The ammeters are pretty innacurate. Also is it wired in the correct
place? Does it ever show a discharge (turn on the headlights with the
engine off). I ask this because you say it is zero at idle. I have seen
people wire these so that they show output from the alternator, not flow
into and out of the battery.
In reality you do need to wire up a digital voltmeter to really know
what is giong on.
An automotive charging system should put out about 13.8 to 14.4 volts.
The amount of current taken by the battery depends on the actual
charging voltage, the temperature, and the condition of the battery. (so
a bad voltage reg affects volts which does affect amps).
There is no "correct" current value that implies that everything is OK,
although 20 is a bit high (if the ammeter is working OK)
John
Jay_Laifman@countrywide.com wrote:
>
> I have my Mitsubishi alternator hooked up and running. I've been driving
> it to work. My ammeter however, after it settles down from start up, reads
> no less than 20 amps, and sometimes up near 27/28. Nothing special is on.
> No lights, no brakes, no turnsignals, no radio. Just running along. Just
> prior to stopping the car to swap the headers and the alternator, it would
> run at a tick over 0 on the ammeter. The battery is pretty new and I don't
> think the car really sat so long that it would get drained so badly. Any
> suggestions?
>
> I don't have a voltmeter on it to check what it's doing. However, I
> suspect a bad voltage regulator only effects volts, not amps. But, I am
> only guessing from its name.
>
> I wired it just like the Nissan/Hitachi one - and the shop said it was the
> same. The Nissan plastic T two pin fit exactly in. I looped over the same
> one S wire to the B terminal and ran the other wire to the dash light. The
> dash light is working. And it is showing charge, just seems to me to be
> too much. So, I really don't think this is it.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Jay
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