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By texasmark1 - 15 Years Ago
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thought I had my SW ammeter finally hooked up but I must have done it wrong as it worked for few days, then some how killed the juice in the electric system... no click, no buzz, no nothing... unhooked it, and everything worked fine. anybody care to share how it can be done? I have a SW 3 gauge panel (water temp, oil pressure and ammeter). thanks, Mark
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By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
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I ran wire from hot side of starter solenoid and one to ground and it works fine. Have also hooked them up at pos side of coil. you need a point to hook up that is hot when switch is on.
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By texasmark1 - 15 Years Ago
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and what gauge wire have you used bird? I presently have it set up with 10 or 12 Mark
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By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
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I used 12 gauge.
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By rick55 - 15 Years Ago
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Make sure that your ammeter is rated higher than the output of the alternator or generator. Some alternators can put out high current, above 80Amp. If your ammeter is only able to read 30Amps you will fry the gauge.
If you hook an ammeter up between the solenoid and earth be ready for the sparks flying.
You can hook a voltmeter up between power and earth but an ammeter MUST not contact earth. All you will do is burn out the ammeter or flatten the battery or both. This is a dead short to earth.
Depending on whether you have a generator or alternator fitted the wiring is a little different. On a generator fitted car remove the battery wire from the generator going to the regulator and connect that wire to one side of the ammeter, run a wire from the other terminal to where you removed the wire from. On Ford cars this is the big yellow wire going to the voltage regulator.
If you have an alternator fitted you will need to do a little more. Disconnect the wire going to the battery from the alternator from the battery and connect it to the wire which is connected to the battery side of the solenoid.By this I mean the wire which feeds all the electrics of the car and not the main wire coming from the battery.
These two wires should be connected together and no longer bolted to the solenoid, leaving just the main battery lead connected to the solenoid. A 4mm wire is also connected to these two wires and then run to one of the contacts on the ammeter. The other wire on the ammeter connects directly to the battery. If you don't remove the wires from the solenoid the ammeter will not work. Once you have the engine running the ammeter should read charge and discharge with the engine off. If not swap the wires on the terminals at the back of the ammeter.
The explanation for the wiring is that ammeters are connected in series. ie inline, and voltmeters are in parallel, ie across the power.
Fitting ammeters is generally better left to an auto electrician.
Hope this makes it clear for you
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By yehaabill - 15 Years Ago
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Texas Y-Guy: Most, if not all wiring guys, don't recomend using an amp gauge because, of the danger, of that wire, shorting out under your dash and burning your pride & joy to the ground. All of your vehicles amp out-put would be traveling thru that wire. Most say go with the volt meter, it's your call I don't want anyone to damage our "Y" vehicles........ Bill
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By Bob's 55 - 15 Years Ago
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Thank you Bill, I was just about to write the same thing but you did it for me. And Birdman, I sure hope you have a voltmeter and not an ammeter, as Rick suggests the way you say you have it hooked up would fry your 'Bird.
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By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
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I do have a voltmeter on my bird. I knew that all along . Just didnt read the post slow enough. Just made an assumption which one shouldn't do. Will do better next time.
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By Bob's 55 - 15 Years Ago
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Whoo, I was afraid you were going to melt that beautiful 'Bird of yours...
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By texasmark1 - 15 Years Ago
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understood the above insights, but am wondering if the ammeter is so much less desireable than a voltmeter, why does SW package an ammeter w/the rest of the set...? my particular car has an alternator in place of the original generator, Pertronix dist set up and a good battery... I followed the instructions provided with the gauge (though English translated through at least two other languages leaves a bit to be desired); had my electrician brother in law assist me and the thing worked for a few days... may need to confirm that my alt did not overload/fry the gauge... thanks, Mark
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By paul2748 - 15 Years Ago
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texasmark1 (4/19/2010)
understood the above insights, but am wondering if the ammeter is so much less desireable than a voltmeter, why does SW package an ammeter w/the rest of the set...?
Mark
Can't answer that question, but a voltmeter gives you better info on charging. Just the fact that you burned it up when its brand new shows how an amp meter can screw up you car (re total it). Use a voltmeter and get rid of the amp meter.
Every car that I had an amp meter in had a charging problem When I got rid of the amp meters and installed a voltmeter all my problems went away.
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By Bob's 55 - 15 Years Ago
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Mark, Most modern alternators put out well above 60 amps. The highest Ammeter that SW makes is 60 amps. Most of the ammeters in the kits only go to 30 amps...
As a side note, do you really want 30-60 amperes going through a gauge that is just inches above your legs? Not me... might be a rush for about a second... I believe I remember it only takes a 1/2 an amp to kill you if it travels through your heart. At any rate they put several amps through you in a Electric Chair which boils your Brain...
All the gruesomeness aside, I agree with what Paul said in the above post.
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By texasmark1 - 15 Years Ago
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hmmm... wonder what other useful gauge I could substitue for the hole where the ammeter goes...?? guess its back to the SW website to do some shopping! thanks for the warnings Mark
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By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
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An Ampere as it is affectionately known is what pushes volts thru a wire or what ever. It is that pushing that is dangerous. I do know that 5 milliampere will kill you . That is equivalent to about 1/10th of a small christmas tree light. So, it isnt much. One doesn't need or want to know how fast volts are moving thru a point. We are more interested in how many volts pass thru that point. Thus volt gauges are what we car people use. Amperes are used more in industrial settings. Large generators,big machinery etc. I speed read at times and saw part of the info on the post. I do know we dont use amp gauges on our cars. It got by me as I was worrying I supppose about my hard starting problems I am having right now. I apologize if I misinformed anyone. Wasn't intentded.
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By texasmark1 - 15 Years Ago
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ok... so, if I substitute a voltmeter for the ammeter, what's the best/simple way to go about that hook up?
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By 55Birdman - 15 Years Ago
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Same way as before. Thats was what I was referring to when I gave you info on hook up previously.
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By PF Arcand - 15 Years Ago
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Just for clarification, many old gauge sets were equipped with Amp guages, when all cars had generators. As stated if using an alternator, switch to a volt meter. I happen to have an Amp gauge on my car,(it came that way) with a generator & had problems re battery charging. An auto electrical tech advised me that if using an amp gauge, it requires very heavy wiring. I replaced my wiring with 10 gauge & I suspect that would be the minimum... By the way as I understand it, voltage provides the push (potential), amperage measures the amount of power passing..
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By Flying Jester - 15 Years Ago
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As far as where to attach, I usually connect the Volvo-Penta voltmeter I've had kicking from car-to-car for years to the cigarette lighter, or the old stereo power (as I always wire the stereo directly to the battery).
I have to ask, why an ammeter? I have one in an '82 dodge truck, and It's useless. I can't tell whether or not I should turn the truck on to charge, whether I my battery is charging...it acts more like an RPM gauge, telling me if I'm revving the engine or not!
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By Joe 5bird7 - 15 Years Ago
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Just to confuse things further, some cars (including my 70 Bronco) came originally with an alternator and in dash amp meter. Never seen any reason to change it.
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By aussiebill - 15 Years Ago
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PF Arcand (4/20/2010)
Just for clarification, many old gauge sets were equipped with Amp guages, when all cars had generators. As stated if using an alternator, switch to a volt meter. I happen to have an Amp gauge on my car,(it came that way) with a generator & had problems re battery charging. An auto electrical tech advised me that if using an amp gauge, it requires very heavy wiring. I replaced my wiring with 10 gauge & I suspect that would be the minimum... By the way as I understand it, voltage provides the push (potential), amperage measures the amount of power passing..Frustrating these electrical things can be, i can relate a few years back i occasionally got a dead short, no power in my 64 lincoln, charge the battery, still no power, wriggle auto shift in case inhibitor is not lining up, no! Another new battery, starts! hooray. Months later, no start, recheck everything, charge new battery, started. Eventually had auto electrician fixing top wireing and he bypassed the amp meter when he expeirenced the dead short! and never had the problem again. Would never have guessed it!
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