onebadazzls1ta

So I just got back from vacation a few days ago and I go to start the car and my batterys dead now I've known since I upgraded all my grounds and power that my aeroforce gauge has been reading 12.5 to like 11.9 volts. So today I get under the car with a car audio buddy of mine and he says everything is fine and tight, Then I get under there and I see that the ground strap for the motor looks like it's been chewed throught a lil bit. I just also recently put another yellow top in like a couple of days ago and I'm still having charging issues I'm sitting at 13.0 to 12.0 with my music cranked I have a 4160 mmats and a 3500x1 mmats and one dread 12 and all 1/0 gauge wiring. Would it matter that the FACTORY groundstrap has a small break in it? Remember the alternator has a new 1/0 gauge ground etc etc.

onebadazzls1ta

Ok my friend just put a volt meter on the battery and it read 13.3 but my aeroforce is reading 12.6 what could be wrong?

dragonrage

I'm inclined to not trust your Aeroforce assuming your friend's voltmeter isn't a piece of crap. I never trust a car gauge over a decent multimeter, no matter how expensive/well regarded the gauge is.

Maybe you've got a loose connection.

onebadazzls1ta

where?

dragonrage

Anywhere...

onebadazzls1ta

I was under there and so was he and everything was tight we even checked the "exciter wire" and that was good too.

onebadazzls1ta

could the voltage regulator be going bad?

pentavolvo

just cause one of ur grounds is tight dont mean its good, is there still paint under it ?

onebadazzls1ta

I dont know he did the big three I should take the ground off by the battery and check where else is there a ground?

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

and fix that "chewed through" ground. i'm know car stereo guru, but as a car tech, if the alternator grounds to the block, if the block's ground is compromised, by default, the alternator's ground is compromised, which means it has to work harder to maintain a certain voltage or current flow. i'd be willing to guess though that the gauge is not wired good or just not that precise. the multimeter would be my authority for accuracy in the situation. but its a mute point if there is a bad ground some where. place one multimeter lead on the negative terminal or post if your battery has top posts too, and work your way away from it torwards the alternator case. with the stereo on, you should not see much voltage anywhere along that circuit. i'm willing to guess you will though just past that bad block ground.