OK, the voltage gauge drops to about 12v when I turn on the headlights. doesn't budge when I turn on the a/c and blower. A voltmeter on the battery itself indicates 14.2v. Alternator is churning out about 80 (eighty) amperes at 2K rpm with all this stuff on. Sometimes hits 92 amps with high beams and fogs on (don't ask...). euro headlights with H4 90/130 and H1 55w bulbs. fogs are H3 55w bulbs. Current draw is about 7amps low beam, 11 high beam. runs about 22-35 amps with everything off and engine running.

I'm thinking the voltage gauge taps off an ignition-switched 12v source that is loaded when the headlights are on thereby dropping the voltage.

I can do several things...separately relay the high/low left/right headlights or plumb in a relay from the battery to the voltmeter...use the current voltmeter + feed to throw the relay so I get a true battery voltage reading. First case would improve lighting and unload the headlight switch (admittedly overloaded but not even warm), second case would bypass the load issue and get me a true battery reading.

I've checked the faq and not much on this issue.

Any comments?