The adaptive charging is probably to increase fuel efficiency when not needed. I see you are doing a stereo it might turn the alt on when it sees a greater call for demand. There are different levels of Bose speakers before others get excited. I always heard the saying no highs, no lows must be Bose. I had Bose in my 03 Tahoe took that out for component speakers and amps.

 

You have to remember it is the government regulators that are changing the corporate average fuel economy they need to achieve. When the alternator is not charging it frees up .0000001 horsepower giving you .000001 more miles per gallon.

All of the little crap must add up. I hate it all too as it is going to break and I will need to fix it.

 

A while back, I was looking at brand new ( or lightly used) trucks, and I had similar complaints. I ended up keeping my '03 1500 LS, spent a couple grand fixing her up completely, and I'm happier driving my old truck than I would be with new, LOL.

 

Imagine how the guys with electronically-controlled carburetors felt in the late 70’s. You got it made, buddy 🤣🤣🤣

 

Greetings fellow enthusiasts...I just don't get why GM decided to put in "smart" charging in a brand new truck. Back story, I just purchased a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4. Not even a thousand miles on it yet, and I'm getting slightly irked by some of the "nannies" on it. One of the MOST irritating (after DFM), is the adaptive charging feature where it only lets the alternator provide full power at certain times. Of all the stupid, no-good, irritating features...WHY GM, WHY!?!?! Does anyone know how to bypass that BS without putting in an aftermarket alternator? Hell, I spent extra $$ on the 170A upgrade, and I don't even get to use it.

RANT ON: So while I enjoy my truck, I don't yet love it. Here's why:
1) Dynamic fuel management. (STUPID)
2) Adaptive Charging (RIDICULOUS)
3) The Rancho shocks (Marshmallows)
4) Bose (Pure garbage)
RANT OFF.

Thanks for any feedback.

Did you just find these things out on the vehicle you own? I am assuming if you bought a new vehicle you knew this stuff going in. If you didn't buy a new vehicle then welcome to the forum and try to come up with a better topic.

 

GM has been using Battery Load Management system in trucks since 2005 with few, if any, complications. Charge output is controlled by the BCM no matter what alternator you have. Did you test drive it before buying the truck?

 

Tell us how you really feel! There’s others to choose from and the rants will still be there.


2013 Sierra SLE 2500HD CC 4wd Z71 6.6 Duramax

 

You can certainly use all the amps you purchased, but you have to need them before you can use them. If you had 170 amps going into your battery all the time it would just boil the battery dry. It was the same with internal and external regulators, they just turned down the field when not in demand.

 

To those asking...no, I ordered it new. We had this "feature" back on an old 09 Tahoe we had...and I hated it equally then, and I thought after the years of terrible feedback, GM would've smartened up. Thankfully, I think the simple fix is to unplug the factory connection on the negative battery terminal. Apparently, that bypasses it. I'll drive around tomorrow and see if it works. Now, if they only had a plug that you could undo for the DFM. Not super eager to buy a Pulstar just yet.

@CKNSLS When I ordered it, I made sure to get rid of as many of the annoying thigs right from the start. No auto-stop-start for instance. But there are certain "standard features" you cant turn off, regardless of package choices. And for that reason, God Bless the aftermarket and their ability to create products that eliminate GMs stupidity. And BTW, calling someone out for needing a "better" topic when they've had a vehicle for less than a month is really classy. Makes new members feel real welcome.

 

Is there a specific reason that you need to disable the adaptive charging system?

It will charge as needed based on battery state of charge and demanded load. So say your running a winch, plow, or other high load device, it'll output power to meet the demand.

I have never seen any issues out of this system for the VAST majority of people. You'll get longer battery life in theory and longer alternator life.

If your running a decent size audio system, then you'll likely be going with a larger alternator than the little 170 amp anyway, and multiple batteries and/or capacitors to help keep up with the demand and draw.

Also, putting the truck in tow/haul mode will bump up the charging as well. It's listed in the manual.

Of all the systems GM (and others) have put on these trucks, the adaptive charging is the least issue prone. This is honestly the first time I have ever been so dead set on hating it lol.

Now the auto stop and AFM/DFM, that's an absolute train wreck and I wouldn't even buy a truck anymore that has it. Not worth it to have the trash pile lifters in there just waiting to shit the bed, when you can (for now) get a much more reliable motor, in a much more capable truck in the 2500/3500 series.

 

GM ultimately had to put a maintenance charger in my truck as we dont drive a lot (40,000km in 5+yrs) and the computer being on constantly drains the battery and it is not fully charged on short trips.

 

i don’t really see why the charging deal would bother you unless it breaks. there are plenty of obscenely complicated features on new vehicles, this is just another one.

if ya really want simple, get an old stovebolt c10 with 3 on the tree!

 

I hate it because I want my alternator to be charging the battery at full boogie all the time. It's like why put in a 35 gallon gas tank and only put 25 gallons in it? It makes no sense. Especially since these cars are SOOOO finicky with electronics. If anything goes bad with the electronics, chances are it's battery related. No doubt because of this charging system design. 170A alternators pump out a decent amount of amps, but you're right...eventually I'll upgrade it. I have a 290A in my ZO6, and I completely bypassed the factory charging system and made my own. So far it has been a much more enjoyable car to drive. I will eventually get there with the, but as mentioned earlier, I've only had it for 3 weeks.

 

call me crazy, but if my truck starts and my lights work, i don’t worry about my alternator!

that said i would prefer not to have the feature, given the choice.

 

If I start my truck and the voltage is anything less than 14V when it's running, I think my stuff isn't working right. Just hard wired that way. Plus, I'm adding amps and subs...can't fart around with delicate, limp-wristed, varying charging BS when you you need 100% max power all the time.

 

On my 2016, all that is needed to get the 14 volts indicated when running is to turn on the headlights.

 

from gm’s perspective, 99% of buyers will never notice and 90% of those that do notice won’t care ... the system would presumably increase alternator output when you turned up your stereo anyway. i understand not wanting unnecessary complications, but i would not let it bother me and i would see how the factory system handles your mods before making any changes.

i like working on my old junk, but i tread very carefully dorking around on my daily driver.

 

You're really gonna be pissed when you find out the BCM is also capable of turning off 'loads' as necessary.....

There are multiple pages in the upfitter documents to explain how 'load management' and alternator output command level' work together.

 

Can you still bypass the adaptive charging by putting it into Tow/Haul mode like the older vehicles?

 

Greetings fellow enthusiasts...I just don't get why GM decided to put in "smart" charging in a brand new truck. Back story, I just purchased a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4. Not even a thousand miles on it yet, and I'm getting slightly irked by some of the "nannies" on it. One of the MOST irritating (after DFM), is the adaptive charging feature where it only lets the alternator provide full power at certain times. Of all the stupid, no-good, irritating features...WHY GM, WHY!?!?! Does anyone know how to bypass that BS without putting in an aftermarket alternator? Hell, I spent extra $$ on the 170A upgrade, and I don't even get to use it.

RANT ON: So while I enjoy my truck, I don't yet love it. Here's why:
1) Dynamic fuel management. (STUPID)
2) Adaptive Charging (RIDICULOUS)
3) The Rancho shocks (Marshmallows)
4) Bose (Pure garbage)
RANT OFF.

Thanks for any feedback.

Bose has to be the most pathetically overrated "premium" sound system in trucks/cars.

 

Well you guys wait til your Tranny goes out. 70,000 miles on my 1/2 ton chevy and BOOM. $6000 later I'm back on the road.

 

Uhh, okay. Are you thinking if your alternator was putting out full amps your transmission would have lasted longer?

 

I imagine GM was thinking there would be a very minor percentage of people whining about smart charging while the majority would have no issues with it because it seems to work just fine.
If I spent a lot of money on something like a new truck and then the first thread I made about it was complaining then I would instead be asking myself "What was I thinking?"

 

This is why you dont buy the "loaded" models with all the bs features that really just end up costing you money for no reason.
Custom Trail Boss was a great and affordable base that I can build off of and make my own.

 

That Custom Trail Boss has all the base BS features that all trucks come with. Only things he has that you don't is the Bose.

 

I dont have DFM, bose, or a laundry list of other BS higher trims have.
Maybe you are confusing a higher spec'd custom than what I have.

 

Greetings fellow enthusiasts...I just don't get why GM decided to put in "smart" charging in a brand new truck. Back story, I just purchased a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4. Not even a thousand miles on it yet, and I'm getting slightly irked by some of the "nannies" on it. One of the MOST irritating (after DFM), is the adaptive charging feature where it only lets the alternator provide full power at certain times. Of all the stupid, no-good, irritating features...WHY GM, WHY!?!?! Does anyone know how to bypass that BS without putting in an aftermarket alternator? Hell, I spent extra $$ on the 170A upgrade, and I don't even get to use it.

RANT ON: So while I enjoy my truck, I don't yet love it. Here's why:
1) Dynamic fuel management. (STUPID)
2) Adaptive Charging (RIDICULOUS)
3) The Rancho shocks (Marshmallows)
4) Bose (Pure garbage)
RANT OFF.

Thanks for any feedback.

You are your own worst enemy, most of us are. I too disliked RVC until I actually read up on it and EPM and then understood why they are used and how they benefit me. The big benefit to the consumer is longer battery and alternator life. When a man is equipped with the dealer level scan tools, he can tell the health of the battery and judge when its time for replacement so it doesn't fail while his wife is using it.

 

I think I'm a little older than most of you guys. The posted "problem" here reminds me of my old days working at a Chevy Dealership back in the '60s. Chevys around mid 1950 (1955), were still using generators and the dash had "red" lights to show the condition of the charging system, it would flicker red at stop lights, and go right out as soon as you gave it a little gas. Not sure, but I think the other dash red light was for oil pressure. You normally would never see it on unless the oil pressure was down to hardly any.

Fast forward a year or so later, and the (red lights) were gone and replaced with gauges to relate the charging system and oil pressure. Complaints started to come in from customers that did not like at all that their oil pressure only showed around 30 psi and they thought it ought to be much closer to 40 psi.
The Zone Office Tech Rep let our mechanics know that Chevy engineers at that time felt that 7 psi was 'adequate" for normal driving and 9 psi would handle racing. (Personally, I find that hard to accept, but that is what he said). Meantime, he also said that there was a resistor or some other electrical "thingie" that they could put into the wire leading to the oil pressure gauge which would make the dash gauge read "higher' and thus stop the complaints.

I'm thinking a similar "fix" to the voltage gauge here would be an answer to solve the whole (not really a ) problem

 

I think I'm a little older than most of you guys.

You are not kidding there! You were probably working on Tin Lizzie’s during your apprenticeship. I remember my grandfather telling me about always wearing a leather belt so you had leather to fix cam bearings. He also had motorcycles with total loss oiling systems.

Everytime something changes there will be people who are unable or unwilling to adapt. From my experience the system seems to work well. The only thing GM should have done was made the gauge to appear to read a little higher.

 

I think Walkers is getting you confused with roorancher who indeed was around for the Model Ts