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WTF? Only 1 battery charging, and it's not the one directly connected to alt?!?!

M

mgray

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Vancouver, BC
New Optima Red tops. I used my multimeter to test my charging system today after driving about 25mins. Drivers side battery showed 13.95v(thats been normal ever since I bought the truck, higher initially, but likes to settle just under 14v after a few minutes), but the passenger side showed 12.24!!! How can that be since my alternator connects to the passenger side battery? If only one battery would be getting charged, shouldn't it be the one directly connected to the alternator?!

Not sure if any of this ties into this thread I have going on http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/showthread.php?26134-Is-this-normal-for-Optima-Red-s

...but I'd like to know at least how the battery directly attached to the alternator doesn't get charged, but the battery on the other side(via stock crossover) get the charge? That just doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks
 
The cables join up at the + terminal on the pass side battery. Maybe a poor connection to the pass battery or even an internal open in it's side post.
 
Ok well I wiggled the passenger side + stack of junk GM connector and it seemed to eventually get both batts showing almost equal charging voltage(13.8).

So I guess it's time to utilize the dual term batteries I have, and do all the connections properly. What's the best way to wire this up? Top/side posts for crossover and alt? Or, top post drivers side to side post passenger? and starter from top post passenger? I'm sure there are many different ways, just trying to figure which is the better

I also hear that these Optima's should be showing 12.8v when fully charged, but I think the most I get after the surface charge is gone is around 12.6...anything to worry about?
 
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