I just ran it for about 5 miles and alt voltage at batt running is still 14.8 volts...
Thats not right, you didn't turn off the engine correct?
Unless battery was drained voltage should have dropped down, even a bit after 10 minutes or so
Yes, new types of batteries may require 14.0-14.4v, but the regular lead acid(cheaper) batteries that most use don't
Ford did use Silver Calcium Batteries in Rangers for awhile, most switched to lead acid when they saw replacement price, lol
It is a better battery but...................money is money when talking about an extra year or two way down the road
At rest battery voltage is after it has been sitting unused for 4+ hours, says that is 12.6volt
When you start the engine that drains the battery, so just after start up you should see 2 volt higher than "at rest voltage", in this case 14.6v
Then after the quick recharge it will drop to 1.1v above "at rest" so 13.7v
If voltage is not dropping at all after say 15min drive, then voltage regulator is stuck
This is not set "numbers" the 2v and 1.1v
Electricity has "electro-motive force", I call it "push back"
After starting the battery has less "push back" to take in electricity from the alternator, as the battery gets recharged "push back" increases
The voltage regulator senses "push back" so reduces the AMPs/Voltage the alternator needs to output
When you turn on Lights and/or heater fan to high, push back drops, so voltage regulator bumps up AMP output but voltage should settle back down to the same as before they were turned on
The voltage regulator controls the voltage that goes to the rotor, the spinning part of the alternator
If voltage regulator gives the rotor 7.5volts then 13.5volts comes out of the alternators B+ terminal
If voltage regulator sends rotor 8.5volts then 14.5volts comes out
The extra voltage comes from the engine power spinning the rotor
Bad circuit in the regulator can make it stick at 8.5volts, so 14.5volts all the time, this will "cook" a 12volt battery
Its "force feeding" voltage into the battery