TripleDeckerPBJ
Senior Member
- First Name
- Kevin
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2018
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 31
- Location
- Seattle
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 Civic Si Coupe
- Thread starter
- #1
Hey all, just a quick question/interesting observation. I haven't paid attention to my battery voltage (via my Ktuner v2) until just recently, and I noticed that my battery voltage would drop to around 12.3-12.6(ish) while under throttle (light, heavy - any throttle level, really). Idling is fine though, around 14.4V(ish) (I can't recall the exact numbers atm of course haha, but definitely in the healthier 14V range).
However, it's been consistently running at the higher 14V(ish) levels at night when I am driving home from work. Under throttle, heavy or light, it would stay at a good 14V with no dropping at all. But a few times now, as long as I've observed the voltage the past few days, my daytime driving has been experiencing the lower voltages, around the 12V range. But at night, it would be back to normal.
I'm wondering if it's just a sign my battery is aging (it's been the same battery since late 2018 when getting my car new, so it's climbing to it's 4th year I suppose). But does temperature have to do with the marked difference in battery performance like seen above? The temperatures haven't been that drastically different between day and night, though.
I was hypothesizing that a colder temp would have been making a better contact for the battery with the wire/connections to the battery shrinking a little and having better contact. But I've tightened the connections very well yesterday during the day, with no difference in performance. Then later last night, the voltage was totally fine at the 14V despite the dropped voltage earlier in the day.
Is it simply just time to replace my battery? Has anyone else had an experience like this? And what is a generally normal/healthy voltage to have while under throttle/normal driving? (I see in searches it's at least the 12.6V range, but I am just confused with my experience being two ranges within the day, which is abnormal I'd think).
(Also, I've tested with AC on and off, music on/off, to see if the voltage would raise back up to 14V or anything, but it made no difference from what I've seen so far).
Thanks!
However, it's been consistently running at the higher 14V(ish) levels at night when I am driving home from work. Under throttle, heavy or light, it would stay at a good 14V with no dropping at all. But a few times now, as long as I've observed the voltage the past few days, my daytime driving has been experiencing the lower voltages, around the 12V range. But at night, it would be back to normal.
I'm wondering if it's just a sign my battery is aging (it's been the same battery since late 2018 when getting my car new, so it's climbing to it's 4th year I suppose). But does temperature have to do with the marked difference in battery performance like seen above? The temperatures haven't been that drastically different between day and night, though.
I was hypothesizing that a colder temp would have been making a better contact for the battery with the wire/connections to the battery shrinking a little and having better contact. But I've tightened the connections very well yesterday during the day, with no difference in performance. Then later last night, the voltage was totally fine at the 14V despite the dropped voltage earlier in the day.
Is it simply just time to replace my battery? Has anyone else had an experience like this? And what is a generally normal/healthy voltage to have while under throttle/normal driving? (I see in searches it's at least the 12.6V range, but I am just confused with my experience being two ranges within the day, which is abnormal I'd think).
(Also, I've tested with AC on and off, music on/off, to see if the voltage would raise back up to 14V or anything, but it made no difference from what I've seen so far).
Thanks!
Sponsored
