alt guage problems
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,386
Likes: 35
From: Austin, TX
I'm not sure why you all say an ammeter is useless? If the meter is working correctly it is very useful showing you whether the electrical system is charging or discharging by measuring the amps going through the wire. Where a volt meter is simply showing you the amount of volts in the system with no way to tell you whether your charging or discharging.
An ammeter is not the proper tool to monitor a charging system. Obviously it's useful to know if a system is charging or discharging, but that is only relative information. Watching an ammeter tell you it's discharging does not tell you how close the battery is to depletion on an absolute scale. This is something only a voltmeter can tell you.
Contrary to your claim, a voltmeter can tell you if the system is charging. If the voltmeter reads below the battery's steady-state voltage of 12 volts, it's discharging. If the voltmeter reads above steady state, it's charging.
Because voltage is what the voltage regulator uses to regulate current into the field terminal and control alternator output; voltage is what you want to be looking at anyway when diagnosing charging system issues.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: North West
What are you twelve?
Certified Thread Hijacker
Joined: Aug 2001
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Josh
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: North West
Dude not looking for some sort of argument just seemed a little childish to me thats it.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 668
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I put a "new" entire dash\instrument cluster out of a late eighties ford van in my truck last month. The ammeter needle moves between midway and 3/4 of the charging side of the guage at night with the lights on while driving, and back to center while idleing. It moves about 1/8" total from center deflection during the day while driving. By that I mean, it goes to the right about 1/8" and back to center while depressing and letting off the gas pedal after start up and before the battery is fully charged.
I love it, just because the needle moves.
I love it, just because the needle moves.
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,386
Likes: 35
From: Austin, TX
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