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I have the full gauge cluster in my 77 and the charge/discharge gauge never seems to move. How can I tell if it is working correctly. all the other gauges work fine. I thought if I put a draw on the battery, such as lights on, without the engine running, the gauge should show a neg charge, but I get nothing. Could it just be the gauge bad, or a wiring problem somewhere? Thanks
Honestly, this behavior is normal. That's how they all work. They're pretty useless. You would exect to see a slight deflection with the engine off and lights on, but as wiring ages and resistances increase slightly, you may not see it.
An aftermarket voltmeter is a much more useful indicator of your charging system's behavior, if you're interested in going that route. An ammeter isn't entirely useful because it only gives relative measurements.