Volt meter question, Secondary added question Options

[Menmojo]

I’m working on a 1975 914. I just replaced a non working volt meter with a working period correct vdo volt meter. When the car is shut off the volt meter is reading the voltage.
Is this correct? Is the volt meter supposed to be switched on with the ignition or does it always show the voltage? I’m concerned that it will slowly drain the battery. The car has the stock wiring harness and originally came with a center gauge package.

[GregAmy]

Crappy voltmeter is one of the reasons (space being the main driver) that I removed my console entirely. I got tired of seeing bad (and fluctuating) readings while driving around.

The final straw was when my big feet popped a fuse out without my knowing it and I thought I was stranded out in the middle of nowhere at night, trying to decide if I should chance the long drive through nowhere to get where I needed to be (clued in with no GEN light, I finally figured it out).

For me, the idiot lights and the fuel/temp gauge combo work perfectly fine to tell me when it's time to park the car.

[emerygt350]

Crappy voltmeter is one of the reasons (space being the main driver) that I removed my console entirely. I got tired of seeing bad (and fluctuating) readings while driving around.

The final straw was when my big feet popped a fuse out without my knowing it and I thought I was stranded out in the middle of nowhere at night, trying to decide if I should chance the long drive through nowhere to get where I needed to be (clued in with no GEN light, I finally figured it out).

For me, the idiot lights and the fuel/temp gauge combo work perfectly fine to tell me when it's time to park the car.

I have actually found the volt meter (functioning as I have wired it) actually is a little helpful. Before I updated my regulator to solid state (and an optima battery that can take the voltage) I noticed that it dipped dangerously low with lights and wipers and heater all going. So low that I bet the battery discharge would have eventually caused the car to stop. If I were still running an old analog voltage regulator, I would want to know the details. Maybe the gen light would tell you about running a deficit but I suspect by the time it turns on from low battery charge, things might be too far. It's more of a "your alt belt just broke" kind of thing.

Every once in a while I try to drive blind, but eventually I just want to know what's going on and put the 'super console' back in (on both of my fun cars). I think I approach this more like a pilot. They have no problem with tons of gauges letting them know what is up, and what may likely cause them to come down.

[GregAmy]

I think I approach this more like a pilot. They have no problem with tons of gauges letting them know what is up, and what may likely cause them to come down.

Then I suggest you will absolutely hate my aviaton treatise from circa 2000...

The "Minimalist's Panel" Theory of Equipment and Operation
https://gatm.org/flying/minimalist.html

(As an aside, to each his own of course, but the one alternator failure I've had in the 914 did not show up on the voltmeter, but it did show up on the GEN light. I can explain why if you're interested.)

"Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry

"More gauges?? I don't want the monkey distracted by gauges, I want the monkey to be driving the damned race car! Tell you what, I'll give the monkey two big lights: an orange one telling him to shift and a red one telling him to park the damned car! Otherwise, shut up and drive." - tGA