29 volts is this normal

[aussiemik]

Hi I have just put a multimeter on my battery lead to see what output it has and it reads 29 volts when the lead is not conected to battery and 16 volts when it is, Is this normal, there is no regulater just battery cables direct from motor to battery, will it damage my battery charging at this rate 55hp Chrysler 559H8K Thanks Mick

 

[RRitt]

Re: 29 volts is this normal

Certain models of chrysler force do not have a voltage regulator. If yours is one such model then you will have a square bridge rectifier attached to the starter bracket. On those outboards the battery is your regulator. You should never run your engine with battery disconnected because the overvoltage may harm your ignition, depth finder, stereo, etc. If you have square bridge then you need to measure DC voltage with battery connected. It should be firm at battery charging voltage. When charging battery voltage will be slightly higher due to internal resistance of battery. I think 14.5V is normal.