Battery Question

[koopa]

I have a 2018 FWD LT 2.0T Equinox, 13,500 miles.

I noticed this morning on a short trip to and from the store that the battery voltage was reading anywhere between 14.2 and 14.7. I had the heater/fan and heated seats on, but that number still seems high to me. The car was sitting for about 3 days before this morning.

I should also point out that a couple weeks ago I had an instance where the car took a few seconds longer than usual to start up (it was a 70-degree day and I had just driven it an hour prior). It hasn't done that again, but I've noticed that the auto stop feature hasn't been working at all for at least the past couple weeks (possibly longer).

Oh, and the battery was just inspected about a month ago when I brought the car in for an oil change. I haven't been getting any warning lights and my monthly "diagnostics report" from Chevy is also reporting no issues. So I'm confused.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[zora]

What exactly does 'the battery inspected ' mean, did they visually look at it or they load tested it?
The car not starting for a few days and then seeing 14+ volts is not unexpected.
A maintenance charge for a battery is about 13+ volts.
Auto stop is dependent on battery charge, if you are driving less that would cause auto stop to not kick in.

 

[koopa]

On the multi-point inspection form they give you when you get an oil change, there are boxes for battery health and battery cables and connections. Both were marked off as "checked and good."

Do you think this could be a case of me just not driving the car enough? I've probably only put 2 or 3k on it since the pandemic started (and mostly short trips). But I never let it sit for more than a few days at a time. And it's parked in a garage away from the elements. I never had issues with the auto stop until very recently (like within the last month).

I'll keep my eye on the voltage (something I never paid attention to before) and see if it drops under 14 when I take longer trips and/or drive it more frequently.

 

[zora]

I'm on a Buick forum also and the Auto start stop issue has become more prevalent this year. Your plan to keep an eye on the voltage is a good idea and another possibility is a battery tender. I have two Deltran units, one for a pair of older cars and the other for a generator and car that is infrequently driven.