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03-29-2023, 07:01 PM
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#1
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Veteran Member
City: Mexico Beach
Vessel Model: 1978 Prairie 29ft.
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 81
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Volt meter
What makes a volt meter peg out when you turn me on and then go back to middle when you turn key off.
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03-29-2023, 07:04 PM
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#2
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Veteran Member
City: Mexico Beach
Vessel Model: 1978 Prairie 29ft.
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 81
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Forgot to send the other photo
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03-29-2023, 07:29 PM
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#3
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Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 967
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Take a handheld voltmeter and measure between + and ground with the key off. It should read 0. With the key on it should read the standing voltage of the start battery, 12-13 volts. If that is the case then the meter is bad. If it reads any differently, don’t do anything until you find out why?
Tom
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03-29-2023, 07:36 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Puget Sound
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 602
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First thought is a bad meter, this can be easily verified with an external voltmeter, measuring between the + and - on the back of the meter. If that measurement is the same as the boat's meter start checking ground integrity.
__________________
When crap happens, turn it into fertilizer for your tree of knowledge..... Scott Brodie
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03-29-2023, 07:44 PM
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#5
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Guru
City: Long island
Vessel Model: Eastern
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 612
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Either static electricity or magnetic field caused . It’s probably not your actual voltage going up
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03-29-2023, 10:07 PM
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#6
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Veteran Member
City: Mexico Beach
Vessel Model: 1978 Prairie 29ft.
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 81
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Thanks guys. Will let you know what I find.
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03-30-2023, 04:34 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: Vermont
Vessel Name: Luna C.
Vessel Model: 1977 Marine Trader 34DC
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 1,164
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Let's you know it's working. Turn on the power and the needle does a full sweep.
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03-30-2023, 06:17 AM
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#8
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Guru
City: Winthrop
Vessel Model: Pacific Trawler 40
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 722
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I have seen that before. I believe that is normal due to how the voltmeter is built.
Keep in mind, that type of meter uses a coil and magnet. Its mechanical. Its not only seeing volts but amps and along with its internal resistance. I think Arc hit it right. A magmatic field develops from the voltage drop going down and back up again for that spilt second.
__________________
Iggy
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03-30-2023, 08:58 AM
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#9
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Guru
City: Cape May, NJ
Vessel Name: Irish Lady
Vessel Model: Monk 36
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,700
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Hook a simple 12 v test light between the meter terminals. If you get a bright flash when the meter pegs, it's real. A digital meter might not scale fast enough to read the spike before its gone.
__________________
Archie
Irish Lady
1984 Monk 36 Hull #46
Currently in Cape May, NJ
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03-30-2023, 07:17 PM
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#10
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Veteran Member
City: Mexico Beach
Vessel Model: 1978 Prairie 29ft.
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 81
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It doesn’t make a sweep. It just stays there pegged when you turn key on. Will check with meter. Thanks
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03-30-2023, 07:31 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Aventura FL
Vessel Name: Kinja
Vessel Model: American Tug 34 #116 2008
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 10,276
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Quote:
Originally Posted by captbuddy
It doesn’t make a sweep. It just stays there pegged when you turn key on. Will check with meter. Thanks
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And when the engine starts, does the meter return to the proper reading?
If so, dont worry about it. Normal.
__________________
The meek will inherit the earth but, the brave will inherit the seas.
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03-31-2023, 05:37 AM
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#12
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Guru
City: Winthrop
Vessel Model: Pacific Trawler 40
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by captbuddy
It doesn’t make a sweep. It just stays there pegged when you turn key on. Will check with meter. Thanks
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Your pic shows the meter at just over 13 volts. Thats normal of course. Are you saying you turn the key to on and the meter stays pegged? Or it is just pegged for a second? In ether case, after starting the meter goes to 13v as shown.
__________________
Iggy
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04-02-2023, 08:22 PM
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#13
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Veteran Member
City: Mexico Beach
Vessel Model: 1978 Prairie 29ft.
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 81
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The meter is at 13 when key is off. As soon as you turn key on the meter is pegged and when you crank the engine it stays pegged. I thought maybe it was because I had inverter charger on when I cranked it. But it did the same when I shut inverter and charger off. Haven’t had time to put volt meter on it.
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04-03-2023, 03:08 AM
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#14
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Guru
City: Clearwater
Vessel Name: Seas the Bay
Vessel Model: 1981 Hardin 42 Europa/Sedan
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,869
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Is this a new boat? Has it recently had work involving electrical?
Occum's Razor says it is a bad meter. Thats my bet. I put overwhelmingly odds there. Depending upon how the meter works the deflection is overcoming some other force to move (fixed magnet, spring, dynamo, etc, etc, etc). If anything goes wrong with this opposing force, the meter pegs.
Of course if two 12v batteries got wired in series instead of in parallel and you've got 24v on your 12v system, the meter is properly pegged -- and the electrical system is dangerous.
As suggested by others.....check with another meter ....before...playing with sparky.
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04-03-2023, 08:27 AM
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#15
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Guru
City: Walkabout Creek
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 9,069
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Once you start the engine, does it read normally, or does it remain pegged the whole time the key is on? Gas or Diesel engine? Any 24V parts to the system?
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
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04-03-2023, 09:13 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
City: San Diego
Vessel Name: North Star
Vessel Model: Lindell 36
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 426
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My guess is the needle has slipped on the shaft. But this is easy to sort out with a DVM as suggested.
__________________
North Star
Lindell 36, Twin 370hp Cummins
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04-03-2023, 09:54 AM
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#17
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Guru
City: Walkabout Creek
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 9,069
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lwarden
My guess is the needle has slipped on the shaft. But this is easy to sort out with a DVM as suggested.
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Interesting theory. So with the ignition off, the meter should be reading zero, but because the needle has slipped it just happens to be on 13V and appears to be a sane reading. As you say, a DVM would tell you right away.
__________________
MVTanglewood.com
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04-03-2023, 10:22 AM
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#18
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Guru
City: Gulf Islands, BC Canada
Vessel Name: Sea Sanctuary
Vessel Model: Bayliner 4588
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 3,925
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Has a multimeter been used to see what the input + wire is bringing to the meter grounded in different locations? How about polarity?
__________________
SteveK
You only need one working engine. That is why I have two.
Sea Sanctuary-new to me 1992 Bayliner 4588
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04-03-2023, 10:34 AM
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#19
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Veteran Member
City: Mexico Beach
Vessel Model: 1978 Prairie 29ft.
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 81
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Not yet.
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04-03-2023, 11:41 AM
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#20
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Guru
City: Cape May, NJ
Vessel Name: Irish Lady
Vessel Model: Monk 36
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,700
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Quote:
Originally Posted by captbuddy
The meter is at 13 when key is off. As soon as you turn key on the meter is pegged and when you crank the engine it stays pegged. I thought maybe it was because I had inverter charger on when I cranked it. But it did the same when I shut inverter and charger off. Haven’t had time to put volt meter on it.
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Sounds like broken gauge mechanical bits. Confirm with a DVM.
__________________
Archie
Irish Lady
1984 Monk 36 Hull #46
Currently in Cape May, NJ
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