Voltage Regulator Upgrade?

[Ducky's Dad]

Anybody have experience with installing and using an external voltage regulator on a Dodge truck?

My understanding is that on 2G/3G/4G Dodges and Rams, the alternator output is controlled through the PCM and cannot be changed with a programmer. Odyssey Battery tells me that their AGM batteries like 14.7V and will not achieve or maintain full performance with the 14.2-14.3V that our regulators put out. I have been told that most of our trucks have a connector that allows fitting an external regulator with temperature protection to protect the alternator, and that I can get the connections and regulators from balmer.net (referred by DC Power Engineering). Before I go down that road, I'd like to hear from the collective wisdom here. Reason for my inquiry is that I can't keep my Odyssey 2150 properly charged in my three-battery system and I'm trying to decide whether to just go with all Optimas (they are happy at 14.2V), even though the Optimas have a lot less capacity. The new DC Power 270 amp alternator should go into the PW next Monday. Thanks.

[old sole mopar]

Sounds like you need not to worry. Your still pushing amps to the batteries. The voltage rating isn't that exact anyway. The battery guy is going a little overboard on this one.

[Ducky's Dad]

The battery guy is going a little overboard on this one.

Maybe, but the battery guy in this case is one of the founders of Odyssey. I'm on my third 2150 in five years in this truck, and those batteries are $400 each. Fortunately, two of the three were under warranty, but I'm running out of warranty and I want to get this sorted out ASAP. I have gotten similar input from other sources, including Optimate (not Optima) in Canada, and DC Power Engineering. Optimate builds solid-state chargers and DCP builds high output alternators. I also spoke with Optima (the battery company) regarding the different voltage preferences between Odyssey and Optima deep cycles, and they did not dispute that. Odyssey makes a big deal about charging and conditioning pure lead vs lead-cadmium alloy batteries, and the lead-cadmium are supposed to be happy with 14.2V. If I go all-Optima in this truck, I don't have to fool with the voltage regulator, but the Optima 31M is 900CCA vs 1150CCA for the Odyssey Extreme 31M. The Optima 34M is 750CCA vs 850CCA for the Odyssey 34. Big difference in capacity, so worth getting it right if I can figure out the regulator situation.

Also spoke with Ctek (charger manufacturer) and they confirmed that their conditioning chargers need to be set specifically to deliver 14.7-14.8V to the Odyssey batteries.

[TwinStick]

I think i would have to agree with the Odyssey guy. That would explain my issues as well. I have an inverter in my truck that has a "real-time voltage" voltage setting. I have seen mine fluctuate between 13.8 & 14.3 volts. Never less, never more. I also can't help but wonder (being the skeptic that i am) if this was not done on purpose, in order to force you to buy their $300+ charger. Add that to a $400 battery or 3 & you are quickly pushing the $1000-$2000 envelope.

So far, my W-Mart battery is doing fine. I still have my Gp 31 Sears Die Hard Platinum. 12.5 volts is all i can get it to hold now when hooked up to the trucks charging system. My 270 amp DC Power Engineering is also doing fine.

[old sole mopar]

Stop buying odessy batteries. Sounds like your better off with a couple of cat 8D. 4d is smaller but they will charge with watever you give them.

[Ducky's Dad]

12.5 volts is all i can get it to hold now when hooked up to the trucks charging system.

That's probably at or below 50% of full charge. Mine did the same thing at first, and the max voltage got lower and lower the more often I charged and conditioned it. Odyssey guy told me that's what they expect if their batteries are not charged and conditioned according to their specs, and they have a list of "approved" chargers on their web site. I was not using an approved charger, but it was recommended by my local Odyssey distributor. Odyssey guy told me that local battery guys don't know anything, and go back to their old school charging, conditioning and testing routines for these new-tech batteries.

You have the advantage of owning the Odyssey 3-bank 50amp charger, so (according to Odyssey guy) you should be able to properly recondition your batteries and get them back to taking and holding a full charge. The reconditioning protocol is on their website, and you will have to run several cycles with overnite rest in between cycles. That's what I have to do with mine as soon as I can get a proper charger. UPS has had a shipping label for mine for two days but it looks like the charger has not yet been delivered to UPS for actual shipping. One caution that you may already be aware of: your 50amp 3-bank will split the amperage if you hook up more than one battery at a time, so if you are charging two batteries they will each get only 25 amps, and three batteries will get only 16.7amps each. For the Odysseys, probably best to do one battery at a time so it gets the full 50 amps. And Optima told me that dumping 50 amps into one of their batteries will probably damage it, so don't use the Odyssey charger with only one Optima hooked up to it. What a mess.

[Ducky's Dad]

Sounds like your better off with a couple of cat 8D. 4d is smaller but they will charge with watever you give them.

The Cat 4d and 8D batteries are 20-1/2" long, but the PW battery box is only 13" long, so that's a definite no-go. The Cat Grp 31 and Grp 65 PHO dual purpose batteries have lower specs than the Optima batteries and are way lower than the Odyssey. And the Cat 31 and 65 seem to like like 14.4 to 14.6 input volts, so they split the difference between the Odyssey and Optima preferences. I looked at Cat bats before before I bought my first Odyssey Grp 31 and couldn't find anything that would meet my needs. Cat was having their batteries private labeled by some other manufacturer, probably still is but I don't remember who builds them for Cat.

[old sole mopar]

Ok. you may get the results your looking for by taking a new wire from the battery terminal to an old school adjustable voltage regulator then from that to your battery. This may bypass the trucks system alowing you to get higher voltage. Split off of the adjustable regulator for a second battery. Can't tell you for sure if this will work. See what your battery guy thinks of this. You should put an insulator between the battery and truck so the ecm doesn't get cooked. The computer will handle extra voltage but for how long?

[Burud]

My 05 was charging the old battery 13.4-.13.8 Volts. Changed to Odyssey 2150. Replaced the old, alt to fuse box to battery wire and starter wire with 8-Gauge audio power cable. 0 gauge from battery to body. Now it charges @ 14.8 Volts. The old cables was fried. The best part is, the car starts much better.

[Ducky's Dad]

Ok. you may get the results your looking for by taking a new wire from the battery terminal to an old school adjustable voltage regulator then from that to your battery. This may bypass the trucks system alowing you to get higher voltage. Split off of the adjustable regulator for a second battery. Can't tell you for sure if this will work. See what your battery guy thinks of this. You should put an insulator between the battery and truck so the ecm doesn't get cooked. The computer will handle extra voltage but for how long?

That's pretty much the direction I was headed when I started this thread. Bypassing the truck's computer is the route that DC Power Engineering suggested, and I can't see how the computer would be damaged because the alternator charging voltage is not going through the computer. The computer is operating on millivolts and it may throw a code if it sees something other than expected, but it won't fry. The factory battery box has a temp sensor in the bottom (that little spring loaded button on the floor of the box) and the Balmar regulators are available with optional temp sensors to protect the alternator, so that should be good. And Optima says 14.7V won't hurt their batteries.

[Ducky's Dad]

My 05 was charging the old battery 13.4-.13.8 Volts. Changed to Odyssey 2150. Replaced the old, alt to fuse box to battery wire and starter wire with 8-Gauge audio power cable. 0 gauge from battery to body. Now it charges @ 14.8 Volts. The old cables was fried. The best part is, the car starts much better.

Very interesting. My PW is also an '05, so might have the same problem. Much simpler than the external regulator approach, so I guess I'll try that first. When you refer to the "starter wire," are you talking about the cable from the battery to the starter? I have an extra piece of 2/0 welding cable that might be just the ticket for that. I have lots of 3/0 cable (got it cheap), so that will probably be the new ground cable. Thanks for the tip.

[TwinStick]

I have a piece of 2/0 Gauge welding cable from DC PEngineering 270 amp alt. directly to battery (It also has an inline fuse in it), in addition to the stock wire.

My 05 was charging the old battery 13.4-.13.8 Volts. Changed to Odyssey 2150. Replaced the old, alt to fuse box to battery wire and starter wire with 8-Gauge audio power cable. 0 gauge from battery to body. Now it charges @ 14.8 Volts. The old cables was fried. The best part is, the car starts much better.

It CAN'T be the ground on my truck. It is the most grounded truck in the history of trucks now !!! I may have to try that as well.

So, once again, the factory trying to skimp on wire diameter/gauge & saving a few pennies, is causing the issues ???

Probably the issue with the winches as well then, isn't it ??? Mine always sounded like it was struggling till i added the 2nd battery.

[05PWrockcrawler]

I have the DC engineering alternator with just stock wiring and two batteries. Been working great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk/hopefully somewhere Offroad!

[Ducky's Dad]

stock wiring and two batteries.

Which batteries?

[Ducky's Dad]

I called the largest Dodge dealer I could find and talked with the service manager about the external regulator idea. His advice: Don't do it unless you absolutely have to, because it can lead to a bunch of new issues. He checked with his computer guy and confirmed that the PCM in the '05 cannot be reflashed or programmed to change the voltage regulator to 14.7V. Set at the factory and can't be changed by normal humans. May be different with the '06+ can-bus trucks.