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How to Connect an Auto Volt Meter

An auto voltmeter is a device that monitors the condition of the alternator and the battery. The voltmeter measures and displays the voltage output of the alternator when the car is running, and the voltage output of the battery when the car is at rest. The cars battery should put out approximately 12 volts. If the voltmeter is showing less than 10 volts, the battery may need to be replaced. If the alternators output exceeds 16 volts, this could indicate a regulator failure, and should be fixed immediately to avoid damage to the electrical system.

Instructions

1

Mount the voltmeter to your cars dashboard. Use the screws and mounting brackets supplied with your voltmeter. The position of the voltmeter is unimportant, as long as you can mount everything securely and have enough wire if you are not mounting it into a space in the dash that has been set aside for a voltmeter.

2

Access the wiring harness underneath the dash. This is a bundle of wires that runs down the steering column and into a rectangular connector.

3

Unplug the wiring harness from the rectangular connector and use a multimeter to find a wire that has power when the key is off, but also does not drop power when the engine starts. To do this, touch the multimeters positive probe to the wire in the harness, and the negative lead to ground, and take note of the voltage measurement. Its best to use the accessory wire or the main power wire. The accessory wire is usually brown and the power wire is usually green or blue, though the colors vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

4

Cut the wire approximately four inches away from the connector, between the steering column and the connector. Use a pair of wire strippers to remove approximately an inch of insulation from both sides of the wire.

5

Attach the voltmeters negative lead to the power wire that is leading toward the steering column and attach the voltmeters positive wire to the power wire leading to the connector. Attach the negative lead of the voltmeter and the power wire to an electrical ground, such as the frame of the vehicle.