AMPS warning light stays on?

[jtryon]

So I've had my '88 Sunsport out three times so far this Spring without any issues, aside from the "AMPS" warning light on the dash staying on. It starts right up every time and is showing ~13 volts charging on the dash. Before going out this past Sunday, I checked both batteries (deep cycle) which are running off a Perko switch, and both showed 12.70 volts, so they are definitely being charged. Ran the boat for 8 hours Sunday and the light was on the whole time, but experienced no issues. Played music the whole time, anchored for a bit with just music on, and she started right back up. Could the light just be stuck on? What's the best way to check amperage on the batteries to see if I might need to replace one or both?

[CJD]

The light is a function of the alternator, not the batteries. It may be sensing a bad diode, which will still charge but at a lower amperage.

[jtryon]

that makes sense. that alternator was new last year from skidim too, damn.

[wotan2525]

Actually, I believe that all of the warning lights are controlled by a little circuit board that is below the dash. This also has a buzzer that will turn on to warn you of problems (and has almost certainly been disabled after driving a previous owner mad.)

I believe that parts of these boards fail all of the time. My alternator is strong and keeps everything charged and working great -- I still get an AMPS light from time to time. I also get an oil light that comes and goes -- even though my gauge indicates that I've got great oil pressure.

My money is on that board causing problems -- I'd ignore it if I were you. If everything works and stays charged, who really cares about a blinking light?

[CJD]

Well...me. When an alternator does go out, you're not getting back to the dock. If you have a bad light and ignore it, it will bite you sooner or later.

[leetudor]

12.7 volts with engine off or running?

[jtryon]

12.7 volts with the engine off. that was taken after my first two trips out with the boat and probably a good 5 hours of running time.

[leetudor]

you need to check it with the engine running to see what type of voltage that you have..

[jtryon]

the dash gauge says 12.5-13 volts when it's running depending on what accessories are on. i'll test tonight with my multimeter while on the water.

[CJD]

The dash voltmeter is notoriously inaccurate. For diagnostics you will need to read it with a decent multimeter to be sure.