High voltage

[-m-]

So I got my Yaris hatch last week and so far everything has been great...until a couple of days ago. I noticed that when the car starts and on occasion while I'm driving the battery light flickers a bit. When it happens on startup it'll stay on for a minute or so...if its while I'm driving it'll flicker every now and again. So I started the car today with my mutimeter attached to the battery thinking I must be getting low voltage on startup...quite the contrary. Voltage starts at around 13.5V then spikes up to 17V (right when the bat light comes on) for a little bit the stabilizes right around the 16V mark. Are these cars high voltage? The battery in the car is clearly a 12V. Has anybody encountered this before or can anybody run a meter on theirs and see if its the same as mine? I tried a search but didn't find anything like this.

Thanks

[YarisTom73]

That is quite a quandry. I'm 99% sure that the alternator is internally regulated, as I suppose most if not all cars are nowadays. That would suggest time for a new alternator (worst case scenario). I'd at least make an attempt to have the dealership run tests to ensure that's not the issue..maybe the battery itself is being funky. I'm curious to see how this pan's out... :iono:

[OxyG3nE]

i have friend that work at toyota. and they say alternator are a problem on the yaris around 30k

[-m-]

Kinda what I was figuring but was hoping it wasn't :frown:. I should mention that when the voltage drops to 16.5 the light goes off. I think that's what was confusing me. I guess I'll have to book it in for a service...better be under waranty :smoking:

[SAKU]

Maybe a voltage stabilizer that connects to the battery can do the trick.

[-m-]

Stabilizer will prevent voltage ripples and the like...not really meant to drop your voltage down 2-3 volts. Car is back at the dealer now and hopefully a new alt tomorrow...they stuck me with a 4dr 2002 Elantra with a bad wheel bearing as a loaner in the meantime :frown:

[IllusionX]

i don't think the voltage should go over 15v.

i've actually seen anycar i've driven (with built in voltmeter) go over 15v.

[Toyota Technician]

all toyota vehicles are around 13.5 to 14.0 v running so if urs were around 16 or 17 their is deffinatly a problem and the most likley cause is the voltage regulator and it is internel also their is a tsb on the batt light but i think its for low voltage due to battery terminal corrorsion