How do I hook up a volt gauge?

A car I recently bought came with a row of aftermarket gauges under the dash. They were all hooked up except the volt gauge, and I've never hooked one up before. So I was hopin' someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks, Barn-core.

 

+ to the always hot pole on the ignition switch and - to ground. Bob

 

Volt gauges are usually connected to the ignition circuit so it only reads when the ignition is on. Not very accurate but you will be able to tell if your charging system is working since the voltage should read between 13 to 14 volts depending on temperature. You can connect to the battery but there would be a small current draw (ma) all the time.

 

Thanks a lot guys, I'll probably try to hook it up after work today.

 

Make sure that you connect the positive side of the gauge to a switched 12v source, not direct to the battery. I don't have any experience with a car set up like that, but I know for a fact that if you leave the voltmeter "ON" overnight on a C-130, it will flatten the battery. In a car, it may not happen overnight, but if it sits for a few days......