E-Glide Voltmeter reading wayyyy high

[berserker]

I carry a map all the time, and GPS alot. GPS is a great tool. Map tells you where things are with relation to other things on the map. The GPS tells you where you are on the map.


MY point about the compass is, you said having a temp gauge didn't make you and hotter or cooler. My point is, it is just information.

[Countryal]

Originally Posted by NC_John

So, is the electra-glide factory dash voltmeter as useless as the air temp gauge? Mine is usually reading around 16 volts, which is obviously too high. I checked the bike with a fluke voltmeter to make sure I'm not cooking the battery and the true voltage is like 13-14 volts at low RPM (It always reads around 16 volts on the gauge regardless of RPM). The service manager at my dealer checked with a few of the guys in the back and they said its not really accurate (well, duh), its just more of an approx reading. Judging by how well the air temp gauge works I kind of tend to believe this, but how are y'alls reading? High as well? For $20K+, how bout some gauges that are worth a sh*t?

John

NC John, I agree. I have a 09 Ultra/CSC Trike and mine reads 16v also. I asked the dealer about it and of course they said it was normal. Looks like for what they cost they could put some decent gauges in them.

[gb1500]

my classic... volts and oil gages are a shot in the dark....but i can tell when the stator/rectifier is too far off the mark or the oil pressure is wacked out...but also the vts cant spike way above 14 when you goose it...then the rectifier is gone...you gotta let all warm up too including gauges, wire...to get a true base line...on older machines...that is.

[shovelmike]

The voltmeter on my '02 Ultra reads a bit high. The accuracy of the guage is questionable, basically you get accustomed to where the needle usually sits, and any variation from that tells you that something isn't right. My guage pegged out one day after being washed by my dealer after a service, and the radio ceased to function (evidently has over voltage protection), the next morning the reading on the guage was running quite low as I was running errands, the battery went dead and it was found that the stator had burned out. I believe water got into a connector or two, now I tell the dealer not to bother with the wash.

[RogerDodger]

[quote=NC_John;471256]

Originally Posted by JOS

NC John - When you checked your bike with a meter, did you check charging volts at like 2000+ RPM also? It didn't increase to something like 16 VDC did it? Hopefully it's just a bad gauge. Mine reads just a touch over 14 at highway speeds (01 FLHT).
QUOTE]

I checked it at various RPMs. It was 14.2- 14.3 from idle to around 4000 RPM which is within spec. Just a useless gauge....

John

It's not useless, just inaccurate. Get used to where it usually reads - if it changes you'll know you have an issue, simple as that.

[fwb35]

I checked mine from my battery tender connector and compared, mine is pretty close.