As a practical matter the voltage gauge doesn't tell you a whole lot. Most people don't look at gauges anyway and would not know what the voltmeter is trying to tell them anyway. I would worry when the alternator light comes on! Most would notice the lights are a bit dimmer than normal and then start looking at the gauges. David Teitelbaum vin 10757 --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mike.griese@... wrote: > > Voltage is a better measure of the capability of your electrical system > than amperage (current). Amperage changes with load - turning on > your lights, A/C, blower, wipers, and radio will increase the amperage > in the system. Being able to tell if the voltage drops when load is applied > tells you if your battery, alternator or voltage regulator needs attention. > > You can run over-voltage if your voltage regulator has failed, allowing > your alternator to provide a higher voltage than the system can handle. > > -- > Mike > > [moderator snip] To address comments privately to the moderating team, please address: moderators@xxxxxxxxxxx For more info on the list, tech articles, cars for sale see www.dmcnews.com To search the archives or view files, log in at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:dmcnews-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mailto:dmcnews-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: dmcnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/