So I get funny readings, from nothing to 16 volts, inconsistently on my voltmeter.
Connections for everything feel and look good.
Engine runs fine, battery #1 was OK all week. I have a 2-battery setup, run each a week at a time.
This is a 2003 Merc 50hp 4-stroke EFI. From what I can understand, it seems to me that if the voltage regulator were malfunctioning at times, the warning beep system would activate. Is that correct? Since the boat is located in a remote area without decent access to a dealer, I bought a voltage regulator for the next trip up there, but I'm thinking it's a waste of $120. Local dealer didn't have a new voltmeter. (Well, he had one but it was a flashy mismatch with my simple white gauges, for $40.)
Would a voltage regulator be likely to begin to fail at 800 hours (actually more like 600 since the original vr was replaced in a recall) without a warning from the system? The more I think about it, the more I think it's just the meter.
What would be the step by step instructions to test the system with a multimeter? Or should I just find a new meter, install it, and trust it to tell me whether to install the regulator, or maybe just do both, if the regulators tend to look for replacement anyway around 1000 hours??
Connections for everything feel and look good.
Engine runs fine, battery #1 was OK all week. I have a 2-battery setup, run each a week at a time.
This is a 2003 Merc 50hp 4-stroke EFI. From what I can understand, it seems to me that if the voltage regulator were malfunctioning at times, the warning beep system would activate. Is that correct? Since the boat is located in a remote area without decent access to a dealer, I bought a voltage regulator for the next trip up there, but I'm thinking it's a waste of $120. Local dealer didn't have a new voltmeter. (Well, he had one but it was a flashy mismatch with my simple white gauges, for $40.)
Would a voltage regulator be likely to begin to fail at 800 hours (actually more like 600 since the original vr was replaced in a recall) without a warning from the system? The more I think about it, the more I think it's just the meter.
What would be the step by step instructions to test the system with a multimeter? Or should I just find a new meter, install it, and trust it to tell me whether to install the regulator, or maybe just do both, if the regulators tend to look for replacement anyway around 1000 hours??
