Battery gauge power draw

[scguy]

Does any know if a battery gauge (without a back light) draws voltage when hooked directly to the batteries. I am trying to decide if I need to wire my gauge through the switch or straight to the batteries. My cart will go as long as a month without charging and I don't want to drain my batteries.

If it does draw power when connected straight to the batteries and I have to wire it through the switch; has anyone done this and how was it wired. Did it work ok doing this? I have an 05 PDS without the head lights in the switch. Thanks for the help!

[dougmcp]

The battery gauge does draw power but it is in milliamps and the hit on the batteries is minimal.
To do it properly the gauge should be wired through the switch so it is only on when the switch is on.
Here's a typical wiring diagram for the LED battery state of charge indicator:

[eflyguy]

.. the batteries will actually self-discharge over time, and the effect of the meter will be unnoticeable. You might want to consider making an effort to charge the batteries more often, a month is quite some time for them to sit..
..a

[dougmcp]

Originally Posted by eflyguy

.. the batteries will actually self-discharge over time, and the effect of the meter will be unnoticeable. You might want to consider making an effort to charge the batteries more often, a month is quite some time for them to sit..
..a

Sounds like he only gets to where his cart is once a month. Leaving the batteries in a fully charged mode should be OK but they should be put on the charger for a complete cycle before you drive the cart.

[scguy]

The gauge that I have is an analog gauge and only has one positive and one negitive. Is the wiring the same as with the digital gauge?

[scubabud]

Originally Posted by scguy

The gauge that I have is an analog gauge and only has one positive and one negitive. Is the wiring the same as with the digital gauge?

If your analog gauge is a 36 or 48 gauge then it would have only 2 wires to go to the battery pack voltage, possibly 3 or 4 if it lights up. The Digital works the same way but would require a 12 volt source as well since it does light up the meter, (back light as you mentioned in your first post.) I would still have it switched and fused if you're taking it from the full battery pack voltage.

[Fleck]

I run the analog gauge on my cart. I only use my cart a few times a month; So I installed a heavy duty toggle switch in the "+" side of the gauge so it won't draw any power until I turn it on.

[dougmcp]

Originally Posted by Fleck

I run the analog gauge on my cart. I only use my cart a few times a month; So I installed a heavy duty toggle switch in the "+" side of the gauge so it won't draw any power until I turn it on.

A heavy switch is not really required as there is no real power draw on a voltmeter. This could easily be wired through the ignition switch so that it only reads when the ignition switch is on.

[scguy]

Does the ignition switch switch the positive lead or the negitive lead. In other words does the positive go to the battery and the neg. get switched or the neg. to the battery and the positive get switched. Hope this makes sense.

[dougmcp]

1 post on the voltmeter will go directly to the negative side of the battery pack and the other post goes to the open side of the switch. When the switch is closed (turned on) it will power the voltmeter and when you turn the switch off it removes power from the voltmeter.
Confirm this by using a voltmeter and measuring the voltage from the neg on the battery pack to the contact on the ignition switch.