Franklin2...Help!

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Oct 10, 2004 | 07:25 PM

illuminance72

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Franklin2...Help!

I always read your posts and have they've helped me out of a few jams. Here is my problem of the week: Trying to hook-up a voltmeter gauge (sunpro). Has two leads: + and -. It kept arcing the way I had it, so I tried to do a simple test: The Positive directly to the battery, and the negative directly to the frame. Still Arcs! Wires get hot! I even tried switching the leads, thinking they were reversed, but the same scenario. Any thoughts? The 30 minute job is over 5 hours...and counting! Thanks as always, Ray

Oct 10, 2004 | 08:15 PM

jav409

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You sure it's a Voltmeter? It is acting like a Amp meter, their is a differance,
A volt meter hooks up like you are saying + to Battery and - to neg, A Ampmeter will hook up in Series, ( in line NOT to ground )The + is their as the terminal from the source so the amp meter arm will swing up for highter amps and down for lower amps.

If this is truly a VOLTmeter it is eather shorted internialy or the company may have put the wrong faceplate on the wrong gauge. ( I have seen this befor. )

Oct 10, 2004 | 09:23 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

Yes, does the guage have something like 60-0-60 on the face or does it have 12-13-14-15-16 on the guage face?

Oct 10, 2004 | 09:28 PM

illuminance72

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It is an aftermarket sunpro gauge, and the face reads between 8 and 16 volts. This is going into my 72 Ranchero. I assume its ok to run the lead directly to the batt for testing purposes, right?

Oct 10, 2004 | 09:35 PM

jav409

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A voltmeter is a voltmeter, it should measure voltage right across the battery.

here's somthing to check, On the back of the meter are two post's each one shoud be insulated from the metal of the gauge, somtimes the insulators are not on the gauge but in a little packet that comes with it. If you forot to install the insulators or thay are missing a dead short will occure across the case.

Oct 10, 2004 | 09:41 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

Quote:

The Positive directly to the battery, and the negative directly to the frame.

From your description of the guage face, it is a voltmeter(unless it has the wrong guts like the other poster said). And you hooked it up correctly in the above quote.

The only thing I can think of to check is the wiring connections on the back of the guage. If they have studs sticking out where you hook the wires, make sure the little insulating washers are there and in good shape, and make sure your wiring is not touching the metal of the guage case. If you still can't get it to work, and it's under warrenty, I would take it back. If this is a yard sale find, I would try to take it apart and see if you can find anything wrong inside.