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battery voltage gauge install?


Strato_54
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I want to install a battery voltage gauge that can read my battery charge when its not running and when it is. I have found. i dont want to have it on a switch, only on the ignition if possible. With that said what type of gauge would I want. There's cheap gauges like this or more expensive high end gauges like these. for some reason i feel like that cheap amazon one will blow something up some how and the more expensive one just looks cooler but no clue where to put it either. what would be the best spot to tap into wiring, or would i be better off going right from the battery on to a switch.

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1 hour ago, RainGoat said:

They make USB outlets with voltage readers that simply plug into your U-Plug.

Just one of dozens of examples;
https://www.amazon.com/Palumma-Charger-Adapter-Display-Battery/dp/B0773BYS6P

the issue with that though is somewhere i think i screwed up wiring so i only get 5 volts from that plug. same thing happened to my stereo when i installed it. i was only getting 4-5 volts from my ground wire so when i did my unit install i had to make a new ground. it might be fixed now becasue every ground wire back there i just stuck together and then drilled a hole and screwed it in to make it work. next time im at my shop and have my volt meter with me ill check on that but for right now a physical hard line gauge is at the top of my list but that plug is in there in case.

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11 minutes ago, XPLORx4 said:

I would fix the wiring to your cigarette lighter so that it gets a full 12 volts, then just install one of the devices mentioned above. 

im hoping it was that ground issue and me doing what i did fixed it but who knows. i thought i would've had to hard wire it because of that issue. ive seen those usb plug things around but assumed it wouldn't work and when i was flipping through the manual it mentions to not use it as a power plug. i wasn't looking specifically for that but just noticed that and shrugged it off as an oh well and went on. if i can get that plug fixed or check it then ill probably go for one of those

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How do you get 5v on a 12v (14v) system, let alone that from a ground wire?  I think only the interior light circuits output 5v when the lights are off.

 

I use those cheap voltmeters everywhere.  Super simple to install.  Two in my truck (one under the radio and another at the rear by a separate power panel), plus one on a recent battery/refrigerator project.  The voltage is maybe ±0.1v compared to my equally-cheap voltmeters, but totally sufficient for my needs.  The one under the radio is tapped off the nearby power socket, so only on when keyed to the ACC and ON position.  The rear is on a dedicated switched circuit direct from the battery.

 

As far as reading the battery when the truck's not running and running...well, it's just going to read either the battery (not running) or the alternator (running).  But, I presume that's what you actually want?

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19 minutes ago, hawairish said:

How do you get 5v on a 12v (14v) system, let alone that from a ground wire?  I think only the interior light circuits output 5v when the lights are off.

 

I use those cheap voltmeters everywhere.  Super simple to install.  Two in my truck (one under the radio and another at the rear by a separate power panel), plus one on a recent battery/refrigerator project.  The voltage is maybe ±0.1v compared to my equally-cheap voltmeters, but totally sufficient for my needs.  The one under the radio is tapped off the nearby power socket, so only on when keyed to the ACC and ON position.  The rear is on a dedicated switched circuit direct from the battery.

 

As far as reading the battery when the truck's not running and running...well, it's just going to read either the battery (not running) or the alternator (running).  But, I presume that's what you actually want?

yeah thats exactly what i want. battery when its not running and when it is running. and yeah i turned my key to ON and stuck a volt meter inside of the plug and only got 5 volts from it. but then like a month later when i ripped out my old deck and was installed the new harness it wouldn't turn on because that also only gave my 5 volts because of the ground wire. thats why i had to make a new ground for my deck because the factory one was too weak for some reason. everything works no problem and the plug does work sorta but from what i can remember it wasn't up to 12 volts. I like to forget to turn stuff off and i like using things when its not running so being able to monitor that would be nice and plus i want to gear my setup towards camping where i can check if ill be good for a while. but also too for the winter so i know right away if my battery is frozen or not.

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That reads like a power issue, not a ground.  You can't get "5 volts because of the ground wire"...that doesn't make sense.  No regular accessory circuit in the vehicle should be putting out 5v.  There are 5v circuits on the truck, but those all have some other module (ECM, TCM, Smart Entrance Control Unit, etc.) at the head of it, and most of those circuits aren't powering a component; the lower voltage is usually to measure smaller voltage drops.  Did you ever check the voltage going to some other contact point on the truck, or did you do a continuity check on the ground wire?  Regardless, sounds like you should double check some wiring before introducing another electrical component on your truck.  When the truck is on (engine off), all closed circuits should be putting out the same voltage as the battery, and there's a dozen places to confirm that.  If that's not the case, you have an issue that needs addressing.

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10 hours ago, hawairish said:

That reads like a power issue, not a ground.  You can't get "5 volts because of the ground wire"...that doesn't make sense.  No regular accessory circuit in the vehicle should be putting out 5v.  There are 5v circuits on the truck, but those all have some other module (ECM, TCM, Smart Entrance Control Unit, etc.) at the head of it, and most of those circuits aren't powering a component; the lower voltage is usually to measure smaller voltage drops.  Did you ever check the voltage going to some other contact point on the truck, or did you do a continuity check on the ground wire?  Regardless, sounds like you should double check some wiring before introducing another electrical component on your truck.  When the truck is on (engine off), all closed circuits should be putting out the same voltage as the battery, and there's a dozen places to confirm that.  If that's not the case, you have an issue that needs addressing.

i know that sounds odd that only the ground wire gives me the 5 volts but thats what was happened. with my volt meter positive to positive and ground to ground and that was giving me 5 volts. but when i take my ground lead and stick it to somewhere else metal it gave me my 12 volts. the rear power plug is fine though. from what i can remember thats what was happening last timei checked. when i installed my trailer lights and i was running my brake controller wire to under the dash i pulled off one of the plastics under the hood release and that ground going into the body looked like it had seen some better days. not sure what that one is for but i had cleaned it off any way. all other connections are fine and for a few days i had basically the entire interior pulled apart and didnt notice anything that could be faulty, except for misaligned pieces from factory. if i go up to my shop today i will try and diagnose it a little bit more. 

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UPDATE: So apparently me making my own ground for my deck fixed that plug somehow as i now get 12 volts and it reads 14.2 or so when its running. so that little plug thing is actually really cool now and i kinda want it. dont really feel like buying it right now but i definitely will soon

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Sounds like you were tapped into the dimmer switch when you were getting 5 volts, I'm pretty sure it uses the ground. Most of the switches and stock head unit are hooked up to it.

 

I'm using one of those usb cigarette lighter voltmeter things and really like it. Lot easier to install than a hard wired one lol.

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On 10/3/2019 at 11:21 PM, DesertKyle said:

Sounds like you were tapped into the dimmer switch when you were getting 5 volts, I'm pretty sure it uses the ground. Most of the switches and stock head unit are hooked up to it.

 

Good call.  I believe that is a 5V circuit, too.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bosch oil press,volts and Temp gauges. Temp not hooked up yet. The USB to the left of the climate control actually reads your voltage plus has 2 usb charging ports. 2 wires poss & negative that's it. Like the others said much easier than actual mechanical gauge.3a2d331d893b16e2ab9fdc4ab9311618.jpg

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Bosch oil press,volts and Temp gauges. Temp not hooked up yet. The USB to the left of the climate control actually reads your voltage plus has 2 usb charging ports. 2 wires poss & negative that's it. Like the others said much easier than actual mechanical gauge.3a2d331d893b16e2ab9fdc4ab9311618.jpg

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Yea boi! #R50OBSEESED!!


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Bosch gauge cluster-Oil Pres, Volts,Temp
#R50OBSEESED 60a1656726af9e53c8767145a7b063c7.jpg

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Sweet setup man. That looks good. #R50OBSEESED #REGULUSR #TERRARIRO #CUSTOMR50 #OIL #PRESSURE #GAUGE #DIYDASHCLOCK #NPORA


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Sweet setup man. That looks good. #R50OBSEESED #REGULUSR #TERRARIRO #CUSTOMR50 #OIL #PRESSURE #GAUGE #DIYDASHCLOCK #NPORA


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Thanks man, appreciate it. #R50OBSEESED

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19 hours ago, Mrelcocko said:

Bosch gauge cluster-Oil Pres, Volts,Temp
#R50OBSEESED 60a1656726af9e53c8767145a7b063c7.jpg

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thats actually really clean i like that. all i have to do now is figure out where i want to mount what i want. i was thinking of making my own on screen gauges and stuff just because that would make thing easy for me

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Maybe mount something where I've got the clock. Back when I had my 98 Pathfinder I installed a 2inch oil pressure gauge beside my cruise control,security light and dimmer switches. I had a picture somewhere, but can't find it. I've always liked analog gauges. Wished Nissan would've put a full gauge cluster in the R50.

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#whyarewespeakinginhashtags #ohgoditsgotmetoo #sendhelp
Definitely not trying to be a smarta$$, but I've been using hashtags on here for most of my residency. #IreallydontknowhowtoanswerthatLOL

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5 hours ago, RainGoat said:

I still think of them as the “pound” sign

im too young to get that one lmao. i mean i know what it is because of my oma but im too young to make that connection 

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I still think of them as the “pound” sign

Isn’t that what it is? I mean, if you call somewhere with an automated answer they say pound sign.

 

 

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