1964-1974 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Kansas is right. Putting the ammeter into the alternator circut will not show the discharge (load) on the battery, such as when you have your headlights on without the engine running. It does need to go into a circut between battery load and the alternator. (This is one of the ways to put one in according the the instructions I have from another meter.) I hadn't realized the part about the ammeter not being able to handle the starter load. Good point. I am now going to look to see if there's more than one wire coming from the battery (I don't remember one). There are two wires (both red #10s) going to the starter solinoid (battery) post as well as the biggie from the battery. One of these (#10s) is from the alternator (according to the wiring diagram). The other I haven't figured out yet. My guess: if there's no other wire coming from the battery, this is how the rest of the electrical system gets it juice,..I'll have to look at the diagram again. There's a third wire (16 ga. yellow if I remember correctly) that goes to a different (smaller) post on the solinoid,...I'm assuming that this is from the iginiton switch. Can't remember if there's a starter relay that's in the mix.
I know a volt meter would have been easier, but the ammeter came with the other two gauges (oil press. & vacuum) I scored. Besides, ammeters are more in keeping with the vintage of these cars (standard equip. on many '60s cars). Doubt if VDO even made volt meters 40+ yrs. ago for the aftermarket. If they did, I'd sure like to find one one to match the rest of the gauges. The combo is great for monitoring both battery and charging conditions.
Alan K.
posted by 4.243.20...
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