Need Help for Installation

[Hot8Evo]

can anyone from san jose area can help me to install my volt and Air/fuel gauge. I can buy the beer or free lunch... Let m know..

[Hot8Evo]

anyone?

[Hot8Evo]

bump

[LEVIII]

try a shop

[Hot8Evo]

try a shop


Nice come back!!!!

[Matz]

try a shop


Nice come back!!!!


Dude, you just got owned by your own line! :lol:

Which one are you installing?

[Hot8Evo]

try a shop


Nice come back!!!!


Volt and Air/fuel only.

Dude, you just got owned by your own line! :lol:

Which one are you installing?

[Matz]

Volt and Air/fuel only.


Your quote is all messed up. :) Sorry, I meant, which brand are you installing? Why are you installing a volt meter? I usually assume that when my car doesn't start that I might have a battery problem.

[1stSAGE]

Volt and Air/fuel only.


Your quote is all messed up. :) Sorry, I meant, which brand are you installing? Why are you installing a volt meter? I usually assume that when my car doesn't start that I might have a battery problem.


This brings up a curious question. My volt meter is reading approximately 14V. At what voltage is not enough to start the car?

[Matz]

Volt and Air/fuel only.


Your quote is all messed up. :) Sorry, I meant, which brand are you installing? Why are you installing a volt meter? I usually assume that when my car doesn't start that I might have a battery problem.


This brings up a curious question. My volt meter is reading approximately 14V. At what voltage is not enough to start the car?


No clue, but I would imagine no less than 12V. The voltage will drop when you crank the starter. You probably read 14V while the car is on, right? At that point, the alternator is charging it.

[vtluu]

Aren't there already warning lights to tell you your alternator isn't working properly? I think one to tell you your battery voltage is low?

(Yes I understand they might not work if you have no electrical power at all.)

I've heard of race cars with no alternator; also some with no battery. (But very few with neither. :lol:) In those cases you'd want to monitor voltage carefully; otherwise I don't really see a voltmeter as being very useful. Keep in mind a battery may still produce plenty of voltage but little current, so voltage alone isn't a good indicator of the battery's health.

[AreSTG]

yeah, it's about the amp's when it comes to starting the car

[1stSAGE]

Ohm's law still hold true in a car battery right? Voltage = Current x Resistance. The acid and plates in the car battery has a pretty constant resistance before you start your car, if voltage dips that means your average and peak current will dip, which means the voltmeter effectively tells you how much juice you have left.

Edited: Not that a voltmeter is that useful by any means in our cars, but it can be an indication of your battery's health.

[warpspeed]

Edited: Not that a voltmeter is that useful by any means in our cars, but it can be an indication of your battery's health.

Actually a voltmeter doesn't tell you how your battery's health is. To clear things up, a voltmeter just tells you that your alternator is working when the engine is running.

[1stSAGE]

I think once you insert the key and turn it a notch to power the car up, before firing on the engine, your in-car voltmeter will read ~12V. This is the open circuit voltage PLUS all the other electrionic devices that is loading the battery.

If anyone is even mildly interested, here is a chart of the battery's state of charge (how much juice left in your battery) vs. open circuit voltage (what you read on the voltmeter before you turn your engine on)

Electrolyte Temp. State of Charge (How much juice is left)
F C 100% 75% 65% 50% 25% 0%
120 48.9 12.793 12.563 12.463 12.313 12.013 11.773
110 43.3 12.791 12.561 12.461 12.311 12.011 11.771
100 37.8 12.788 12.558 12.458 12.308 12.008 11.768
90 32.2 12.785 12.555 12.455 12.305 12.005 11.765
80 26.7 12.780 12.550 12.450 12.300 12.000 11.760
70 21.1 12.773 12.543 12.443 12.293 11.993 11.753
60 15.6 12.764 12.534 12.434 12.284 11.984 11.744
50 10.0 12.752 12.522 12.422 12.272 11.972 11.732
40 4.4 12.736 12.506 12.406 12.256 11.956 11.716
30 -1.1 12.718 12.488 12.388 12.238 11.938 11.698
20 -6.7 12.696 12.466 12.366 12.216 11.916 11.676
10 -12.2 12.672 12.442 12.342 12.192 11.892 11.652
0 -17.8 12.646 12.416 12.316 12.166 11.866 11.626

Got this off the internet for a sealed self maintain battery, I think the OEM one falls into the category. The difference between full charge to half charge is roughly half a volt at room temp. If you have an in-car voltmeter, I'm sure there are a lot of drops from the battery to the meter + all the electronic devices you have loading the battery so this would really apply if you measure the battery at the terminals. Even then, an analog voltmeter is probably not the best tool to figure out the health of your battery. In short, the voltmeter is probably more bling than functional. Which I think most people already know via common sense.