Stator

just was wondering if it is no

just was wondering if it is normal for my volt gauge not to move until im at WOT it stays at around 10amps until im at wot then it goes up to 13-14 its a 84 470 with the stator charging system

With a fully charged bttery do

With a fully charged bttery does the voltmeter gauge display 12+ volts w/the key on and the engine not yet started?

When the engine starts are you saying the voltmeter gauge displays 10 volts until the RPMs are at the WOT position and at that point the voltmeter gauge jumps to 13 to 14 volts?

The voltage regulator controls the stator output and it should tell the stator to increase its output in relationship to the increase in RPMs and not "all of a sudden".

Regulator may be dying and/or your battery is weak and/or you have corroded wiring.

The style of alternator on your engine is just like an outboard engine's. The regulator should start charging ASA the battery voltage drops below 12 volts.

i originaly thought that my re

i originaly thought that my regulator was bad guy but with a fully charged battery when i turn my key on it will only read 10 if i ease the throttle open just a bit still stays around 10.i have noticed that when its cold (the motor) and doesnt fire right off then i turn the key off then try to restart its around 8 but the faster RPM the motor turns the better the gauge reads i.e 12 14 volts i origanaly thought the stator was bad but im pulling 14.3 volts from it with a meter and same to the battery with the battery unhooked. im just wondering if maybe i may have a gauge going bad .battery always seems to be healthy after it has a chance to get reacharged

"If you havent destroyed the r

"If you havent destroyed the regulator already, you NEVER, NEVER remove a battery cable with the engine running.It can cause a serious spike in the system blowing instrument bulbs, electronics, not to mention possably throwing 20V or better into the system."

"KEY OFF: Measure the fully c

"KEY OFF: Measure the fully charged battery across the POSTS and not the cables w/a digital meter and write down the reading for reference. Next, measure the voltage from the battery ground or negaqtive post to the starter post. The voltage should be the same or not more than a reuction of 0.02 volts.

KEY ON: Measure the voltage on the back of the voltmeter gauge to the ground black wire. Again, it should not be more than 0.02 volts lower than the battery reference reading. Compare the voltage on the meter to the gauge reading to determine if the gauge is correct.

If the voltage on the back of the meter is not the same as the reference battery voltage, there are some corroded wires and connectors in your harness. Let us know what you find."

ok Guy ill do just that and ke

ok Guy ill do just that and keep you posted
steve

"Steve...

The smallest amou

"Steve...

The smallest amount of corrosion between the batt post and the cable clamp can start to make things act screwy. Take the clamps off and clean those posts. Clean the inside of those clamps. Check the condition of where the cable itself attaches to the clamp. Clean or replace if necc. Make sure that there is no resistance between the post and clamp. Check voltage differences by probing between ground and batt post, and ground and cable clamp. Remember to have that meter on VOLTS and NOT on OHMS - you'll fry that meter if it is on OHMS and you check for power.

The volt guage shouldn't really ever read below 12 volts. If the batt has 12v in it (when unhooked - engine off), then the guage should also read 12v. If its reading something different then whats actually in the batt, then there is a guage or wiring/corrosion problem.

Wrench"

Guy and Wrench i checked every

Guy and Wrench i checked everything out as you guys suggested and i had 13.58 volts in my battery just sitting there. jecked everything along the way and the lowest reading i got was 13.32 but the gauge still read 8-9ish so i decided to check the gauge wires for voltage and to my suprise i found a wire/conecter rotten . it was only held together by two ravels of wire so i cut it off and installed a new connector and walla the gauge went right up just a bit over 12. never would have dreamed that a wire would rot under the dash. but i guess anything is possible .thanks a bunch for your guys input as i was going to splurge for the altenator change over when my stator or regulator died and thats what i thought was happening . again thanks for your advice steve

Visual inspection is he first

Visual inspection is he first step in troubleshooting electrical problems; good work. Change the other conector on the gauge; may ready to break. Spray each w/a small aount of WD40.

all the other connections appe

all the other connections appeard to be firm and solid i made sure i checked em all as i cant stand on my head any lenght of time due to plates in my neck and rods and screws in my lower back due to a 3 story fall back in 02 but i will get the w/d40 after them as soon as i feel perky. id like to change all the gauges but the boat is a 84 and is in mint condition so i think ill leave it original

"Guy is right on about keeping

"Guy is right on about keeping water off the contacts over time. But I would suggest an alternative everybody might not be familiar with as ‘ole Water-Displacement-40 is a flammable aerosol.
Don’t spray electrical items with the key on or battery hooked up. Or get it near to potentially electrically live terminal points or ever let the metal container touch two +/- contacts

The alternative is LPS1 lubricant, it’s better for areas where there is a fire hazard as it has a higher flash point. They also make a non-flammable electrical / plastic cleaner

Please be careful. (I don’t have any association with LPS products) WD40 isn’t allowed in our factory due to the above concern.

Mark"

"Mark:

Good point on WD40&#

"Mark:

Good point on WD40's flamability. I forget and assume everyone knows about it and won't use it carelessly. Luckily its flammable carrier solvent dissipates pretty quickly, leaving a fine film of protective fish oil."

lps is what ill use that stuff

lps is what ill use that stuff has been around for atleast 40 yrs that i know of i have memory of dad sneaking a can or two or three home from work on occasion lol well i wont say he was sneaking he just borrowed a few cans till they were empty