Charging voltage too high.

Is a switch required to open the ground for the relay I installed?
Shouldn't be. The only time I recall seeing coil- to gnd switched (in our cars) is for safety things like the NSS in the starter circuit.

Relays in cars since ~1990 are wired different. One side of the coil is usually hot (12 V, always or from IGN) and the coil low-side is switched to gnd by a transistor to turn on the relay. That is because it is/was easier for a transistor to conduct to ground. Similarly, the 1970+ alternators in A's use low-side switching (actually proportional rather than on-off)? since a transistorized Vreg. Ignition coils have always used low-side switching. Some manufacturers today use high-side switching of a relay coil since as easy to make a transistor for that today, though Mopar stuck with low-side switching.