Originally Posted By cjskotni
Quote:
The ammeter reads current, not voltage. Voltage can drop even if current stays high


If the VR failed open and the alternator was allowed to overcharge 15+V, that would show up as a constant charge on the ammeter. Obviously if it failed closed and kept the alternator from charging enough (below 12.5V), the ammeter would show a constant discharge most likely.

Yeah voltage can drop and you can have lots of current, in the wrong direction (from the battery). Either way the ammeter tells me this.

BTW I had the cable custom made so it's not spliced together to achieve the 6" extension. The leads are 4/10 ga if I had to guess...whatever the factory used. Cables aren't corroded and grounds are fine. The starter grounds to the block I would assume and I have a 4ga neg cable that goes to one of the A/C compressor brackets on the WP housing. It's aluminum, not painted, and free of corrosion.


Or it could be like mine, show nothing unusual on the ammeter and not fully charge the battery. Also, 4 gauge cables are vastly undersized for power and ground. We have 4 gauge wire here at the shop and the only thing we use it for is wiring in 1500w power inverters.