installing a digital volt meter

my buggie

i have a 1990 cc ds 36 volt cart. i want to install a digital volt meter. what guage wire should i use? also want to install a toggle switch to turn it off. which prong do i hook the pos. wire to on the toggle switch and meter too? and do i hook pos. wire to #1 batt.and neg to #6 batt. hope you understand what i am saying. thank you Larry.

BGW

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als_melex

i hooked mine to the key switch. i believe the neg came off the right side of key. (it would be the left if looking at back of switch) and pos went to + post where charger cable hooks up to.

Epb

Main +and main -. I always treat switches as positive so the switch would carry + of main and + of volt meter.
the wires are very fine for meter 18 or 16 would be fine.

the key switch would be the preferred method and save you a switch.

my buggie

i did not know that there was 36 volt at key switch i thought it was 12 volt i did not check voltage at switch.

Tenacious T

Today I hooked up a dig.volt meter from e-Bay ( green LED 15v. - 120v. $15.)on a 06 cc Prec. . Was a lot easier than I thought it would be . Found 2-unused wires (red - Blk/yel ) that were next to the key with female spade connectors. Tested them and they were full battery voltage turned on with the run switch. That's just what I was looking for ! Now easy to tell if on Run or Tow . Not lit = Tow

Lovnlivin

I just purchased a digital voltage meter as well off Amazon for $10.99 and free shipping, but it's coming from China so don't expect speedy delivery! And at this point I'm not even sure it works.

My '97 48v CC DS has a battery(?) light on the dash, which I'm assuming will light up if I'm needing a charge. Can this digitial volt meter be hooked up using those two wires?

Thanks!

joesam

Nope - that light runs from signal voltage generated by the OBC - it is not suitable to "deliver" 48v to a meter. You need to open up your dash and do some searching. Place the cart in tow - if you have a run/tow switch. Then unhook main battery negative cable first before tilting the dash out (because on a DS, the key switch can sometimes accidentally short on the dash frame); then reconnect the main negative cable and using the meter itself, try to find pack neg (-) and main pack pos(+) on your connections behind the dash. Not sure, but you might have positive voltage running thru your keyswitch. Most often unless you have some accessories - you won't find main pack negative - and you'll need to run a negative wire from the dash back to your battery pack.

BTW - Chinese meters with multi voltage ratings usually aren't very accurate - so don't expect to see the same reading as you might get from a good digital volt meter. It shouldn't be so far off to be useless - just may not be as precise as an expensive one.

Lovnlivin

Thanks, Joesam!

Considering I have body off the cart right now and that I just installed a voltage reducer, I'm assuming I can locate the two wires sending the 48v to the reducer and use those. Or one of them anyway so I can still attach one to the key switch.

joesam

Body off makes it dead easy - and the reducer (obviously) needed 48v source and ground. You'll have no problems!