CT5-V Battery voltage at idle and while driving seems low

[5VBW Nick]

So I just got my '22 5V blackwing on Friday and I'm getting used to it, has 6,600 miles. One weird thing I've noticed is that at idle and while driving, the battery voltage is hanging out at 12.5, which is very unusual. I just drove it for 20 minutes and when I got back to my garage and the fans kicked on and I revved it a few times, the voltage went up to around 14.1v and stayed there while idling.

I have no warnings on the dash or anything and I'm wondering if this is something I should have looked at?

 

[shbox]

The car will constantly compute the voltage needs and adjust charging as necessary. Just driving along is not very taxing on power needs. Any time extra load is sensed, there will be an adjustment to compensate. I don't see that you should be concerned.

 

[BrakeFade]

Seems normal. Range at idle could be anywhere between 12.5-13.5 so I would keep an eye on it. The voltage will go up as you rev it, that’s normal as RPMs go up. Quick test, at idle turn on all of your accessories and watch the voltage (ac, head lights, radio) and see if it drops below 12.5. I’ll have to jump in my 5BW and see what it says at idle. I wouldn’t be too concerned.

 

[KnightI2]

I don't pay much attention to it in my BW, as I dont have that toggle on typically, but In my Camaro its on the dash.

This question seems to come up quite a bit on Camaro 6 forums. Its normal. The car regulates what it needs and will move in that range. Mine very often sits around 12.5v spot.

 

[5VBW Nick]

Drove today and it was at 14.6v on highway until I pulled into a gas station and turned it off. When I started it up again it then stayed around 12.4 or 12.5 the whole time I was driving. It seems very odd compared to anything I'm used to, but maybe it's normal.

 

[shbox]

Owners manual...

Battery Voltage : Displays the current
battery voltage. The battery voltage
can fluctuate while viewing this
information on the DIC. This is
normal.

Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM), which estimates
the battery's temperature and state of
charge. It then adjusts the voltage for
best performance and extended life of
the battery.
When the battery's state of charge is
low, the voltage is raised slightly to
quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high, the
voltage is lowered slightly to prevent
overcharging. If the vehicle has a
voltmeter gauge or a voltage display
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you may see the voltage move
up or down. This is normal. If there is
a problem, an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle
if the electrical loads are very high.
This is true for all vehicles. This is
because the generator (alternator)
may not be spinning fast enough at
idle to produce all the power that is
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog lamps,
rear window defogger, climate control
fan at high speed, heated seats, engine
cooling fans, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the
power demands of some accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in steps
or levels, without being noticeable. In
rare cases at the highest levels of
corrective action, this action may be
noticeable to the driver. If so, a DIC
message might be displayed. If a
battery message is displayed, it is
recommended that the driver reduce
the electrical loads as much as
possible.

 

[5VBW Nick]

Very helpful, I appreciate you sharing that.