What does your stock voltage guage read?

[Big Red Suburban]

My stock voltage guage in the dash seems to read low when running. It normally points about 3 minor ticks below the 14 (which would be around 12.1V) with the highest reading at one minor tick below 14 V (which would be around 13.4V). Does yours read the same?

I've measured voltage at the battery's and at the alternator output when running and it reads just above 14V. Why the difference between here and the guage?

Is there a ground connection the dash gauges use that I could ensure was clean? Where can I find this at?

Thanks...

[Uncle Wally]

My 94 Crew Cab does the same thing.

Waldo

[cruzer]

GM gauges are less than accurate. You'd be suprised what you'd see w/good quailty aftermarket
gauges. Maybe grounds but I doubt it.

[tanker]

My gauges are off as well, my volt meter shows about 12-V or less. I have a plug in volt meter that goes into the lighter socket, it reads 13.8 to 14.0 volts so I'm off almost 2 volts. I guess the person that set the needle on the gauges wasn't to good at it. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Dimsdale]

My volt meter reads high, the fuel guage reads about 5 gallons high, the oil pressure seems to be about right, and the engine temp is fairly correct.

Guages (on GMs anyway) are relative devices: you can only tell when your vehicle is not performing typically, but for an accurate reading, you have to go to real guages, multimeters etc.

[JCM5]

Big red suburban,

Dont worry to much about accuracy of the gauge, use them for refernce from one day to the next.

Ads far as ground, there are several wires from chassis to body to IP.

two things you can do.
1. with a volt meter and truck running, everything on, Check from battry ground to cross beam on dash. You should see no more then 1 to.5 volts If you see more then 1 volt then you have a ground issue.

2. No voltmeter? simply take a ~ 12 gauge wire from negative of batt terminal and touch the other end to the Instrument panel cross beam with tha truck running. Watch the gauges.. did they move... try another location on beam.. if gauge moved then install wire. You have a weak ground.

hope this helped.... remember these gauges are not for accuracy but reference only. I dont care if the gauge reads 14 volts or 13 volts, just as long as it reads the same day end and day out.