Ammeter and battery

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Batesy

Batesy

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Fairfield, Ohio
1975 Dart Swinger /6.
It sat for a few days and then when I started it up today the ammeter was all the way to the right (+40) not pegged but pretty far over. It stays that way during normal driving. However, at stop signs and in reverse it moves back to zero. There's nothing erratic about the way it moves. Doesn't bounce around.
So, I checked a number of connections. I swapped out voltage regulator with my spare and nothing changed. I took readings with multimeter. Battery tested at 12.23 with nothing on. When the car is on and running it reads about 13.3 and pretty much stays there even when you accelerate and hold it at higher rpms. Earlier this year I cleaned bulkhead connections. Grounds were also checked at that time. I am not ruling any of those things out but I am thinking it is the battery - maybe a dead cell? Any feedback appreciated. I chased down other problems electrically speaking earlier this year. Turned out to be a bad alternator. I am hoping my current problem is not the replacement alternator.
 
Put a wire on from alternator positive and to positive on battery use heavy wire 10 guage
 
klingon said:
Put a wire on from alternator positive and to positive on battery use heavy wire 10 guage
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What in hell for!!!!??

Sounds to me like "it might" be doing just what it's supposed to be............charging up a dead battery.

It is possible that the battery has become sulfated or has developed another problem and has a dead cell. If it's running at that voltage it IS trying to regulate.

How long / how far did you drive it?

Have you got a trickle charger you can put on it overnight?
 
I do have a trickle charger. It's funny that you made that comment b/c I recently had it at a body shop for some work and I suspected that they may have run the battery down some with either the trunk or door being open for a long period of time. I am assuming they know to take the positive off the battery but they may have not. Also, this problem did not crop up until I took it back from them - like the same day i picked it up.
 
Take the dashboard out and disconnect ammeter guage. Put wires together or put volt meter in. Try that for while you might have replace battery voltage regulator alternator one more time.
 
snj60 said:
Take the dashboard out and disconnect ammeter guage. Put wires together or put volt meter in. Try that for while you might have replace battery voltage regulator alternator one more time.
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Guage cluster not dash, and there is no reason to suspect the alternator or regulator have any issue.
 

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I have had the same problem since this time last year. I have tried to find a problem everywhere and can't. I am leaning toward the gauge cluster being the culprit.

Jack
 
Yeah, charge the battery overnight as Del suggested; the 12.23 volts at the battery indicates it is either partly discharged or has a cell going bad. If it does not read 12.6 or 12.7 volts after a long charge, and then being allowed to set without the charge for 20 minutes ans still read that high, then the battery is going. If the voltage wil not hold at 12.6 or 12.7 volts then you can take it to the auto store for a load test, but if it won't hold that voltage, it is on its way out.

The ammeter behavior sounds normal if the battery is discharged or faulty.

The alternator voltage is on the low side with high idle RPM's. That could cause the battery to never get fully charged, but with the ammeter indicating a hard charge, I more suspect the opposite: a bad battery drawing a lot of charge and holding the alternator voltage down.

Start with a good battery charge and checks.
 
snj60 said:
Take the dashboard out and disconnect ammeter guage. Put wires together or put volt meter in. Try that for while you might have replace battery voltage regulator alternator one more time.
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Yeah THAT is the answer, isn't it?? The thing appears to be working just like it's supposed to so let's unhook it. Yep. THAT will fix it.
 
Well, the trickle charge never brought the battery to full charge - at least it never went to green - even after being on the battery for almost 18 hours. So I am going to run the battery up to autozone and have them run a load test.
 
Go with what 273 says... but it sounds to me like the system's working just fine and you may just have a bad battery.
 
Batesy said:
Well, the trickle charge never brought the battery to full charge - at least it never went to green - even after being on the battery for almost 18 hours. So I am going to run the battery up to autozone and have them run a load test.
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I would bet you have a bad battery, at this point. Make sure you get someone who actually knows how to use the tester.
 
Below 12.4 volts static is either deeply discharged, or a bad (dead) battery. 20 minutes off of charger should read around 13 volts, at 12.6 or so I would say it's well on it's way (to the recycler).
 
Actually, I am guessing that the battery was almost done charging when i took the charger off. When I started it up - the needle hovered at zero and stayed there on my way up to NAPA. Load tested at NAPA and the battery checked out fine. Drove it around for about 45 minutes and the ammeter just hovered at zero like it should. Good to go.
 
I'm betting that it's dumping all that current through the bulkhead connector, melting wires, and fixing to cause a fire.

I agree with what'shisname, sort of. Run a wire from alt + to bat + on the starter relay, but for God's sake, use an appropriate sized wire WITH A FUSIBLE LINK.

If it was a crap battery, it'd stay on the high-amp side, not flop back n' forth. The flopping indicates intermittant shortage or high current draw. (Since it quits when you put in reverse, I'd look for wiring that's stressed when the motor moves on the mounts, and I'd look at the mounts, too)
Check your underdash harness and bulkhead connector (Again) for corrosion and melted wires.

I did this with my Dart after it did the exact same thing, and I replaced the entire harness in the process. I had no choice, it was too late.

And get a good fire extinguisher.
 
The reason that it is "flopping back and forth" just might be because RPM is going up and down.

As I said in the beginning, this seems quite normal CONSIDERING the battery is probably down AND the OP checked charging voltage which is not even "up to" normal

AFTER you get the battery "up" or replaced, and the ammeter back to normal, THEN worry about the bulkhead connector and bypassing the ammeter.

Now that you are "about there" read this article about that very thing:

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

and if you do that, here is a thread on converting from ammeter to voltmeter with little pain:

Read the whole thread, because it covers several cluster styles

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=119480

and if you do not have one, here is where you can download some factory shop manuals..........free

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1970088617
 
Thank you 67dart273 that is were i got most of my information from. The ammeter sytem was outdated when bonnie and clyde were riding around. You guys with the 60s are are ok you didn't have all the power acessories like the 70s cars. This is also how i got some experince 69 roadrunner 73 dart 73 grand fury 77 ramcharger 79 dodge truck. Each one is it's own electrical beings. All i know is that when the electrical sytem acts up you replace one part and two weeks later you are replacing another part.
 
That's true but what I was trying to accomplish here is to get him "fixed" before he modified himself into a corner by adding more problems, LOL
 
Just an IMO, but the biggest problem with ammeters is people not knowing how to read and interpret them.....I have one on a 1961 Piper Cherokee; works fine, and let's me know battery condition, charge or drain rate, and generator operation. Of course, the wiring is a lot better; they don't have any problem with burning up! (That and airplanes don't idle a whole lot.....)
 
I understand fully what you are saying. The only reason i suggested to start at the ameter is because i just went thru all of this myself. Not quite sure if i chased off all the little gremlins yet.
 
nm9stheham said:
Just an IMO, but the biggest problem with ammeters is people not knowing how to read and interpret them.....I have one on a 1961 Piper Cherokee; works fine, and let's me know battery condition, charge or drain rate, and generator operation. Of course, the wiring is a lot better; they don't have any problem with burning up! (That and airplanes don't idle a whole lot.....)
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I actually PREFER the way an ammeter indicates over a voltmeter.
 
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