:af: o No: :spank: I have sucessfully installed a temp gage, and an oil pressure gage thanks to help from this forum membership, so I bought a NAPA Ammeter and followed the included instructions, the result was no power to the car when I hooked it up as shown. Can anyone out there advise me of the best way to hook up this gage? I am using 14 gage wire. Thanks in advance guys. Bill Bailey
Bill, How do you have it hooked up? The ammeter must connected in sieries. wire--------(Ammeter)---------wire. That way all the current flows thru the meter. Thats how it measures it.
Bill, When I bought my 72 Stage 1, I got it off an electrical engineer. He had installed gauges and told me to 'never' use the wire that comes with the kit. He said it's too small of a wire - said to use 10 or 12 guage wire, preferably 10. He told me he had heard of too many dash fires when using too thin of a wire on ammeters. On mine, he hooked up 2 ammeters, on for the battery and one for the alternator - he was on the cautious side, to say the least. Seems like good advice to me!:TU: I wasn't about to argue with an engineer.:grin:
:TU: Thanks guys, Karl, It is not hooked up to anything as of now, I have it mounted under the dash with 14 gage wire on each post but thet are not hooked to anything yet . I couldn't get any current to the car when I hooked it up per the instruction sheet that came with it. That is why I posted this above post, hoping someone who has a 65 GS knows what wires I should hook them to. I will go to a larger wire as soon as I figure where they should go. Take care. Bill Bailey
I agree with Scott's observation. In addition I see no real world need to measure the rate of current flow in an auto. ( There are reasons to do this in for example aircraft but that is another story) A voltmeter will give the auto owner the info necessary to assess the health of the electrical system 99% of the time without the need to run the entire current load of the auto through what is often too small gauge wire and an instrument too cheaply made to withstand the attendant heat load. The risk of a problem such as fire and/or an open circuit is too great, particularly in todays society when boom box amps are installed without regard to whether the design limitations of the electrical system are being exceeded both in terms of the wiring size and the maximum continuous power rating of the stock alternator. ( Oh and Scott when I got my degree in EE we were still using slide rules. I saw my first handheld calculator when I graduated. A lot has changed since then but not the need for an aftermarket ammeter in an auto is not one of them) Jim Lore
I agree with the above. In my opinion an ammeter is 1) unnecessary, and 2) a car fire waiting to happen. Just use a voltmeter. -Bob Cunningham bobc@gnttype.org
