IGN warning light

[Dale Jordan]

Will the IGN warning light on the dash handle 12 volts ? Dale

[Jordan Baker]

I believe you would have to change the light bulb from a 6v to 12v bulb otherwise it would probably blow.

[Lynn Eades]

I'm with Jordan. essentially when you turn on the key, 12 volts from the battery, lights up the light. Once the engine is started, voltage from the generator feeds back to the battery, neutralising the feed, and so puts out the light.
We need an Auto electrician on here.

[Andrew Rowe]

If you are running 12 volt battery and 12 volt gen, all bulbs will need to be 12 volt, unless you are protecting them with a voltage reducer , but that would be pointless with reference to just changing bulbs out. You will still need to protect your temp and oil gauge with a resistor, inline (12V to 6V )that MAC's in the USA sells. If you are running the amp meter 12 volts will pass through the old "6Volt" amp gauge with ease, as it only indicates flow of voltage, Lynn have I got that right, Cheers Andrew.

[Mike K]

This is from memory , I'm no auto electrician. I think the IGN warning bulb Voltage rating needs to be lower then the nominal Voltage rating of the whole system . For a 12V system the IGN warning bulb is something like a 8V bulb , because the IGN warning bulb only "sniffs" the charging system , it doesn't get the full 12 Volts.

This might help

https://www.howacarworks.com/ignitio...-warning-light

[Lynn Eades]

Andrew, The bulb in the warning light only has to cope with about 14 volts, max.(in a 12 volt system) Yes to change from 6 to 12 volts, those things need to happen. A volt meter only indicates the voltage, an ammeter indicates current flow.
There are three elements: Voltage, Current and resistance. (Amps, Volts, and Ohms) each affects the others.

Think of it like water.
Pressure comes from the head (height of the water tank)= Voltage.
Current (flow) is dictated (limited) by the diameter of the pipe, and limited by the restriction as in a tap. (or as in the resistance filament of a bulb)

Mike, you might well be right about some systems. I don't know.
However in the case of the carriers I believe the ignition warning lights have 6 volt bulbs and would require a 12 volt bulb if the carrier was converted to 12 volt.

[Dale Jordan]

I've never started a carrier before , so I'm sailing blind here . I thought when you turn on the power switch to the on position on the dash before you push the starter button that the red IGN light was just to let you know there was power there . I've been running my motor just by starter motor only , until I get her wired up properly . Dale

[Lynn Eades]

Hi Dale, It does that,but it also tells you that the generator is charging when the light goes out.
When you rebuilt the dash, you would have noticed that the ign. light assembly is insulated from the dash panel. It also has a wire connected to a large metal ring. One wire comes from the generator and the other from the battery (via the ign. switch) Current flows when the key is switched on, lighting the light. When the engine is running current flows from the generator to the battery.
The current is then coming (approximately) equally to the bulb from two directions. The light then goes out. (opposed equal voltages = no flow)
If (while the engine is running) the light comes on, pulses or glows dimly, you have charging issues. (generally speaking)

[Andrew Rowe]

Yes Lynn , that is what I was meaning by current flow through the amp meter, got my volts and current mixed, Cheers Andrew