Dashboard Amp gauge reading high.
In my camper van my amp gauge has started to read higher than normal.Where it used to read at the half way point it is now reading between 1/2 and 3/4. Thinking it was a bad voltage regulator in the ...
Forum Discussion
Diagnostics with automobile dash gauges is like trying to diagnose pneumonia with a six-year old's Play Doctor plastic medic kit. Unreliable and vague would be a compliment.
My Doodge Spiritual's dashboard voltmeter says I have 12.5 volts running down the road and around 8 volts with the air conditioner and lights enabled. Of course the readings are absurdly in error. Perhaps on a par with one of those 8-Ball fortune telling toys.
I will list this for drill.
The work involves tapping into one of the three or four alternator stator to rectifier connections. Solder a stub, a connector, then run a single wire into the cab.
That wire gets connected to a standard Bosch relay. Right to one of the two magnetic coil connections. The other connection goes to chassis negative.
Ignition powered wire to the perpendicular power terminal of the relay
Exiting the CENTER terminal of the relay, another wire runs to the inlet of a warning lamp, an audio piezo alarm or both.
AC voltage from a stator connection to chassis negative is 8-volts. Enough to pull the relay contact points apart. This cuts the alarm circuit.
But if the alternator fails to charge and the ignition key is turned on, current will flow through the relay contacts and to whatever alarms are present. Naturally with the key turned off there is no power to the contacts.
Not only alerts the driver to a failed alternator but also to a thrown drive belt.
I've used this circuit successfully for decades.
My Doodge Spiritual's dashboard voltmeter says I have 12.5 volts running down the road and around 8 volts with the air conditioner and lights enabled. Of course the readings are absurdly in error. Perhaps on a par with one of those 8-Ball fortune telling toys.
I will list this for drill.
The work involves tapping into one of the three or four alternator stator to rectifier connections. Solder a stub, a connector, then run a single wire into the cab.
That wire gets connected to a standard Bosch relay. Right to one of the two magnetic coil connections. The other connection goes to chassis negative.
Ignition powered wire to the perpendicular power terminal of the relay
Exiting the CENTER terminal of the relay, another wire runs to the inlet of a warning lamp, an audio piezo alarm or both.
AC voltage from a stator connection to chassis negative is 8-volts. Enough to pull the relay contact points apart. This cuts the alarm circuit.
But if the alternator fails to charge and the ignition key is turned on, current will flow through the relay contacts and to whatever alarms are present. Naturally with the key turned off there is no power to the contacts.
Not only alerts the driver to a failed alternator but also to a thrown drive belt.
I've used this circuit successfully for decades.
