Electrical: Ammeter Hook up

[jackb]

My 62' wagon has a few gremlins yet to work out behind the dash. I've got the car up and running with dash gages working (less wipers), but the line off the light switch that feeds the lights and other "bulbs" is intermittent on...now off. So I don't have the red "amp" idiot light working. I do have a couple of aftermarket (?) gages, oil (direct pressure line) and the Amp gage. The Amp gage has 2 wires, Red & Black hooked up, then coming through the firewall. How should I connect these 2 wires to achieve amp function ? I am running OEM generator (rebuilt) and a new regulator......

[Dick Steinkamp]

This is pretty simplified, but you get the idea...



You want the ammeter between the battery and any and all loads (except for the starter).

[Warren Webb]

I have taken the red wire that normally goes to the ignition switch & placed it to the ammeter, then another wire from the opposite side of the meter to the ignition switch.

[bezhawk]

Just remember that the ammeter has to be in series with the hot wire coming out of the generator / regulator. The other side is power to the rest of the car, not ground. Power flows through an ammeter . A VOLT meter is totally different in that it measures voltage at a particular point, and one side is grounded. Do not confuse the two or you will short out the hot wire and possibly cause a fire!