Voltmeter is not working (at all - never moves)

[MuddWeiser]

I FIXED MY ALTERNATOR ISSUES --- My passenger side was dead...

Anyway I got everything pretty much tied up on the charging system, both Gen lights now stay off after engine started.

My problem now is that the Voltmeter doesn't register any voltage???

Any ideas where to start?

I have heard that there is a resistor that goes bad on the backs of the meter and there is also some posts of a "relay" that goes bad?


I guess I want to know how I can check if either of these are my problem?

Thank you!

 

[acetomatoco]

Take out the dash and see if it is hooked up. While you are in there, put your volt tester to the wire and ground and see if your gauge is defective. I believe there is a fuse in there for the VM, too. Electrical troubleshooting in TM 9-2320-289-20 and 34 will show you where.

 

[rizzo]

this just happened to me last night. both alternators were rebuilt last summer and the lights are not on.

 

[Jersey4x4]

there is a 30amp relay located behind the STE/ICE plug that controles the gauge. take a metal object wire, long screwdriver, etc and touch one of the rivits next to the gauge to the gear shifter and see if the gauge works then.

 

[CARNAC]

I just replaced mine a few weeks ago. It's almost as easy just to replace it. Took me only a few minutes to do. Keep in mind I went to the school for the mechanically declined so if you know what you're doing, you can probably do it in one minute.

 

[aboonski]

Here is how to fix a broken volt meter in a CUCV

This works! I just bought a spare meter for my M1008A1 from and Ebay seller for $5.00 and spent $0.50 cents on a 300 ohm ceramic resistor at a local electronics store to facilitate repairs. It is very rare to find a voltmeter in a CUCV that is fried - generally just the resistor on the back has an open circuit making the meter non-functional. I used solderless connectors and some slip-on insulative material to do what you see in the photo. The meter works fine now.

 

[kentuckycucv]

I just went to Radio Shack. I showed the guy the picture of ^ that green resistor and they didn't have one that big. They had no 300 Ohm resistors. What they did have was a 5 pack or 150 Ohm 1/2 watt resistors for 99 cents. Well I figured I could waste 99cents on an experiment. I twisted 2, 150ohm resistors in line and hooked them up.... Guess what happened????
It worked! I now have a working volt meter.

 

[swyne]

Sometimes I have to smack the top of the dash. Then she'll register!

 

[Somemedic]

there is a 30amp relay located behind the STE/ICE plug that controles the gauge. take a metal object wire, long screwdriver, etc and touch one of the rivits next to the gauge to the gear shifter and see if the gauge works then.

If the gauge then works, its the relay?

 

[bryab123]

this fixed my problem but is there any specific wattage to use? i used 2 10watt 150ohm resistors they had several different wattages availiable.

 

[corelokt]

Been wondering about something like this also. How to read the voltage of each battery individually, by using two volt gauges.

 

[bht50]

Im with swyne mine dosent work when I first start it but if I tap it a few times on the face of the gauge it works fine.... till I shut the truck off then it falls back to the side of the gauge and needs a tap again to get it working always been like that since I got it.

 

[topgun217]

as i was checking for bad dash bulbs, the grey wire came out or broke off the volt meter. is this going to affect any thing or can i just splice in a new wire and put it back in?

 

[Keith_J]

this fixed my problem but is there any specific wattage to use? i used 2 10watt 150ohm resistors they had several different wattages availiable.

Overkill. This circuit is 24 volt, call it 30 volts at maximum when alternators both malfunction to full rotor current. Voltage equals current multiplied by resistance, or 30 = I x 300, therefore current equals 1/10 ampere. Power is equal to current squared multiplied by resistance, in this case that is 3 watts. Power is also voltage multiplied by current, also 3 watts. This is for the case where the voltmeter shorts out, in reality the resistance of the voltmeter is significant, there is less than one watt of power possible. Because voltmeter windings rarely short out.

 

[Keith_J]

Im with swyne mine dosent work when I first start it but if I tap it a few times on the face of the gauge it works fine.... till I shut the truck off then it falls back to the side of the gauge and needs a tap again to get it working always been like that since I got it.

Seen this issue too, the needle is rubbing on the gauge face, hanging up. I repaired mine but at considerable work to open the gauge, bend the needle, then check calibration and finally, crimp the bezel ring back.

 

[phil2968]

Mine gauge sticks too. I have to tap it to get it up. It only sticks to the extreme left. I'll fix it one day.......

 

[phil2968]

Wow. Keith, did you see how old this thread is?

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Nothing like a zombie thread to lighten up the day!

Methinks Keith was bored and cruising threads!


But since it's been mentioned, for the benefit of the electrically challenged:

Overkill. This circuit is 24 volt, call it 30 volts .....

All true, of course, but not a problem. When it comes to sizing resisters for something like this, overkill won't hurt anything, unless you get something so honkin' big it won't fit back there!

Having too-small resisters WILL cause problems. So, on resisters, when in doubt, go big.

 

[howardc]

Wired two 150 resistors in line, now my voltmeter works for the first time in 3 yrs. On to the next issue...

 

[Tinstar]

Wired two 150 resistors in line, now my voltmeter works for the first time in 3 yrs. On to the next issue...

If you would have installed a 24v gauge, problem gone years ago.

Better late than never.......