ammeter wiring

[jvandyke]

How should an ammeter be wired in? I'd guess in series between the battery and control box? Brown wire off battery to meter, then off the other side of the meter back to control box, A terminal?

 

[regularman]

In series between your charging device and your battery. The thick wire that carries the current goes to the ammeter and then to the battery.

 

[jvandyke]

Great thanks.

 

[sparkydave]

Just to clarify a little; the ammeter would go between the generator and the battery, but not in the lead from the generator. Ideally, the battery lead would go to one side of the ammeter, and the other side of the ammeter would have the connection to the generator and to the rest of the car's loads. Note that you DON'T put it directly in the main battery lead; the starter would destroy the ammeter. Your best bet would be to follow the battery lead to the starter solenoid, and find the leads that go from the solenoid terminal to the rest of the car; that's where the ammeter would go.

For reasons like this, a voltmeter is ideal; it is less dependent on where it connects, doesn't create a voltage drop, and isn't limited by needing the proper current rating. Just my $0.02.

 

[jvandyke]

hmmmm
It was hooked up like this diagram. But shouldn't have been? Maybe it's a good time to get a pretty volt meter instead. The ammeter doesn't match the dash bezels anyway.

 

[sparkydave]

That location of the ammeter in the diagram is correct. Sorry, your description sounded like putting it in the generator lead. Follow the diagram above.

 

[Bayless]

Right. The purpose of the ammeter is to indicate the current flowing into or out of the battery, NOT including the starter load. The diagram is correct except it would be a cleaner and more typical installation to connect the brown wire to the solenoid, where the battery also connects to it, instead of directly to the battery.

 

[jvandyke]

Great, thanks, I've changed the picture to indicate connection to starter switch instead of battery.