Overcharging
I think at the battery I was at 14. someting but, i cant remember. The gauge kept reading overcharge.
If the battery is supplied power at 14 V, and the ammeter is showing heavy charge, then the battery is low.
The best thing to do is put it on a real charger. Especially if its a glass mat, give it a long slow charge.
Explanation, part 1.
When the engine is spinning the alternator fast enough, it produces power at the regulated voltage - that is 14.0 volts plus minus .8 V or so.
Everything connected to the alternator output should be at that voltage.
It's only at lower voltage in locations where current is flowing through resistance.
Explanation, part 2.
Most items, such as lamps, draw more current when power is supplied at higher voltage.
For example you may have noticed the headlights or dome light is brighter when the engine is running than when running on battery.
That's because the alternator supplies power around 14 V and the battery around 12.5 V.
A battery recharging does this too but draws less and less power as it gets close to full charge.
A dead battery connected to a charger or alternator at 14 Volts could draw 50 or 60 amps if the equipment could provide that much.
A fully charged battery connected to a charger or alternator at 14 Volts will draw close to 0 amps.
(The battery will develop a smalll surface charge over 13 Volts, but its real power will be at 12.8 Volts when the charger or alternator is disconnected and something is turned on.)
Photos in this post:
Charging Battery with Alternator - Warning
Providing a battery with power over 15 Volts will cook it (boil off the acid) - that's over charging.
Providing a battery with power under 14 Volts can also cause it to overheat
if its drawing a lot of current.
So if you see the ammeter indicating high current (20+ amps) to the battery for more than a few minutes, that's an indication of a problem.
See photos linked above.
A glass mat (optima) battery does not disapate heat well. They need to be charged at a slow rate or they will be damaged.
