voltmeter gauge
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 941
Likes: 4
Turn the engine off. Turn the key to "run". Turn the turn signal on.
If the voltmeter wiggles with the engine off, it means you have high resistance wiring somewhere. Check the battery cables, chassis grounds, and the instrument panel grounds.
If the first test passes, start the engine. Turn on the blinker. A very slight quiver in the voltmeter needle, with the engine at idle, is acceptable. This is especially true if other electrical loads are also on, like the headlights or heater blower. A motion of more than a needle width is too much, however.
Rev up the engine to 2000 RPM. If the needle motion is still just as bad, you likely have a poor connection from the alternator to the battery, or maybe a voltage regulator problem (the regulator is integral to the battery). If the quivering goes away at 2000 RPM, but is present at lower speeds, then the alternator may have worn slip rings or a bad diode.
See the recent posting about "my alternator almost burned up". There is a Ford TSB relating to high resistance on the alternator connector.
If the voltmeter wiggles with the engine off, it means you have high resistance wiring somewhere. Check the battery cables, chassis grounds, and the instrument panel grounds.
If the first test passes, start the engine. Turn on the blinker. A very slight quiver in the voltmeter needle, with the engine at idle, is acceptable. This is especially true if other electrical loads are also on, like the headlights or heater blower. A motion of more than a needle width is too much, however.
Rev up the engine to 2000 RPM. If the needle motion is still just as bad, you likely have a poor connection from the alternator to the battery, or maybe a voltage regulator problem (the regulator is integral to the battery). If the quivering goes away at 2000 RPM, but is present at lower speeds, then the alternator may have worn slip rings or a bad diode.
See the recent posting about "my alternator almost burned up". There is a Ford TSB relating to high resistance on the alternator connector.
