So i thought I had a charging system problem. nope! I have a dead volt gauge problem. How do I fix this? I'm thinking instead of tearing the dash apart and finding why it's dead, the AutoZone special meter looks good at $20. Opinions?

2 options - find a used combination meter, and swap it out.  OR get an add on meter.

You only have to remove the trim piece around the speedometer / combination meter assembly to get at it, not like pulling the entire dashboard.

 

https://www.amazon.com/LIHAN-Charger-Display-Voltage-Current/dp/B01JA627KU?keywords=cigarette+lighter+volt+meter&qid=1529391679&sr=8-7&ref=mp_s_a_1_7

 

GD

Thanks guys. GD, that thing would be great if it was accurate! I'm skeptical about it's accuracy, but it's not hard to check outside on a dvom and have some tell me what it's reading inside.

 

 

that device should plenty accurate for quick orders of magnitude assessment.

i use this on my Subaru's that don't have a voltage needle since they're usually base models that don't have them.. they range from $5-$15, depending how long you would like to wait for your shipment. there's different syles and different colors of them.

 

4 hours ago, wagons said:

Thanks guys. GD, that thing would be great if it was accurate! I'm skeptical about it's accuracy, but it's not hard to check outside on a dvom and have some tell me what it's reading inside.

 

 

Orders of magnitude more accurate than the dash gauge which is a charge/no charge indicator at best. If it's off by a few tenths of a volt (which I doubt), would it really even matter? The dash gauge isn't wired directly to the main junction or the alt - it just gets power from the same source as all the other gauges in the cluster. In my hatch the dash gauge fluctuates (seemingly for no reason other than it wishes to do so) between about 12.5 and 14.5 while the Maxima alt is putting out a steady 14.5. I am quite sure that little Amazon goody will be just fine if used correctly. 

GD

Unless you're going to repair the original, something that simply plugs into the lighter is hard to beat.