So if your volt meter shows nothing in this case, then you iether have a bad gauge or there is some loss of connectivity between the gauge and the rest of the system (hence the continuity check). But from what it sounds like, if your not having any trouble getting your engine to turn over, time and time again, then your battery is getting charged. Testing to see if there is a difference in voltage while the engine is running makes sense though. A bad battery may still show just under 12 volts dc but may not have the CCA to get the job done. Ive seen bad batteries show about their proper voltage all the way up to the point where they die completely. True.what I would say then just as an add on piece of advice is testing for voltage at the battery terminals for a charging issue such as this may not tell you anything. Therefore an ammeter will be calibrated from -60 - 0 - +60 (the right and left numbers may vary depending on the capability of the system). If the current draw is less than the alternator output the system is charging. Therefore, if the alternator is not keeping up with the current being drawn from the battery the system is considered to be discharging (even though the alternator is working - it just can't keep up). Ammeters also monitor the charging system but they monitor both current draw FROM the battery as well as current fed TO the battery by the charing system. Your boat has a 12 volt system so a voltmeter (which is what you have) is calibrated from 0 - 18 volts. The difference between a voltmeter and an ammeter is obvious: Voltmeters measure battery/charging system voltage. But chances are you simply have a loose connection. If the gauge works but is drastically different than the test meter the gauge is bad. If the test meter reads the same as the battery voltage but the gauge is not registering, then the gauge is shot. You then measure the voltage AT THE GAUGE. You first measure battery voltage AT THE BATTERY TERMINALS. No - the engine does not need to be running but the key needs to be in the RUN position.
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