No Start, ignition and ammeter problems
I am getting power to the ammeter (didnt check the exact voltage though). So then it sounds like the ammeter is bad. How do I go about checking the ammeter.
You may be getting enough power to CHECK it, as in a poor bulkhead connector terminal. A "good" ammeter with "good connections" is just like a piece of wire. It feeds power right on through. Battery power comes TO the ammeter on the red, ALL power taken OFF is from the black wire side.
What happens when you turn the lights on?
Follow the MAD article, and the massive post I made. IN a normal situation, you should have BATTERY power feeding all the way through on this path----
From battery -- starter relay -- fuse link -- bulkhead connector -- to the ammeter (RED), -- through the ammeter -- out the ammeter (BLACK) -- back out the bulkhead on the black wire and to the alternator output stud.
AT THE ammeter black wire, there is a FACTORY WELDED SPLICE (look at the MAD diagram) which is a few inches down in the harness. This branches off and supplies the fuse "hot" buss, the ignition switch, and headlights only power to the headlight switch, and maybe one or two other things.
TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS. DO they work? YES? Then you have power through that circuit.
If the above is yes, try the KEY. NO power? check the back of the switch for power, it's either the factory splice broke, or a bad connector or bad switch
If you turned on the headlights and NO lights, check AGAIN on BOTH SIDES of the ammeter
Power on one side, not the other? Bad ammeter
NO power either side? Go back to the bulkhead connector and the fuse link.
WIGGLE THINGS. "Jerk" them "lightly." See if things come on/ off
PULL the BULKHEAD CONNECTOR apart and inspect it
READ the MAD article.
