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ckt
01-23-2007, 13:58
My truck is an 06 LBZ. A few different times at startup my truck has had a delay in charging. Just after I start the truck the battery gauge stays low (maybe 12Volts) and then goes to above 14 Volts after a short time. Yesterday my 'Battery Not Charging' message came up. Has anyone had this problem?
More Power
01-23-2007, 14:51
The Duramax glow and intake heater systems energize when first rotating the ignition switch to the ON position. This draws a considerable amount of current from the batteries. Once the glow plugs (and wait to start light) toggle off, the intake heater will remain on for a period of time, and is capable of drawing more power than your alternator can make up for - hence the lower than normal battery voltage indication on your dash gauge immediately after starting. Once the intake heater toggles off, the alternator quickly catches up. The delay in the battery voltage climbing above 13v varies depending on ambient temperature and how long the intake heater remains on.

The "Battery Not Charging" message is an oddity. How cold was it when this happened? It could be that a battery/terminal problem exists, which allowed voltage to drop lower than normal, or you have an alternator issue. Hard to know which, but having this repeat would help pin it down.

Jim
DieselMonk
01-24-2007, 05:56
are the batteries fully charged, or did you make lately lots of short trips?
ckt
01-24-2007, 12:38
The batteries were fully charged. The temperatures outside was reasonable for winter (around 30 degrees F.). Thanks for your help.
Idle_Chatter
01-24-2007, 15:26
Check to make sure that all 4 of your battery terminals are tight. The negatives aren't usually a problem, but the positives will "thermal cycle" and loosen up. I got a very weird glow cycle and low voltage on my truck a few months ago and found that both positives could be moved by hand. I brushed the cable and battery connection bright, put on a thin film of dielectric grease and reconnected them. Now I have a little 8mm box wrench in my console and I "tight check" them whenever I'm underhood.