I installed a set of guages under the dash of my GS California and they seem to be working fine with one exception. At idle speed the volts guage reads 12 and jumps up to 14 as soon as I step on the gas. Also, the old Gen idiot light comes on at idle and will go off as soon as I step on the gas. Voltage regulator, alternator, or something else?
You should be showing 14 when it's charging, right? So, at idle, you are having a charging issue as far as the light is concerned (Is it on half bright or full bright? It should matter). At speed, you are charging the battery. At least, that's how I interpret your gauges. Check your alternator and voltage regulator connections I see 14.4 volts (ish) when the car is running at idle, by the way, when using a multimeter. Less than 14 while it's running, and I start getting concerned. Good luck :TU: .
Oh, I should have mentioned, but it was so obvious I overlooked it- The very, very first thing you might try is simply tightening your alternator belt
the charging output of the alternator also depends on the amp production vs the amperage draw by the electrical requirements of the car. my alternator operates similar to ken's but at idle but outputs over 12 volts. a high amp rated alternator (~~95+ amps) will create close to the magic 14+ volts at idle. u guys correct me on this aspect if i am wrong.
Well regardless of draw, if his battery shows 12v at idle, and a new battery shows 12v when not hooked up to the car, that tells me that he's not charging the battery at idle However, he is showing 14v when he steps o the gas. In my expereince, if it's not a loose connection, it's simply that he's not spinning the alternator fast enough at idle, due to a loose belt- I'm betting he removed it during his gauge installation Your alternator puts out over 12v at idle because your charging system is working. If you loosen your belt, I'll bet you that you'll see 12v I beleive I have the 62 amp alternator and I make ~14.4v at idle, always have, since I put the engine in in '91.
