...radio, lights, leds, cell phone, gps...all of these things require power so then the regulator is told by the ecm to send out more power to accommodate the load and a little more to keep battery charged.

Problems arise when the amount of draw.(AMPS) is more than what the alternator can handle...then the battery has to supplement the power which causes the battery to weaken and eventually die.

You keep you battery always fully charged with the tender and have very little in the way of additional draw so your readings are just fine. My only question is why are you going thru batteries....that I dont know.

I hope this helps...you probably already knew a lot of this but I did it for someone who may not!

I hope you find the problem.

SSREAPER

My recommendation is to take a reading directly from the alternator. I know what your thinking...how the hell do I do that. Its really very easy on our sling.

If you have a digital multimeter you will put the positive on the metal post under the red boot in the pic below and the negative probe to a good ground while the engine is running. I would suggest you turn everything on...headlights on highbeam...radio, leds everything...cell phone. if when with everything on you are not in the 13.4-14.0 range you could have a problem. have someone idle up the engine to around 1500-2000 and see if the reading changes drastically or drops off.
Doing that is the best reading you can get cause its direct. It is possible you digital voltmeter on the sling could be defective and showing the wrong voltage.

SSREAPER

Quote from Dochatley

I don’t know what the deal is with batteries. Bad luck I guess. My new 4 month old battery would not start the other day after a 2 hour trip and meter was putting out 13.3. Thank you for all the info. My knowledge on charging systems is not the greatest so I come here where I knew someone could explain what may be going on. Thank you for the info.

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Jerry, what I'm going to say is true, but in the real world, can be proven to be false. But one of the biggest factors to shorten battery life is heat. That's one of the reasons that a LOT of batteries in newer model vehicles have batteries mounted either under the seats inside the vehicle or mounted in the trunk. It gets the battery out of the higher temps from being under the hood dealing with the high heat of the engine. Plus you live in Texas and well everything is bigger in Texas - especially the HEAT. That being said, I'm still on the original battery and have had zero battery problems since I took delivery in November 2014. And I live in FLORIDA which has its share of high temps. I never hooked up to a batery tender or charger. Now if I have a battery issue in the next 90 days, I'm going to blame you for making me jinx it.

Why don't you just install one of the small volt meters and have a readout all of the time. Size is about 3/4 wide by 1 1/4 inch long, they are on E-Bay and Amazon. Easy to install about any where you want and what I remember about $ 5. They also have them to plug into the Assy. plug. if it happens to be where you can see it.

Quote from FunCycle

Why don't you just install one of the small volt meters and have a readout all of the time. Size is about 3/4 wide by 1 1/4 inch long, they are on E-Bay and Amazon. Easy to install about any where you want and what I remember about $ 5. They also have them to plug into the Assy. plug. if it happens to be where you can see it.

I think he does have one because he stated "he took a 2 hour drive and it was reading out 13.3 the whole time." So something isnt right.

Unless he is having a starter issue.

SSREAPER

Might want you check your battery tender. Even good ones go bad.

LC

Also, may be staying the obvious here, but if you turn the key with out starting the engine your voltmeter will read battery voltage, once you start the engine, you’ll be reading alternator output voltage.

I have the voltmeter from slingmods....it’s usually reading 13.3 while running...I have 4 halogen headlights and a bunch of Sting LEDs..lighted wind restrictor...no radio upgrades.

When I first cycle the ignition key...it drops to 11ish...until I start it.