# 2012 Chevrolet Traverse - gauge dropping despite new battery

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, traverse\
**Created:** [May 19, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603 "2019-05-19T00:10:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SamRUSSELL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@SamRUSSELL](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SamRUSSELL)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603/1 "2019-05-19T00:10:58Z")

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replace battery and alternator and gage still drops

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**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 11:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603/2 "2019-05-19T11:24:11Z")

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Under what circumstances and how much does it drop?

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**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2019, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603/3 "2019-05-19T12:04:27Z")

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Which gage?

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**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603/4 "2019-05-20T23:48:38Z")

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I presume that you are talking about the ammeter is showing no charge.

When you replaced the alternator, did you disconnect the battery first.  
There is a heavy wire that is secured to the back of the alternator with a washer and nut. This cable carries the charge from the alternator back to the battery. If you shorted out that wire, you burnt thru the fusible link.

Yosemite

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 12:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-traverse-gauge-dropping-despite-new-battery/140603/5 "2019-05-21T00:35:02Z")

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This is the positive battery cable for your vehicle.  
 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/a/5ab8a3fdb935add0a84570a2aefdd04c09ba17ca.jpeg)

If you look to the right of the positive terminal, you’ll see a thing called an amp clamp.

An electrical connector plugs into the amp clamp and informs the computer the electrical demands of the vehicle.

From this information, the computer makes adjustments to charging system for the electrical demands of the vehicle.

If there are no high electrical demands, the gauge will drop.

This ain’t your 72 Impala.

Tester