Amp Meter install question

[Jeb Stuart]

Okay it looks like I run a wire from the meter to the starter solenoid switch battery side - and run one from the meter to the A spot on the control box. The wire diagram says that a brown wire is run from the A control box to the solenoid if an amp meter is not hooked up. I don't have a amp meter but I have a brown wire running from the A in the control box that goes into the wiring harness them back through the fire wall and not to the solenoid. I looked for said brown wire under the dash w/o any luck. What should I do? Plus there are only two spots on the A in the control box and both are taken if you count the brown wire.

 

[Tom H]

I'm assuming we're talking about an SIV. I don't have one to compare with, but from the diagram you can be pretty sure that that brown wire that goes into the wiring harness and back through the firewall DOES indeed come back out and goes to the solenoid. I'm not sure where it "turns around", but I'm sure it does. If they were smart when they designed the car they would make the "turn around" point a simple connection right near where the ammeter goes, so that all you needed to do was separate that connection and connect the two ends to the ammeter. But I don't think that's how they did it.

But it's still pretty simple to run new wires for your ammeter. Just do as you describe. Run a wire from the ammeter to the solenoid and a wire from the other ammeter terminal to the A connection on the control box. But here's the key. When you connect the new wires to the solenoid and to the A terminal, you REMOVE the existing wire that connects there. No additional terminals are needed. The only tricky part is determining which of the existing brown wires to remove at each end. But you can probably determine visually which one is the one being replaced. As the diagram indicates the brown wire that is aready there is not needed when you add an ammeter and its wires.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Nickodell]

If I could add my 2c to Tom's great instructions; there is a 50/50 chance that when you've connected the ammeter it will work backwards, i.e. show - (discharge) when you're actually charging, and + (charging) when discharging. To test, turn the lights on and ensure that it's showing -.

If it's wrong, simply reverse the connections at the ammeter. And don't forget to remove the battery ground terminal whenever you work on the electrics, to avoid burns and damage in the event of a short.

 

[mikephillips]

What I did was run from the regulator terminal to the ammeter, then from the ammeter to the wire I'd disconnected from the regulator leaving it connecter to the solenoid. Then there's no loose ends left to confuse your or a subsequent owner down the road when you've forgotten what you did...
And, use a heavy gauge wire to the ammeter as it'll need to carry a load.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Thanks all for the info - once again. I'll try it this weekend and maybe have a working meter rather than something fill a hole in my dash.