Some of you may have read the Ground Wire issue in the other forum/post, and about the problem I had with the power and the car stalling out and all...

I have just purchased a Volt Meter (Electric Gauge), and Im wondering:
What should my Lancer be at?
(Im a mechanical guy, not an electrical)

If it matters, I have:

-Ground Wire Kit with 4 Grounds (not including the Battery's Main Ground)
-2.5" Full Exhaust w/ only 1 Cat.
-Headers & Downpipe
-CAI
-I dont have a System, just a Head Unit and XM Radio
-CEL Eliminator SOON!
-Optima Battery SOON!

Id really like some help on how this functions and/or how to monitor this properly so I can understand and do-so.

Thanx!

 

12-14 volts is probably the norm.

 

Why do most of the Meters/Gauges I see go up to 18 then?
So under 12 is too low, and ver 14 is too high?
What does it mean if its either of those?

 

Some trucks and vehicles that have alternators the size of watermelons, may produce more voltage than 14 and certainly more current but once the voltage gets around 10 or so while the car is running, that should indicate there is a wiring problem somewhere in the car or the alternator mite be bad. If to far over 14, (which I havent personally witnessed yet) I would assume that electronics may start to go pop!

 

So 14 is optimal Voltage?

Is there a safe bracket, as in:

"It should be somewhere between 12-15" (What exactly is "too far" over 14?)

Or is it a fixed figure, as in:

"Anything below or above 14 means somethings wrong." ?

Will there be a difference or a flux in Voltage when I start the car V.S. when Im driving?
EG: When I start the car or idle, it should be at/around 15, and when Im driving it should be at/around 12" ...?

Sorry for so many questions, but like I said, Im a mechanical guy. I know **** about electrical.

 

When the car is running I get 14-14.5 (roughly) and when the car is not running but the stereo is going I get 12.

 

So I should be at 12 when the cars off but the power is on,
and at 14-14.5 when the cars on...

So how do I know when somethings really wrong?
At 17 **** starts to melt or blow up, and at 10 nothing works right...?
(These are figurative numbers btw... what are the real numbers?)

 

14.7V is what I am getting and I have never had any problems. Keep in mind that the more voltage a circuit has the less current it will draw from the source. If voltage is low then the current draw will be much higher and electronics run much hotter (amp, HU, radar detector, etc..) dont get me wrong though you can put too much voltage to a circuit and have problems although I am sure our electrical systems are designed to operate @ up to 15V with no issues.

 

huh im getting 13.7 on my digital volt meter consistently . . .then again im always running a radar detector. Ill see 13.9 if NOTHING else electrical is on. and ill see 12.5-12.7 if just the power is on but not the engine. I had a meter on my last car and i got some WEIRD spikes just before the alternator quit on me, something abut the volt control inside the alternator. If youre seeing spikes up passed 15-16 it means your regulator is toast and you are about to start burning stuff out. If youre seeing 10-12 under power it means your alternator is dead and get somewhere quick before your battery dies (for me that was a rest stop on the new york thru way before i lost ALL power) Goodluck figuring it all out.

 

Sweet.
Thanx for the thorough (SP?) explanation