Battery gauge

[Ross D]

Has anyone ever taken a battery gauge apart?

I have just removed the analogue gauge from my boat, it didn't work when we bought the boat so I removed it when replacing the electrical system.

The fault is very simple, the bit of plastic with 0%-100% on it is loose and falls forward against the needle stopping it moving. With a good smack it moves away and the gauge works fine (just tested it on a variable voltage supply).

The unit seems sealed for life but it would be very annoying and wasteful to throw it away for a loose bit of plastic. Just advice on where to cut it open would be helpful.

Ross

 

[Rigger Mortice]

Without pictures or knowing what make it is, it's pretty much impossible to say.
However, if it's not obvious how to do so, odds are that it is a sealed unit which is not intended to be dissmantled.
Try it as a project during cold winter nights but accept the fact that you'll probably have to replace it.
Consider replacing it with a digital unit which will be considerably more accurate/useful.

 

[GrahamP]

To fix the plastic......

while waiting for a sunny day find a large enough magnifying glass.

Use the magnifying glass to focus bright sunlight and spot weld/melt the plastic at the edge.

Graham

 

[snooks]

Those type of battery gauges aren't very helpful IMHO. They are nothing more than a voltage gauge, that doesn't tell you the voltage.

If you want an example, check the "battery percentage", make a note of it. Then put the engine on, if that's what you use to charges the batteries...then check the battery percentage again, magic they are 100%. Leave the batteries charging for a few minutes, and switch the engine off. Check the percentage again, it will still be around 100%. Leave the batteries with no drain for 10-20 mins and the battery percentage will be back to where it started from.

It only ever shows a snap shot of the battery status, a proper battery gauge will show the full story. If you have a digital battery gauge and do the same test as above they will show no difference in the percentage, because 5 mins of charge is unlikely to effect the percentage of charge in a 12v say 80ah battery.

You'd be better off buying a digital volt meter, at least you can check fuses, bulbs, and other batteries with it