64 Valiant charging and lighting/gauge issues
If everything was running on battery, the ammeter should have shown discharge.
Basic power feed and distribution:
Alternator feed provides power when the engine is running.
Battery feed provides power when the alternator is not running or the battery voltage is higher than the alternator's output voltage.
Alternator output goes to the main splice and then directly to whatever is drawing current.
Charging current then goes from the main splice to the ammeter and on to the battery until its satisfied.
-> When the battery is charged the ammeter shows zero because there is no current flowing through.
-> The ammeter shows discharge when equipment is drawing on the battery for power.
Its possible the ammeter is broken, its at least as likely the ammeter has been bypassed.
If the ammeters connections to the internal shunt fails, power will not flow through - nothing will run. The shunt is just a big metal plate. The studs are the connections.
Seems like it already has been.
If everything was running on battery, the ammeter should have shown discharge.
Basic power feed and distribution:
Alternator feed provides power when the engine is running.
Battery feed provides power when the alternator is not running or the battery voltage is higher than the alternator's output voltage.
Alternator output goes to the main splice and then directly to whatever is drawing current.
Charging current then goes from the main splice to the ammeter and on to the battery until its satisfied.
-> When the battery is charged the ammeter shows zero because there is no current flowing through.
-> The ammeter shows discharge when equipment is drawing on the battery for power.
Its possible the ammeter is broken, its at least as likely the ammeter has been bypassed.
If the ammeters connections to the internal shunt fails, power will not flow through - nothing will run. The shunt is just a big metal plate. The studs are the connections.