Battery Guage
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
Gauge Check
The batt gauge is actaull a check of your charging system. this meas that you will have to connect the guage to a point in the wiring that runs directly to the circuit leadign to the battery. I gues you know that this means the car must be running to check. in older cars this runs to the voltage regulater (external) on a newer car just take a look at the wiring diagram to see where the guage lead terminates, probably at the batt terminal on the alternator but i could be wrong
This can easily be check with a volt meter at the battery. if you verify that the carging system is working ( 14.4 volts or so) then you may have a bad gauge, or a fault in the wiring harness
This can easily be check with a volt meter at the battery. if you verify that the carging system is working ( 14.4 volts or so) then you may have a bad gauge, or a fault in the wiring harness
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Hamilton Ontario
It's an amp guage.
Amp guages do not move that much when things are fine with the battery and charging system.
When you crank the engine you drain the battery a bit.
Once the engine is running you should see the needle move a bit to the right of the centre zero line, (showing you that the alternator is charging the battery), then move back closer to the zero line as the alternator charges the battery back up.
All this assumes that we are talking about the original equipment, an amp guage not a bubba volt guage or something.
You got me wondering if I spelled it right now.
When you crank the engine you drain the battery a bit.
Once the engine is running you should see the needle move a bit to the right of the centre zero line, (showing you that the alternator is charging the battery), then move back closer to the zero line as the alternator charges the battery back up.
All this assumes that we are talking about the original equipment, an amp guage not a bubba volt guage or something.
You got me wondering if I spelled it right now.
Last edited by ClockworkOrange; Jan 19, 2006 at 09:57 PM. Reason: wrong spelling
is that smell !
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: Dacula GA
I have a fear of an electrical fire. It is not my area of expertise. The gauge does not move in the least. Probably the safest thing for me to do is replace it. That should be harmless.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: BAKERSFIELD CA
gm used shunt type amp meters in the older cars,they were not the best.they were more of a bad design than anything.personaly i prefer a voltmeter.but that said,make sure you have voltage on both sides of the meter.they were a loop type meter,meaning they used more of a voltage drop measuring one side of the voltage supply system against the drain side of the voltage system.long story short with the guage out of the circuit voltage must be on both connectors of the guage.if not gm used inline fuses the guage.
