Voltage gauge reading low

[David T]

As long as we are talking about the inertia switch, it is a primary safety item. In addition to shutting off the fuel pump in the event of a major deceleration crash, it also unlocks the doors if your door lock circuit is hooked up and working. Make sure you have complied with SC-06-7/82 dealing with relocating the switch and installing the updated switch with a white splotch of paint. On a lot of Deloreans there were problems with the fuel pump electrical circuit. Some of the most "creative" wiring solutions seem to get employed by PO's to get the fuel pump to run. Clean the mess up and make sure it works by actually testing both the fuel pump circuit AND the door lock circuit. As for the ground, it is one of the many deficiencies in the electrical system, not having a good grounding system and undersizing the wiring. When the fuel pump starts to go bad it overloads the circuit on both sides, the feed AND the ground.

[Ron]

FWIW-
I'm not thinking Michael would be satisfied with his gauge showing 11.5 + 0.3 = 11.8V with the AC on.
Seems using the two dedicated wires mentioned would have the highest reading available using existing switched circuits. Bitsy?

[Bitsyncmaster]

FWIW-
I'm not thinking Michael would be satisfied with his gauge showing 11.5 + 0.3 = 11.8V with the AC on.
Seems using the two dedicated wires mentioned would have the highest reading available using existing switched circuits. Bitsy?

The 12 volt side that feeds the volt gauge comes from fuse #5 so make sure that fuse is clean. It may be some added loads on that circuit also may cause a voltage drop on the plus side. My car the alternator puts out 14.6 volts and the volt gauge shows that same voltage.

[opethmike]

Problem that has annoyed me for a decade. My voltage gauge always reads low. My multimeter shows my battery at 13.4-.6v at idle and around 13.2-3 with AC engaged.

My gauge however will show about 12.7 at idle and about 11.5v with AC on. Even less with lights on etc. It's always been this way but I know my charging system is fine and I know the gauge is known to be quirky. Is there anyway to recalibrate it or even pull the needle and reposition it to a more accurate location? At this point I just may buy a new gauge unit as my temp gauge sometimes will peg and get stuck at 12 o'clock when I turn the ignition off. I know these 2 share a ground. Is it possible a corroded ground could be the culprit?

You can fix this by doing an LS swap.

[Michael]

You can fix this by doing an LS swap.

But I'm not gay

[opethmike]

But I'm not gay

Not yet...

On an unrelated note, does this smell like chloroform to you?

[Michael]

Bi curious is not gay!

[hippieman9]

Problem that has annoyed me for a decade. My voltage gauge always reads low. My multimeter shows my battery at 13.4-.6v at idle and around 13.2-3 with AC engaged.

My gauge however will show about 12.7 at idle and about 11.5v with AC on. Even less with lights on etc. It's always been this way but I know my charging system is fine and I know the gauge is known to be quirky. Is there anyway to recalibrate it or even pull the needle and reposition it to a more accurate location? At this point I just may buy a new gauge unit as my temp gauge sometimes will peg and get stuck at 12 o'clock when I turn the ignition off. I know these 2 share a ground. Is it possible a corroded ground could be the culprit?

I am actually working on the same issue. I will be moving the ground wire from the inertia switch ground to the frame, I also replaced all the stamped "nuts" on the back of the insturment cluster with brass nuts. Seems to help the situation too. 6-32 is the size.

[Michael]

As luck would have it my alternator took a puke last week. Instead of buying another one I took it to a local shop that has been doing nothing but alternators and starters for the last 30 years. For 90 bucks I got it rebuilt and cleaned (and bought a new pigtail)

I have had my car almost 11 years and I have never been satisfied with my volt gauge at idle until today. Over the years I have been through 3 alternators. I got a SpecialT 110 trying to solve it and it's still in my bench now as a emergency spare. The one I had on it (and had rebuilt) was a DMCH unit from about 5 or 6 years ago.

20191221_124404.jpg

[steve]

As luck would have it my alternator took a puke last week. Instead of buying another one I took it to a local shop that has been doing nothing but alternators and starters for the last 30 years. For 90 bucks I got it rebuilt and cleaned (and bought a new pigtail)

I have had my car almost 11 years and I have never been satisfied with my volt gauge at idle until today. Over the years I have been through 3 alternators. I got a SpecialT 110 trying to solve it and it's still in my bench now as a emergency spare. The one I had on it (and had rebuilt) was a DMCH unit from about 5 or 6 years ago.

20191221_124404.jpg

I may take a Pic. and tape it over my gauge. Never had over 13.