Problem with voltage gauge

[cobra2798]

Yesterday I installed some new autometer gauges and one of them is a voltage gauge. I think I may have it hooked up wrong because when I start the car the needle goes all the past 18 and stays there. Does anyone know what the problem could be. I think I may have it on the wrong fuse as I just looked in the owners manual and i see the fuse for the ignition switch is under the hood and not under the dash. Little help please.

 

[sgarlic]

Sounds like a textbook case of a bad ground.

First, recheck your wiring. Any 12V source will work to power the gauge, so any fuse that powers something under the dash is fine. If you had to a source that wasn't supplying power, the gauge wouldn't move at all when you turn the key on.. so it's getting power.

 

[cobra2798]

Sounds like a textbook case of a bad ground.

First, recheck your wiring. Any 12V source will work to power the gauge, so any fuse that powers something under the dash is fine. If you had to a source that wasn't supplying power, the gauge wouldn't move at all when you turn the key on.. so it's getting power.

Ok ill check that because I just ran it to the ignition fuse under the hood and it does the same thing.

 

[cobra2798]

Ok so I ran it back under the dash and now there is no power to it. So I put it back under the hood, I have power but the needle is still past 18 and the guage lights wont shut off, hope that little light dont kill my battery

 

[sgarlic]

Use a fuse that has power only when the ignition is on, like the radio fuse.. that way the gauge lights and gauge will shut off when the car shuts off. When they say "Ignition sourced 12v" they don't mean the actual ignition fuse, they mean one that switches on and off when the ignition switches on or off.

Second, if the needle still pegs when you turn the car on, I'm 99% sure you have a bad ground. This is years of experience troubleshooting talking, and pegged gauges almost always are bad grounds. Think about it. If it were the power wire, would the needle move at ALL?

Where are you using for a ground? What type of connector? Did you recheck the ground yet?