On the way back from OSH my RV6A with an O360A1A started to experience something I had not seen before. Here are the details. The battery is new this year. When I flip the battery switch on for start my voltmeter typically reads 12. 2 or 3, somewhere in that range. It starts in a couple of turns no problem. I turn on all my radios, instruments etc and the voltage remains the same. During taxi it remains the same. As soon as I apply full power for takeoff the voltage goes to 14.2 or so and stays there the entire flight. That was until coming home from OSH. On the last two legs across the hot desert SW into SoCal the voltage started to fluctuate from the normal 14.- down to as low as 12.2 or 3. Then it would go back up to 13.-- or 14.-- then back to 12.--However, it never went below 12 during the 2.7 hour leg. I watched it closely thinking I might have to shed some load if the battery was being discharged but that never happened.
I was wondering if the very high OAT was to blame hurting the performance of the alternator. When the weather cooled off back home I took it out for a flight around the pattern. Same indications prior to takeoff and after takeoff. During the 15-20 flight at 75% power I had a steady 14+ on the gauge. Normal. I thought the problem was over. Wrong..As soon as I pulled the power back to descend and land the voltage dropped into the 12's.
Has anyone encountered a situation like this. I am thinking my alternator is about ready to fail. Or is the gauge the problem? What should I do to troubleshoot this problem??
I was wondering if the very high OAT was to blame hurting the performance of the alternator. When the weather cooled off back home I took it out for a flight around the pattern. Same indications prior to takeoff and after takeoff. During the 15-20 flight at 75% power I had a steady 14+ on the gauge. Normal. I thought the problem was over. Wrong..As soon as I pulled the power back to descend and land the voltage dropped into the 12's.
Has anyone encountered a situation like this. I am thinking my alternator is about ready to fail. Or is the gauge the problem? What should I do to troubleshoot this problem??