What Voltage Should Etorque Be at?

[SpeedyV]

How long was your drive? Mine will stay in the mid to high 13’s during short cycle driving say of 30 minutes or less but will then begin to taper off. I have done a lot of research on the etorque system as well as having talked to senior techs who do know the proper operation. I always want to understand what I own. Always have been that way …not to say there hasn’t been issues with the 48v battery packs in these trucks but charging issues tend to come from the 48v system. Also have been bad 12v batteries too. Things fail…bottom line. I’m just sharing what I have come to learn with the group as I have found it to be helpful.

Today's drive was about 20-25 minutes in each direction.

Normally, I pay little attention to voltage output. Maybe I'll set one of my dash gauges to report digital voltage for a few months to see if what variances, if any, are typical.

 

[Jnav]

Page 1 of this thread has many that claim their gauge displays a constant 14 something.. either they’re lying or we’ve got a charging issue.

 

[tsbbartholomew1]

there were many forum users with Etorque posting that their gauge displayed a constant 14 something.. either they’re lying or we’ve got a charging issue.

Well I’m not going to say anyone is lying but as the system was explained to me and throughout my research makes sense so I am not concerned with how my truck is operating.


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[MurphBigHorn]

How long was your drive? Mine will stay in the mid to high 13’s during short cycle driving say of 30 minutes or less but will then begin to taper off. I have done a lot of research on the etorque system as well as having talked to senior techs who do know the proper operation. I always want to understand what I own. Always have been that way …not to say there hasn’t been issues with the 48v battery packs in these trucks but charging issues tend to come from the 48v system. Also have been bad 12v batteries too. Things fail…bottom line. I’m just sharing what I have come to learn with the group as I have found it to be helpful.


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Thanks for the info. Starting to see more and more people saying there truck dose what mine is doing. So maybe it is normal.

For anyone that Claims there truck is always at 14vs running. Can you please set your gauge to display voltage and drive over 30mins to rest our minds. Haha.

I been reading and watching videos of this system all day. And haven’t seen anything on actual running voltage and what we could see.

 

[RAM Patriot]

eTorque trucks have a smart charge alternator that are controlled to the ECU.

The output voltage of these alternators will vary based on the sensor data and the voltage of the starter battery and the 48V battery pack and demands of Uconnect, amplifier and accessories such as heated seats and charging phones.

The benefit of the smart charge system is it can reduce voltage over a longer period thus reducing the load upon the engine, which will improve MPG.

 

[BlueMoose]

eTorque trucks have a smart charge alternator that are controlled to the ECU.

The output voltage of these alternators will vary based on the sensor data and the voltage of the starter battery and the 48V battery pack and demands of Uconnect, amplifier and accessories such as heated seats and charging phones.

The benefit of the smart charge system is it can reduce voltage over a longer period thus reducing the load upon the engine, which will improve MPG.

So if I'm driving a short distance, my Battery Voltage will read higher than if I were driving for a few hours?

Probably a dumb question but it would ease my mind if that's what it's supposed to do, because that's what I saw on my road trip.

 

[tsbbartholomew1]

So if I'm driving a short distance, my Battery Voltage will read higher than if I were driving for a few hours?

Probably a dumb question but it would ease my mind if that's what it's supposed to do, because that's what I saw on my road trip.

Correct

 

[RAM Patriot]

So if I'm driving a short distance, my Battery Voltage will read higher than if I were driving for a few hours?

Probably a dumb question but it would ease my mind if that's what it's supposed to do, because that's what I saw on my road trip.

That is correct, a battery accepts charge more efficiently when it is cold, for this reason a smart charge alternator will charge at a higher rate to maximize the charge performance and bring the battery back to optimal operating level.

Once this level is obtained the ECU will reduce the alternator output to supply the vehicles demands.

 

[KWKSLVR]

Great info! I wish FCA was more clearerererer on how eTorque works.

 

[SpeedyV]

How long was your drive? Mine will stay in the mid to high 13’s during short cycle driving say of 30 minutes or less but will then begin to taper off. I have done a lot of research on the etorque system as well as having talked to senior techs who do know the proper operation. I always want to understand what I own. Always have been that way …not to say there hasn’t been issues with the 48v battery packs in these trucks but charging issues tend to come from the 48v system. Also have been bad 12v batteries too. Things fail…bottom line. I’m just sharing what I have come to learn with the group as I have found it to be helpful.


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After parking in the hot sun for hours today (unusual for me), I noticed the truck stayed around 13.6-13.7 volts on my drive home (A/C blasting on Auto). Seemed normal.

 

[tsbbartholomew1]

After parking in the hot sun for hours today (unusual for me), I noticed the truck stayed around 13.6-13.7 volts on my drive home (A/C blasting on Auto). Seemed normal.

Short drives like that voltages in mid 13’s is what I’d expect…longer drives say of an hour or more you will see voltages tapering down


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[Snekpete]

I put a voltmeter on the truck when it was off. 12 volts flat. Same on the Mustang, same on the Escape. Anything over 12 and the battery is charging. My Rebel typically drops to 12.9 after a bit of driving.

 

[SpeedyV]

Short drives like that voltages in mid 13’s is what I’d expect…longer drives say of an hour or more you will see voltages tapering down

I did a little more testing this evening:

• When "cool" (stored in a 90+ degree garage, but not recently run), my truck stayed steady at 14.0-14.1 V for a 20+ minute drive except when in auto stop mode at a light or during coasting in MDS, where it dipped to 13.8-13.9 V.
• When making the same run "warm" (after driving and then parking outside in 100+ degree heat index for an hour or two), voltage was initially 13.6-13.8 V, creeping back up to 13.9-14.0 V after a few minutes of steady movement.

I still haven't had the opportunity to go for a 1+ hour drive.

 

[tsbbartholomew1]

I did a little more testing this evening:

• When "cool" (stored in a 90+ degree garage, but not recently run), my truck stayed steady at 14.0-14.1 V for a 20+ minute drive except when in auto stop mode at a light or during coasting in MDS, where it dipped to 13.8-13.9 V.
• When making the same run "warm" (after driving and then parking outside in 100+ degree heat index for an hour or two), voltage was initially 13.6-13.8 V, creeping back up to 13.9-14.0 V after a few minutes of steady movement.

I still haven't had the opportunity to go for a 1+ hour drive.

Yep…what I would expect…mine always stays in this range on short cycle trips.


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[TheDarkNight]

I recently leased a 22 Ram limited. Drove it off the lot the first day and took it for a 120 mile drive. Smoothest most comfortable ride I’ve ever driven. 3 days later I was at work and went to leave, truck wouldn’t start. Jumped it and got back home. Next morning, wouldn’t start. Dealership replaced the battery that day and ever since, whenever I’m driving for 20-30 miles or more, the voltage drops to 13.0 and the truck rides very rough. A lot of vibration in the seat/steering wheel and arm rest. Gets worse the longer you drive. Have brought it in a couple times, most they did was an update to the HCP that fixed it for a few days until I went on another 100 mile drive.

I definitely see a correlation between voltage being above 13.2 and a smoother ride with no vibration. Whenever it is below that, it rides very rough. Kind of stumped and it seems like the dealership is looking at me like I’m crazy. Any info or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[securityguy]

I recently leased a 22 Ram limited. Drove it off the lot the first day and took it for a 120 mile drive. Smoothest most comfortable ride I’ve ever driven. 3 days later I was at work and went to leave, truck wouldn’t start. Jumped it and got back home. Next morning, wouldn’t start. Dealership replaced the battery that day and ever since, whenever I’m driving for 20-30 miles or more, the voltage drops to 13.0 and the truck rides very rough. A lot of vibration in the seat/steering wheel and arm rest. Gets worse the longer you drive. Have brought it in a couple times, most they did was an update to the HCP that fixed it for a few days until I went on another 100 mile drive.

I definitely see a correlation between voltage being above 13.2 and a smoother ride with no vibration. Whenever it is below that, it rides very rough. Kind of stumped and it seems like the dealership is looking at me like I’m crazy. Any info or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

My guidance...find another dealer to look at it with smarter techs!

 

[TheDarkNight]

My guidance...find another dealer to look at it with smarter techs!

So it’s been to 3 dealerships in 3 diff states . Bought it in NJ, they couldn’t replicate issue, dealership in NY basically did nothing. Drove 950 miles to see my in laws in FL and the dealership down here at least did the HCP update. I have a buddy who has the same vehicle and he said his battery never goes below 13.6 no matter what. Feel like I need a Ram engineer to tell me what a 5.7 etorque engine requires from a voltage standpoint.

 

[Snekpete]

So it’s been to 3 dealerships in 3 diff states . Bought it in NJ, they couldn’t replicate issue, dealership in NY basically did nothing. Drove 950 miles to see my in laws in FL and the dealership down here at least did the HCP update. I have a buddy who has the same vehicle and he said his battery never goes below 13.6 no matter what. Feel like I need a Ram engineer to tell me what a 5.7 etorque engine requires from a voltage standpoint.

I've got a 2021 and the voltage drops down to 12.9 to 13 on occasion when the outside temps are 80 and above and the batteries are charged. When the outside temps are below 40 the voltage stays higher around 14. Your voltage sounds normal to me, the roughness is not. I believe that the correlation of voltage and roughness is coincidence, as both tend to happen after the truck has been driven for a period of time when I would expect the voltage to drop down to 13 after the batteries are charged. Any engine roughness should throw a CEL, this does not sound like engine roughness to me.

Roughness and vibration can be very difficult to diagnose. Start with the easy ones and work towards the more difficult.

First check the tires and pressures. No need for a road force balance, that isn't it. Next look at the brakes. A warped rotor can heat up and cause problems. On rare occasions the vacuum booster spacer rod can need adjustment and this problem always manifests itself after a lengthy drive. After the vibration appears on the highway, pull over and check the rotors for heat, a burned index finger indicates a problem with the brakes.

After eliminating the tires and brakes, move on to the driveshaft and drive components, transmission and rear differential. Good luck!

 

[KWKSLVR]

My voltage only drops below 13.2 if I'm at "idle" (engine off) for a while at like a drive through or long redlight OR if I'm in accessory mode where it'll drop down to 12.7-12.9 pretty quick and stay there getting fed off the battery pack. Running up and down the road I'm always at 13.6-14v of course it does spend time at 14.2.

I think some of these battery packs are imperfect and need to be warrantied. It can be hard to pin down electrical issues but if you're not at 13.6v+ when moving with A/C, radio, and other accessories on then there is something wrong with either the starter battery not taking voltage or with the etorque system.

 

[betadamascenone]

A lot of RAM owners are experiencing issues with dead batteries whether they have eTorque or not. The problem appears to be excessive parasitic drain when the engine is off and not enough Reserve Capacity of the OEM battery to compensate. Check out the dead battery threads for more information.

To answer your question, the eTorque alternator and charging system needs to supply the same charging voltage as a standard alternator. This is regulated to 13.7 to 14.7 volts when the engine is running. Typically, you'll see around 14.6 Volts. Anything lower than 13.7 volts is cause for concern.

The voltage should remain in this range when the engine is running even with all electrical loads on. The charging capacity of the alternator was carefully selected based upon the maximum sustained loads the vehicle might see. The voltage might be slightly lower when all loads are on but should always remain in the 13.7 to 14.7 volt range. The voltage may also be slightly lower at idle than when driving.

Sorry to rehash an old thread. I just purchased a 2022 1500 w etorque and my batter seems to sit at 12.8 v while driving. At idle it sits at about 13.5. That seems really low based on these standards? Has anything changed for the 2022 model?