High Voltage

[WSEK643]

My new Btech UV-50x2 2nd generation radio after less than a week of use fried what I think is a transistor while I was talking to a friend one night sent Btech an e-mail and the new one is coming today. I checked the voltage on my truck battery while it was running and with headlights off and with headlights on I got 15.35 volts in the radio manual it said the tolerance was 15 % which is 2.7 volts is there something I can do to regulate the voltage coming from the battery to the power cable on the radio I don't want this radio to do the same thing. Thanks,  WSEK643

[Socalgmrs]

13 minutes ago, WSEK643 said:

My new Btech UV-50x2 2nd generation radio after less than a week of use fried what I think is a transistor while I was talking to a friend one night sent Btech an e-mail and the new one is coming today. I checked the voltage on my truck battery while it was running and with headlights off and with headlights on I got 15.35 volts in the radio manual it said the tolerance was 15 % which is 2.7 volts is there something I can do to regulate the voltage coming from the battery to the power cable on the radio I don't want this radio to do the same thing. Thanks,  WSEK643

Your alternator or voltage regulator in the truck is bad.  You normal 12v house battery’s should never put out more then 14.1-14.5MAX.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a new truck old truck hybrid, battery ect.   The accessory battery should never be that high.   Gonna hurt the battery, lights and other 12v accessories.  If you don’t know what you’re doing have an electrical tech look at it.  This is the type of stuff that burns down trucks. 

[SteveShannon]

23 minutes ago, WSEK643 said:

My new Btech UV-50x2 2nd generation radio after less than a week of use fried what I think is a transistor while I was talking to a friend one night sent Btech an e-mail and the new one is coming today. I checked the voltage on my truck battery while it was running and with headlights off and with headlights on I got 15.35 volts in the radio manual it said the tolerance was 15 % which is 2.7 volts is there something I can do to regulate the voltage coming from the battery to the power cable on the radio I don't want this radio to do the same thing. Thanks,  WSEK643

Talk to your truck dealer about the voltage. There is a voltage regulator in the trucks charging circuit to prevent over voltage from the alternator. I don’t think that voltage is within specs. Most are right around 14 volts. 13.8 is optimal. 
However, to answer your actual question there are DC regulators that would deliver an output closer to 13.8 vDC. 
Here’s one I found with a google search: https://www.amazon.com/Diann-Automatic-Converter-Regulator-Waterproof/dp/B09TXSDSGS/ref=pd_aw_subss_hxwPER_sspa_mw_detail_m_sccl_5/134-6644960-5637816?pd_rd_r=4dcb5bcc-df15-449e-884d-5aa656cc2c99&pd_rd_wg=2ELCJ&pd_rd_w=emKb6&pd_rd_i=B09TXSDSGS&psc=1

[WRYZ926]

Definitely have the voltage regulator checked. The highest voltage I have ever seen on my 2020 Ford Ranger or 2023 Ford Escape is 15.1 volts and that is only at startup after the vehicle has been sitting for a few days. And it drops down to 14.3 quickly. Both vehicles have the Ecoboost engines with the Auto Start-Stop systems and Battery Management System.

It is not unusual to see a spike up to 15.1 or 15.3 Volts at startup if the vehicle has not been ran for a while. But it should drop to 14.0-14.4 with in a few seconds. I never turn my radios on right away when I start my Escape for that reason. I let the voltage drop back down to 14.3 V first.

[WRUE951]

Voltage in your truck is defiantly too high.. Is your truck under warranty?  If so, take it in.  Also double check with another volt meter to compare reading in case your volt meter is whacky 

[RIPPER238]

I have a voltage booster on my 4Runner for my AGM battery so it will charge better and that i have set to 13.5-14.4. It does have a super boost option at 15.V but i wouldent push it that high, definitely would cause some serous issues with more than just the radio long term. Check with your dealer, 15.3 is high even if there was a booster. 

[nokones]

I don't believe the newer vehicles have separate regulators like yesteryear. The regulators are internal in the alternators. An indication of 15 volts charging may be an indication that battery is failing and may need to be replaced. A load test needs to be performed on the battery.

[WRYZ926]

He should take the truck in for testing no matter if it is an external or internal regulator. Seeing a spike of 15 volts is okay at startup IF the voltage drops right away to 14-14-4 volts. 

A quick spike is common with newer vehicles since all of the computer modules runs 100% of the time even when the vehicles aren't running. There is always small but constant drain. What is not common is for the charging voltage to stay at 15v all of the time.

I don't drive my vehicle very often and it can sit anywhere from 1-2 weeks without starting. And I do see a very short peak of 15.1v at startup when I haven't started the vehicle in a week or more. But the voltage always drops back down to 14.3 volts within a few seconds.

[Bogieboy01]

i agree with the others, 15+ for any period of time is too high, and indicates an issue with either your battery or charging system. ( i am a small engine mechanic by trade, but car charging systems are not that terribly different than lawn mower/compact utility tractor charging systems, all are 12v based, and anytime anything over 14.6-14/8 occurs, it may indicate an issue somewhere in the charging system ) probably gonna want to sort that out before installing the new radio.

[WRYZ926]

I forgot to add that when my Escape sits for a week I hardly ever see a spike in voltage over 14.8 volts. Now if it sites for two weeks or more, then I do sometimes see it spike to 15.1 volts.

[MarkInTampa]

Any chance you have a Ford Bronco Sport? My wife's just got a recall notice for premature battery failure do to overcharging. We replaced the battery in her car a week before the recall notice came out. Don't know if the same recall affects the post above mine as the Bronco Sport and Escape are based on the same platform.

[WRYZ926]

I checked and there is not any recalls for my 2023 Escape. There is only one customer satisfaction notice to have the driver's side seat belt buckle replaced.

I know there were recalls for earlier Escapes along with the Bronco Sport and Mavericks for over charging.  I don't remember if that was for all of them or certain models/engines. I have the 2.0L Ecoboost in my Escape.

I just checked and it seems the over charging recall is for the hybrid versions.

 

One should never see 15 volts on charging IF the vehicle is a daily driver. Unless you are only taking short drives daily. Newer vehicles have to be driven at least half an hour to fully charge the battery under normal use. If you are seeing 15 volts all of the time on a daily driver then definitely get it into the dealer.

[WSHH887]

Interesting.  Curious about the model and year of the truck.  You should be showing an error code if the voltage out of the alternator is above spec.  If you don't have an OBD reader get one.  You may still need to take it to a dealer or shop for proper diagnosis, but then again a relatively inexpensive reader might point the way and you'll have it for next time.  Unless of course your vehicle predates OBD 1.

[tcp2525]

2 hours ago, WSEK643 said:

My new Btech UV-50x2 2nd generation radio after less than a week of use fried what I think is a transistor while I was talking to a friend one night sent Btech an e-mail and the new one is coming today. I checked the voltage on my truck battery while it was running and with headlights off and with headlights on I got 15.35 volts in the radio manual it said the tolerance was 15 % which is 2.7 volts is there something I can do to regulate the voltage coming from the battery to the power cable on the radio I don't want this radio to do the same thing. Thanks,  WSEK643

What type/brand meter are you using? If you're not using a Fluke meter and are most likely using one of the those cheap "imported"ones, I would say your meter is not really accurate. If you have a modern vehicle it has a voltage monitoring system that will alert you to potential problems.. The other issue is you bought a disposable radio, just keep sending them back for a replacement until you get one that lasts more than 24-hours.

[WSHH887]

4 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

What type/brand meter are you using? If you're not using a Fluke meter and are most likely using one of the those cheap "imported"ones, I would say your meter is not really accurate. If you have a modern vehicle it has a voltage monitoring system that will alert you to potential problems.. The other issue is you bought a disposable radio, just keep sending them back for a replacement until you get one that lasts more than 24-hours.

Actually, I find Klein to be better than Fluke.  But to each his own.

[WRYZ926]

Use a Klein or Fluke, it really won't matter as both are more accurate than the cheap Amazon and Fleabay meters. I've owned and used both brands over the last 25 years and used them both in industrial maintenance setting dealing with everything from 12 V DC control voltage up to 480 V AC three phase.

And don't rely on the built in voltage readings that some radios show at startup either. They will generally show between 0.1 to 0.3 volts higher than what a good multimeter shows.

[MarkInTampa]

1 hour ago, WRYZ926 said:

I checked and there is not any recalls for my 2023 Escape. There is only one customer satisfaction notice to have the driver's side seat belt buckle replaced.

I know there were recalls for earlier Escapes along with the Bronco Sport and Mavericks for over charging.  I don't remember if that was for all of them or certain models/engines. I have the 2.0L Ecoboost in my Escape.

I just checked and it seems the over charging recall is for the hybrid versions.

 

One should never see 15 volts on charging IF the vehicle is a daily driver. Unless you are only taking short drives daily. Newer vehicles have to be driven at least half an hour to fully charge the battery under normal use. If you are seeing 15 volts all of the time on a daily driver then definitely get it into the dealer.

The wife's 2023 Bronco Sport (with the 2.0 engine) overcharge recall was just a notice but stated to wait to be contacted for further information as parts become avalible. Dang thing has has had at least 5 recalls so far. My 2015 RAV4 has had one - for aftermarket batteries possibly being to tall and hitting the hood. Not real keen on Ford at the moment.

 

[tcp2525]

42 minutes ago, WSHH887 said:

Actually, I find Klein to be better than Fluke.  But to each his own.

Klein is definitely a great entry level meter that are very inexpensive for new techs just leaving trade school, but they find that most have a short lifespan and seek out more accurate and reliable meters. It's great that Home Depot will exchange them, even when past the return period. I agree, buy and use what you like. Gotta admit, it does suck watching techs struggling with UEI and Fieldpiece garbage. Remember those?

[WSEZ864]

I'd have to wonder if the OP's battery is deteriorating and causing the high voltage as the regulator is trying to charget. No matter, the whole system should be checked.

Here, we have a "Battery Warehouse" battery store that provides free testing of both the battery and charging system - takes 10 minutes while you wait.

[tcp2525]

10 minutes ago, WSEZ864 said:

I'd have to wonder if the OP's battery is deteriorating and causing the high voltage as the regulator is trying to charget. No matter, the whole system should be checked.

Here, we have a "Battery Warehouse" battery store that provides free testing of both the battery and charging system - takes 10 minutes while you wait.

Good people. I've been dealing with them for years. 

[WSEK643]

Thanks everyone for the responses the vehicle in question is a 1994 ford f-150 and I could kick myself in the hind end for not thinking about the voltage regulator, I am also a small engine mechanic and should have figured that one out. I reckon my old age is starting show. Again Thanks to everyone for the help, I'll be getting a voltage regulator tomorrow and putting it on.  WSEK643

[WRYZ926]

1 hour ago, WSEK643 said:

Thanks everyone for the responses the vehicle in question is a 1994 ford f-150 and I could kick myself in the hind end for not thinking about the voltage regulator, I am also a small engine mechanic and should have figured that one out. I reckon my old age is starting show. Again Thanks to everyone for the help, I'll be getting a voltage regulator tomorrow and putting it on.  WSEK643

Good idea. And a new voltage regulator should fix it. You definitely don't have to worry about computer modules always on and putting a constant drain on the system with a vehicle of that age.

[WSAM454]

16 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

........

It is not unusual to see a spike up to 15.1 or 15.3 Volts at startup if the vehicle has not been ran for a while. But it should drop to 14.0-14.4 with in a few seconds. I never turn my radios on right away when I start my Escape for that reason. I let the voltage drop back down to 14.3 V first.

I agree.  Actually, I put a 15 second time delay relay (rated at 30 Amps) on the power lead to my radio, so it will not get power until 15 seconds after the vehicle is started.  The relay turns off power when the ignition it turned off, so this idea will work even with a radio that does not have an 'automatic shutoff' feature, and can save the battery.   Just need to find a switched 12V line that is only active when the ignition is "on."