[Z210Shabah]

Hi everyone-I had a slight problem last year(or maybe not)I put a new alternator in my boat and new battery(It needed them).If I run my stereo or lights or anything,I notice the volt meter will drop from 12-13 to 8-10.Is this common or do I have a problem that should be looked into-Thanx-L.J.

[indykoch]

Mine does something similar... If I switch on the docking lights while at idle (sometimes even without turning the lights on!) my volt meter will read around 10. If I rev it up a bit, it will go back to 13-14. I always thought it's my alternator going bad, and never let it concern me too much.

Did you replace the alternator with OEM equipment?

[Jayhawk04]

You might try running a bigger ground from the battery to the distribution block under the dash. I know in mine, the ground was pretty small and when there are multiple accessories trying to pull current through the small line, something has to give. I had problems, epically when I had the stereo on and I turned on the docking lights... the stereo would cut out and the voltage gauge would drop. I ran a thicker ground and all the problems went away.

[WetWilly]

Jayhawk04's right, with bigger accessories and more powerful stereos, the current handling capacity of the stock wiring can be over taxed. Running thicker gauge wiring for the + and - from the battery to the distribution or fuse blocks wouldn't hurt.

For power hungry devices, a separate fused wiring circuit should be considered.

The last thing to check is any corrosion at the connection, fuse blocks and terminals. As the current load goes up, any corrosion creates more resistance in the circuit so keep those exposed connections clean and if possible, watertight.

WetWilly