Charging enough?

[Sailorsam101]

Got an issue with charging on my port engine...AD41P-A.

The stb engine is showing 13volts while running and has the standard 60A alternator.

The port engine is showing 12.9 volts while running and has a 130A alternator fitted.

All of the boats domestic 12v systems run from the port engine and it's two batteries.

Always starts and not seen any issue other than the volt meter a bit low. Is this really an issue or is it lower due to the extra drain?

 

[kashurst]

if every thing seems OK and engines spin happily when you try and start, then I would suspect the voltage reading is a bit low. Try measuring the battery voltage at the terminals with the engine running. I suspect you will find @ 14v ish

 

[gjgm]

I am impressed..I have standard vdo gauges and the needle covers about one volt!,

 

[michaf]

Remember that the voltage doesn't say anything about the amps flowing in. You would need some more accurate readings. Clamp-on ammeter are cheap and can help you find answers in many occasions.

 

[dpb]

Charging voltage should be 14v+. But one of my gauges on same engines never showed more than 10v. Batteries were always no problem so must have been charging OK.

 

[BruceK]

What you see on the gauges and what you get at the batteries is more often got more to do with the oxidation of the contacts between loom and gauge, particularly earth points rather than what the batteries are actually at. My chartplotter voltage readout is at odds with my voltmeter gauges and with the house panel voltmeter gauges. I need to clean contact surfaces sometime soon and put on some dielectric grease

You should be reading ~14 volts but the true measure of charging is as stated above - use an ammeter