Chevy Express Voltmeter Gauge Shows Low Voltage

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I recently purchased a 2019 Chevy Express Passenger Van with a 6.0L engine and 6L90 transmission. I figured that’s just about the most reliable engine, transmission, and vehicle combo for taking my children on a long trip.

I left St. Louis with the voltmeter looking like this…

But, as I got to Kansas City, I noticed the voltage was down around 13 or so (I guess). Of course, I hit the panic button and turned the A/C and all accessories off to save battery juice, assuming the alternator had just died.

Apparently, this is completely normal…

Nope. The alternator was just fine. Chevy started using “battery load management” to preserve battery life.

Text from 2019 chevy express owner's manual: "Battery Load Management The vehicle may have Electric Power Management (EPM) that estimates the battery's temperature and state of charge. It then adjusts the voltage for best performance and extended life of the battery. When the battery's state of charge is low, the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring the charge back up. When the state of charge is high, the voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage display on the Driver Information Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or down. This is normal. If there is a problem, an alert will be displayed. The battery can be discharged at idle if the electrical loads are very high. This is true for all vehicles. This is because the generator (alternator) may not be spinning fast enough at idle to produce all the power that is needed for very high electrical loads."

So, learn from my mistake. If your voltage meter in a Chevy vehicle is going up and down like that on a long trip, pull out the owner’s manual and make sure it doesn’t have “Battery Load Management”.

Otherwise, you may end up changing an alternator in the middle of nowhere, with your wife in full panic mode, and 4 kids playing around a Napa.

Have a good day!