Quick question about a 2011...

[saxart]

This morning as I was cruising down the highway I noticed that the VOLT meter on my 2011 Suburban fell quite a ways below the 14V marking. This truck has usually run just above 14V, like most cars do when you're rolling down the road.

By the time I finished my 65-mile drive, it was probably showing around 11-12volts. While a normal automotive battery is 12-volts, most modern charging systems should put out around 14.5volts to properly maintain the system.

I'm guessing this is indicating some sort of a charging issue, but I thought I would check here to see if the charging systems on these trucks may intermittently shut down to increase fuel economy?

Ironically, when I finally got home and pulled in the garage, I shut the engine off and restarted it. At that point the gauge pegged right up to just above 14V (almost 15V) as if it was trying to charge a low battery.

I'm going to keep observing it while driving, but I thought I would ask if this system somehow shuts down for fuel economy reasons. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Sheriff]

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30492

 

[saxart]

Wow, that' interesting..... Thanks for the link Sheriff. I've never had a vehicle that's done that before.

(Guess I'd better read my owner's manual afterall....)

 

[GM Customer Service]

This morning as I was cruising down the highway I noticed that the VOLT meter on my 2011 Suburban fell quite a ways below the 14V marking. This truck has usually run just above 14V, like most cars do when you're rolling down the road.

By the time I finished my 65-mile drive, it was probably showing around 11-12volts. While a normal automotive battery is 12-volts, most modern charging systems should put out around 14.5volts to properly maintain the system.

I'm guessing this is indicating some sort of a charging issue, but I thought I would check here to see if the charging systems on these trucks may intermittently shut down to increase fuel economy?

Ironically, when I finally got home and pulled in the garage, I shut the engine off and restarted it. At that point the gauge pegged right up to just above 14V (almost 15V) as if it was trying to charge a low battery.

I'm going to keep observing it while driving, but I thought I would ask if this system somehow shuts down for fuel economy reasons. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Since you should still be under warranty, I would recommend taking it to the dealership, and letting them know what is going on. They would be the ones that would best be able to diagnose this issue, and fix it for you. Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Breanne
Chevrolet Customer Assistance

 

[bino2818]

mine does the same thing