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Voltmeter reading on dash very different than a reading at Battery

banjopete

banjopete

Member
Hi guys,
My 1995 FLHTC, 275,000 km in it....the voltmeter reading on the dash has been getting lower over the last couple of yrs. At 3000 rpm ( cruising speed), it shows about 13.1. But when I check with a proper voltage meter at the battery at the same RPM, it shows about 14.0 v...14.3 v. Is the dash voltmeter just getting too old ?? like me ( 75). Battery is obviously getting a good charge and all lights, flashers, etc work well.

Any thoughts???

Pete
 
I wouldn't trust the dash guage, they have been known to be unreliable. I'd put more trust in your voltmeter.
 
Like Jeff said, the factory gauge on the dash is a random number generator in my opinion. Having said that, there are also some pretty poor voltmeters on the market these days. Like everything else, you get what you pay for......sometimes.
I would take the voltmeter over the gauge though.
 
Poor connections can cause this. Sometimes just un pluging them to check for corrosion than pluging them back togeather if they are clean can allow better contact. But could also be the gauge failing.
 
Thanks for the input...but maybe I should have worded the question differently.
Should the two readings be the same??
ie across the battery terminals is what's getting to the battery @3000 rpm
but voltmeter shows what's in the system after all loads?? also @3000 rpm
 
Yes they should be very close, the numbers you posted between the in dash gauge and the volt meter tells me 1 of them is inaccurate. I'd put my money on the in dash gauge as being the culprit.
 
Unplug the dash voltmeter and measure the voltage there with your DVOM. Compare that reading with what you are seeing at the battery right away. Those should be VERY close. If not, I would suspect the wire harness leading to the gauge. If there are very close, then the gauge is suspect.

Cheers,

TQ
 
Thanks Jeff and TQ.....That's probably the best route ( check reading at dash with dvom)...rainy day job as it takes a bit to get behind the fairing....at least I know the battery and Volt. Reg. appear to be getting and doing what they're suppose to.

Pete
 
"IF" you have some free time to take the dash apart and check the connectors to the volt gauge, apply a couple dabs of dielectric grease to the connection terminals and see if that helps to get a closer reading to what your volt meter reads at the battery. For that matter, while you're back there, might as well do the same for all the other gauges, along with replacing all the backlight bulbs, eh?
 
Good chance to change them to LED at least the 4 small gages,. The colour of your choice , I can change between red and blue .8 leds for $10 get the T10.
F.K.
 
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