VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt Charging meter while at higher RPM

1941 Master Deluxe 6v 216.

I may just be remembering incorrectly on this. We just finished re-wiring the car. Backed it in the drive way to test that everything worked while it was running. It is ~20 degrees currently. Everything seemed to work.

At idle the amp meter is near the middle. Turing on the headlights drops the needle as does when the added fog lights are tuned on. The newly added blinkers make the needle bounce slightly.

Here is where I am confused. I remember when running at a higher RPM the gauge moving past the middle to the charge side when nothing else was on. I raised the RPM and it stayed in the middle. Turned on lights, it dipped slightly and returned to the middle. Did not indicate charge or discharge. Now the battery is fully charged and kept on a tender when the car is not in use. The car fired after the first few cranks so there was not much drain from starting.

Does all of this sound correct or am I missing something? I remember the gauge showing charge while at higher RPM before. It was not showing discharge. Ran for about 5 minutes like this and idled about 5-10. I might just be paronoid after making so many changes without running it.

Thanks in advance.

It sounds just right to me.

It shows how the voltage regulator is doing its job. It allows a charge when needed.

I agree that the results you are seeing are normal. The ammeter measures the current flowing to and from the battery. It does not measure what is being used by the vehicle when in operation.

The coil regulator serves as a cutout and regulates both voltage and amperage in the system. About the only time the needle will swing upscale on the + side is when the generator is recharging the battery after you start the engine, AS the battery gets back up to full charge the needle will move towards neutral.

I should have known all of this. I guess after changing out that much wiring I was looking for something to be off. Was not thinking about the battery not actually charging but just maintaining. Thanks for the reassurance.

You can do a quick test. Turn the engine off, leave the key off and crank the starter for a few short bursts. Then start the engine and at higher rpm you should see it charging.