Voltage running high??? What does your car run at??? Blowing LED gauges HELP!!!!!!!!

**T/AKing** · 03-04-2007, 09:11 AM

A while ago i put in LED bulbs for my gauge cluster from ledgauges.com .
after about a month or two they started to blow one by one. after sending them back LEDgauges.com says they dont want to warranty my bulbs because my voltage is running too high. During most driving the voltmeter on my cluster reads around 14 ish volts. do your cars run this high?? is there any reason why it could be running this high, and is there ANY way i cna get it to run at the more normal and proper 12v????? any help is GREATLY apprecaited..

**FORD RECOVERY EXPERT** · 03-04-2007, 09:37 AM

Mine Runs 13-14 While Running. Most 12v Systems Can Handle Up To 24v, It Is The Amps You Have To Look At. Maybe Your Over Amping Them.

**T/AKing** · 03-04-2007, 10:24 AM

how would i check for/ fix that???

**greatwhiteZ28** · 03-04-2007, 10:27 AM

mine are like at 16 17 ish no problems, yet i guess i posted somthing like this a while back. i think they said its my voltage regualter or something

**T/AKing** · 03-04-2007, 10:47 AM

well of course for normal bulbs its fine. but for some reason i belive its wayy too mucfh for the LED cluster bulbs i bought from ledgauges.com

**FORD RECOVERY EXPERT** · 03-04-2007, 10:51 AM

Exactly, The Regulator Is In The Alternator.
U Can Use A D.v.o.m. (digital Volt/ Ohm Meter)
And Test At Different Points, To See What Readings, And Or Spikes You May Get.

**T/AKing** · 03-04-2007, 11:10 AM

i may do that.. its just dumb that i have no control over the cars voltage yet its my fault (no warranty) that the blew..... lol i might look into finding blue normal bulbs but those seem a lil harder to find good ones.

**FORD RECOVERY EXPERT** · 03-04-2007, 04:40 PM

systems seem to play hell on a cars vr, maybe (if the car is used) some one else had a hand in tearing it up for ya...

**T/AKing** · 03-04-2007, 06:51 PM

idk... i might look into getting another set and then rigging up my own bulb connectors with a resistor to drop the voltage down 2v or somethin

**FORD RECOVERY EXPERT** · 03-04-2007, 06:54 PM

sounds like a great idea.

**imflyn** · 03-04-2007, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by T/AKing

During most driving the voltmeter on my cluster reads around 14 ish volts. do your cars run this high??

A 12 volt battery is really a 14 volt system. Lead acid batteries need a postive charge on them to keep them from draining. A 24 volt battery runs on a 28 volt system, etc, etc. So your alternator is working just fine.

I wish cars came with an ammeter indicator that showed charge or discharge on the battery. Really gives a true indication of how well the alternator is keeping up with the load.