Much as I hate to disagree, the surface charge has nothing to do with it.. it is simply the reflection of the instantaneous charge voltage.
CORRECTING MY OWN SELF...Actually that's {in italics} wrong, too.
-see below- And it DOES have something to do with it. Apparently..
The surface charge is the reflection of the maintenance voltage for the current level of charge. *

The battery becomes fully charged under lower current conditions over time. The surface charge does not inhibit that and the alternator will supply it. Whatever the charging method there will be a surface charge.
I should have posted this wiki link instead of the other one.. much better for our purposes.
Automotive battery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So 13.2V is the Surface Charge for a battery charged to 100%.
Summary: A battery charger is a battery charger. Suppose you leave your lights on and need a jump one morning, then you drive the truck around all day.
By the next morning, the surface charge will have dissipated and if you measure your battery voltage under no load and it is 12.6 v {nominal}, then it is fully charged.

 

I couldn't see who makes them. All it said was Diamond Batteries from Durand, Michigan.

 

Something that needs to be kept in mind is the example given is a basic 'textbook' scenario. The 11.8v 'fully discharged' figure they refer to would be common to see if you activated the starter motor then shut the engine off before the alternator had a chance to top off the battery. In real world scenarios a dead battery is often far below that 11.8v reading. If you have ever performed charging system diagnosis the first thing mentioned is to insure the battery is fully charged. If it isn't, you are instructed to charge it with a battery charger - not the alternator. Why? Because the alternator can not restore the battery to full capacity. This in turn will skew your findings during diagnosis. As I previously stated, an alternator will top off a battery, but it will not completely charge a battery to full capacity. Even then, it will only supply voltage to the battery after the demand of the electronics in the vehicle is met. It will be in charge mode constantly trying to keep up with demand. In a situation like that charging system damage and/or failure is inevitable - especially on newer vehicles where the ecm controls voltage regulation for the alternator. I'm not trying to come off as a 'know it all' but if you disagree with what I stated inquire with a reputable, experienced automotive electronics specialist. Check out the study guides for ASE certification. If you are enrolled at a technical facilty inquire with your instructors. Don't take my word for it, and definitely don't take the word of some back-yard mechanic with no formal training that posted on Wiki. One of the guys on Wiki claiming you can charge your battery with an alternator also said to remove a battery cable while the engine is running to check the output of your alternator.

 

Why would ANY automotive manufacturer design and build a vehicle that could not fully charge the battery as effectively as a $50 battery charger? Answer: they don't.

How many people send their battery off to the mechanic for charging after leaving the lights on all day? Most just get a jump and drive to charge it and don't have a problem for years.

I think you are stuck on this Surface Charge concept and apply it where it doesn't matter.

And "Topping Off" a battery is the same as "Fully Charging" it.

 

I agree witht hat on the ground that every gm vehicle i have ever put a aftermarket radio in (quite a few) the antenna would NOT fit prioperly at all. The adapter was always needed. Even on mine currently, it didn't seat fully. Was all jiggly and loose and fell out numerous times before i broke down and taped it there with electrical tape until i felt the urge to pull it back out to put the adapter on.

 

So I'm pretty sure it's my alternator causing it to die out my battery, or so I'm assuming from what everyone has told me. So my question now is, how can I test it? I was told I could start the car, and while it is running disconnect my positive battery cable and if the car shuts off then it's my alternator, but before I go and test that theory, I want to ask if that is correct because I was also told the negative cable and the power cable going to the alternator works too.

 

you can take the alternator to autozone or advance they will test it for free.

 

They can do it on or off the car. If you can drive it there, they can test the entire starting/charging system (starter/alternator/battery) and tell you which one (or two) are bad.

Wow I didn't think a dead battery scenario (which in itself could have any type of explanation simple to complex) could turn into such controversy about how batteries and alternators work.

But seriously, get those items checked first because if you have no lights on or other electronics running after the engine is off, then most likely it is the alternator or battery. If they find a problem or tell you that both the alternator and battery are junk (even with a new battery), then it is likely the alternator failed and caused the damage to the battery. Bad or corroded connections don't help anything either. If your battery connections are corroded, they have battery brushes that can help. If they are too rusted, REPLACE THEM and not with one of those easy crimp or bolt on terminals that attach to the cable. Do it properly. Electrical systems are nothing to mess around with.

 

Headlights and guage lights still work, I took the light bulb out of the over head dome light since it would not turn off. But it all still works, I tried to turn it over again today and all it did was make my guage lights and headlights go dim. And I was watching the voltage guage and it wouldn't barley move up at all...

 

The only thing I am 'stuck on' is providing factual information so that those wanted to learn may do so. I disagree with your interchange of terminology. 'Topping off' would be to replenish the amount of energy used from a fully charged battery when starting a vehicle. This task is performed by the alternator. 'Fully charging' a battery would require a battery charger. If you had read the very link you posted you would have realized that what I stated was true:

'If a battery has been completely discharged (e.g. the car lights were left on overnight) and next is given a fast charge for only a few minutes, then during the short charging time it develops only a charge near the interface. The battery voltage may rise to be close to the charger voltage so that the charging current decreases significantly. After a few hours this interface charge will spread to the volume of the electrode and electrolyte, leading to an interface charge so low that it may be insufficient to start the car.'

Charging the battery with the alternator would be considered a 'short charge'. The 'interface charge' is another term for 'surface charge'.


'On the other hand, if the battery is given a slow charge, which takes longer, then the battery will become more fully charged. During a slow charge the interface charge has time to redistribute to the volume of the electrodes and electrolyte, while being replenished by the charger. The battery voltage remains below the charger voltage throughout this process allowing charge to flow into the battery.'

A slow charge can only be applied with a battery charger. An alternator does not have this capability. In addition, since the alternator rapidly charges the battery the voltage rises quickly, so the battery will not allow the charge to flow into it once it reaches a certain level.

At this point it appears that your attitude is more of a contentious nature rather than that of one wanting to understand the basic principals of automotive electronics. With that said, this will be my final post in this thread.

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Jay - Go have your alternator tested as was suggested. At the same time, take your battery and have it charged. If you do have a parasitic drain in your electrical system you will need a fully charged battery in order to properly perform any diagnostics. Good luck, I hope you are able to pinpoint your problem and can resolve it.