I noticed that my voltage gauge reads 13.6+ going down the road, but when I am at a stop or just idling, the voltage drops to 12.5V. Why?
This could be caused by several things. First, the pulley ratio may cause the alternator to spin too slow for these driving conditions. Using underdrive or power pulleys on a street application can cause this problem because the pulley ratio becomes less than the typical street ratio of 3:1. If the pulley ratio IS 3:1, another possibility is that the alternator is too small or not powerful enough at slow speed for the amp load of the vehicle. Also, the charge wire could be too small or the ground path may have high resistance. The gauge could be out of calibration. Check the voltage directly at the alternator with electrical loads on to determine if the problem is the alternator or the path to the battery.
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