PhalC1

After my alternator and battery drain fiasco, I bought a volt gauge. How should I install it? I can tap the light in to a different light to get it to work

As for the voltage reading... Should I wire it directly to the battery? Will it constantly reading the voltage drain my battery at all? Or is there another way

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

I would tap the voltmeter into a spot that does not have power when the car is turned off. You could tap it into the cigarette lighter. That is easy to get to.

I don't follow you on the light part. Is this a gauge illumination thing like a dash light? If it is like a dash light, you could tap into the dash light circuit. But you get a choice if you tap into the dash lights. Some of the dash lights dim, some of them don't.

PhalC1

I tapped in to the light in the ashtray/change holder light. The only time it's on on is when the lights are off and it doesn't dim

I'm in the same area as the cigarette lighter already. Same panel off and everything. How accurate is the reading through there opposed to from the battery

PhalC1

It's reading 14.09 through the cigarette lighter right now, so I assume it's fairly accurate

*edit* reading 14.12 at the battery, so I'll use the lighter

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

The voltage should ideally be the same everywhere in the car, from the battery to the tail lights. Voltage can be a little lower at the end of a long wire if that wire is in reality too small in gauge size (i.e., too thin) or there are connections in the wiring that are a little dirty. And there are lots of connections in the car.

But you want to monitor the general condition of the car's charging/electrical system, so if there is a small difference, it really isn't that critical.

And here's some food for thought: How accurate is that voltmeter that you are installing? Again, a little bit of inaccuracy isn't going to make a difference in a car.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

I think I would have bought a scangauge for this application. PnP with the OBDII port, and you would have had numerous other measurements to display. In fact, it allows 4 at a time. It also reads and clears codes.