AMP Gauge Question

[cofrari]

My bus has an AMP Gauge on it as well as a Voltage gauge. About 5 days ago I took the bus for a 50 mile round-trip. On the 25 miles out, the AMP gauge went up to +150 (as high as it goes) and then worked it's way down to right over zero (where it should be) about 20 miles into the trip. On the 25-mile trip back (after sitting stopped for about an hour), the amp gauge sat at -150 (the lowest it can go) for the entire trip back. This same situation happened again today.


The voltage is staying at about 14.5 (which is normal). The bus is driving totally fine and everything is working. I have kept all the conversion related electrical features 100% independent of the actual bus electrical, so this wouldn't be a conversion related electrical problem.


I could just be a bad gauge and nothing to worry about. But obviously I'm worried about it or I wouldn't be posting about it. I'm about to take two 8-hour trips in it and definitely don't want it to break down along the way.


Does anyone have any thoughts? Is this something worthy of stressing about? Thanks!

 

[rffffffff]

If it’s negative 150 for real your voltage will be coming down relatively quickly. If you can look at the voltage when the bus is not started and it goes up once the bus is running that would indicate actual positive amperage coming into the battery and a bad gauge most likely. If the voltage is stagnant or getting lower when running you likely have a bad alternator and the gauge is letting you know something is wrong.

 

[cofrari]

Today, it sat at -150 for a 25-mile drive at 55-65 mph with some decent up-hill sections. The only accessory running would have been the running lights. The voltage never deviated from the 14.5 mark.



Would you assume I would not have made that 25-mile drive if the amps were truly at -150?

 

[Booyah45828]

Amp gauges, without shunts, are fire hazards and we would disconnect them from the factory.

The fact that your voltage is 14.5 says to me the amp gauge is defective and likely not working.

 

[rffffffff]

Yeah, you’re fine. I didn’t know about the fire hazard but sounds like it might be a good idea to delete it.