volt gauge question

Hi All,

I have a small question. The volt gauge in my 91 suburban has started to read low, about 12.8v. I have check the battery with a volt meter and see

14.2v w/ nothing on except for the engine running and 13.9v with all the accessories running. So that tells me that the alt is ok and the gauge does not correspond to the volts found at the battery. Has anybody seen one of the volt gauges go bad and read low?

Thanks,

mark

Reply to
r_d
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Could be a charging system prbblem. I sumrise the Dash guage reads low while in drive? Loose belt? If you installed a new alternator, does it have the proper pulley? (they come in different sizes)

Could be lots of things, or could be nothing at all.

Cheers

Reply to
Martin Riddle

I don't think anything is wrong with the alt. The reading does not change if in drive or park. It's a serp belt so it can't be loose and it is the same alt. The gauge reads low but a digital volt meter on the battery reads fine. So the dash gauge does not correspond to the real volt. The volts at the battery correspond to the volt available from the lighter. So it is not a body wiring problem. I'll have to check to see if LMC has a replacement gauge and just replace it.

Thanks for your reply. mark

Reply to
r_d

the gauges on thos trucks have problems... If you see more 13.9 with a DVM at the battery with everything running then you alternator is fine. I would say the gauge in the dash is screwed.

I've not been able to get my temp gauge to read anywhere near correct since I"v had my 92 K1500 (bought used) many miles on it. I'm not aware of any way to fix the gauge. I resorted to an aftermarket alt and temp gauge (autometer) oil pressue and gas gauges seem to work fine. Not much you can do on those things except maybe swap out the cluster if you were able to find a "good" one in a junk yard.

Reply to
Elbert

Yes, they often are a bit off from actual volts and do tend to get more off over time and hours of use...they are a pretty low quality gauge. 2inch gauges fit in the holes in the gauge faceplate if you wanted to go through the task of installation. otherwise, you can just keep the knowledge of what the actual volts are in relation to what the reading on the dash is.

Reply to
Shades

You can get new modules for the clusters. They just pop in and out with a couple of screws so replacing the gauge is easy. Thanks for the input.

mark

Reply to
r_d

so you take the cluster apart and replace these ...where do you get these modules?

Cluster comes out rather easy.... I've never taken the main part of the cluster apart...it did not look like the cluster had inter-changeable parts....

I'm assuming you are talking about GM OEM Parts?

Reply to
Elbert

GM, LMC, or the like.

Reply to
Shades

I have a current LMC catalog, I'll see if I can find what you are referring to. I've not "seen" anything on this before.

1992 K1500
Reply to
Elbert

Follow on to my own msg.

I'm looking at the current LMC Truck catalog (winter 05) CD-5 for 1/2 and 3/4 ton 1988 through 1998. If anyone has this catalog or knows a GM part number or web reference to "replaceable modules" for the dash cluster gauges on a 1992 K 1500 Chey Truck I would be interested in looking at that.

I don't see anything like that in the LMC catalog. Additional info would be appreciated.

Reply to
Elbert

Check the voltage at the cigerette lighter and see what you get.

Al

Reply to
Big Al

The volts at the lighter correspond to volts found at battery so it is not a wiring thing. It appears to read lower and lower as time goes by so it is the gauge.

thanks to all who responded, mark

Reply to
r_d

I thought we were talking about replacing gauges on a '91 Suburban?

Reply to
Shades

Guess I'm wrong.... I assumed the suburban was the same as the pickup on the dash?

If they are different then my mistake......

Reply to
Elbert

The Suburban and Blazer was basically the same from '73-'91 where the pickups changed in '88.

Reply to
Shades

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