Amp gauge pegs out.

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GW VOYAGER

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On my 1996 Johnson the amp meter pegs out when the engine is running
how can I check to make sure the gauge is not malfunctioning?
 
you need a hand held volt meter

better fix this because if it is the voltage regulator, you will burn something up, and it could be the motor or boat!
 
Thanks FOR THE RESPONSE JUST-IN TIME
I have been doing some reasearch and almost everything is pointing to the voltage regulator.
 
Bob
Maybe it is the voltage gauge
It shows about 13 v when the outboard is off but when I crank it the needle pegs out on the high end.
Do you think it is the voltage regulator?
Any help gladly accepted
 
GW VOYAGER said:
Bob
Maybe it is the voltage gauge
It shows about 13 v when the outboard is off but when I crank it the needle pegs out on the high end.
Do you think it is the voltage regulator?
Any help gladly accepted
Click to expand...

Yes... voltage gauge.

What does it read when the ingition switch is Off?... should be 0, (obviously).
With ignition switch on, (not start) should be a little over 12v, with a fully charge battery.

As Just in time said, get a portable multi meter and read the voltage directly on the battery your using, with igntion switch on... should match the gauge, (13v).

Start the motor and compare again, if it's higher that 15 volts and climbs even higher with rpm increase, it's more than likely the voltage regulator.

Do you happen to notice if any of your lights, (nav, deck, etc) brighten more when you increrase rpm's? That's another tell-tale that the regulator is going.

I don't know if it happens with newer outboards, but on the older omc's... when the regulator starts crapping out, you would also start losing your tachometer. On an analog tach, you would see the needle pulse. Don't know what you'd see on the digital tachs... fluctuating numbers, I guess?
 
Voltmeter makes sense.

When it's cranking it pegs? Doesn't make sense it pegs in that direction.

The voltage will drop when cranking, rise when running.

Use the VM meter as suggested, connect it to motor battery and watch it when cranking. If you don't have one, you can get one in Sears for 10 - 15 bucks, look in Sunday ads , every week another model is one sale. Get the big LCD digit one, if you can , easier to read. Dont need added cost auto scaling model but nice to have.

Report back what you read, before starting, during crank, and after it is running. Make sure no battery chargers are on when you do this.

These OMC meters can go bad especially when unprotected overhead, water leaks thru glass seal and shorts them out. If it shorted out it would be dead as door nail though.
 
Catch 22
I didn't notice anything on the Tach or lights only the volt gauge pegging when the motor is running and it just started Sunday.
It is a 1996 Johnson 225 ocean runner.
I've only had the boat a little over a month and everything else works fine
and I'm very happy with the boat.
 
Thanks Bob
It will be a couple of weeks before I can make the test but I'll post the results.
Thanks all.
 
GW VOYAGER said:
Catch 22
I didn't notice anything on the Tach or lights only the volt gauge pegging when the motor is running and it just started Sunday.
It is a 1996 Johnson 225 ocean runner.
I've only had the boat a little over a month and everything else works fine
and I'm very happy with the boat.
Click to expand...

Ok...

Do the multi meter test. It'll prove if it's the regulator or the dash gauge.

Connect the multi meter's leads to the battery your using and leave them on there, (take a reading). Start the motor and watch the meter, (forget about your dash gage for now). As Bob mentioned, you'll see a drop in voltage while starting, (cranking). When the motor's running, the voltage should slowly climb back up. It shouldn't put out more than around 13.5 to 14.5.

If the voltage readings on the multi meter are ok, then you need to replace your dash gauge. If the readings are higher, replace the regulator.
 
first to the test in a/c volts with motor running

any thing over .7 a/c volts bad regulator, then you can double check the d/c volts

because that reg/rectifier, converts a/c into d/c, so if the a/c bleeds off it shows up in the battery
 
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