Voltage on POWERCELL Outputs...

We get a lot of questions about how the POWERCELL outputs work on our ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System.  Here are answers to the two most common questions. 

First, a lot of customers ask if we do anything to modify the voltage on the outputs on the POWERCELL when they are on.  The answer is that we do nothing here.  The POWERCELL is going to put out whatever voltage it gets from the battery.  If the battery is low, the POWERCELL is going to output the same low voltage.  If the alternator is charging, the POWERCELL is going to output the same voltage as the battery is seeing. 

The second question that we get from customers is why there is voltage on the POWERCELL output pins when the output is off.  This voltage is part of our diagnostics on the POWERCELL.  When you wire your car with ISIS, we give you powerful diagnostic capabilities that you can't get from a traditional wiring harness.  For our output detection circuit, there is a small amount of current that leaks out of the POWERCELL output.  This is less than 100 micro-amps.  If you have everything connected properly, this leakage current flows through the POWERCELL fuse, through he output connector, through the wire, through the load (light, fan, ECU, etc.) to ground.  If there is a break anywhere in this chain, this leakage current flows back into the LED on the POWERCELL output, causing it to glow dimly.  This is your indicator to check the fuse, look for a break in your harness, check your ground or check for a problem in your load like a burned out light bulb. 

If you were to measure the open circuit voltage on a POWERCELL output with a multimeter, you would measure about 2.8-volts.  This is absolutely normal.  The video below will give you some more details on the diagnostics built into the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System. 


If you have any questions related to wiring your car with ISIS, please email us at sales@isispower.com or call our tech line at (847) 232-1991