amp wires behind dash

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shiifty_dart

shiifty_dart

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I'm building a custom dash and I'm not putting an amp meter in I know these wires have to be hooked up to run the car so can I hook them to a volt gauge or should I wire them together and if I do this will it put a drain on my battery if possible I would like to remove them all together
thanks in advance
 
Bypass them. Run a 10 AWG wire from alternator to positive side of battery. Use fusible link like the factory did. GM did it this way (but installed a voltmeter).
 
Here is my start at putting in a voltmeter in place of the Ammeter, I got a $16.00 volt meter from Auto zone. Dissassembled it and trimmed the factory Ammeter face plate to fit behind the voltmeter face plate. Need to touch up the silver screw with some flat black. Next step is to modify the factory mounting holes on the cluster housing and drill the new holes so this will mount up correctly. Should look almost factory when complete.
This is on a 66Cuda.
Joe

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amp gauges and volt gauges are compltely different animals. They aren't interchangable with the same 2 wires in a circuit.
 
solder the amp wires together, or bypass them in the engine bay. Hook the voltmeter to any key on/run circuit, ground one wire.
 
Yooper: What car did you put the voltmeter in? Got any "after" pictures?
 
'm still working it but like the above posts the wires that were connected to each side of the Ammeter now are connected to the positive side of the voltmeter and a solid ground is attached to the negative side. My wiring will have quite a few changes and upgrades to modernize the whole thing before it is done. After working in the Navy for 24 years on weapons systems this harness is kinda juvenile in nature. I think the whole dash wiring harness may have 100 feet of wiring in it so I'm really just wanting to update in a few areas to make the circuits function a little more efficient and as many have done upgrade the charging system and reroute the alternator output to the battery instead of through the firewall and interior wiring circuits. I can post pics as I go through it if you like, The dash is currently stripped and if I get a warm day here I will be priming and painting so I can start the reassembly process.
This is all being done to a 66 barracuda.
Joe
 
volt meters put a constant drain on the batt, if not wired through keyed power.

just link the alt wires together and run a jumper to the volt meter or link 'em then run a keyed power source to the volt meter.
 
I know these wires have to be hooked up to run the car

the amp meter has to be hooked up or the engine will not run..

volt meters put a constant drain on the batt.

If they are hooked on the other side of the alt, how...

I cannot remember how I hooked one up in my MG 25 years ago but it shut off when I turned off the car..

Could anyone set me right ?
Thanks
Grassy
 
That is correct! Putting the Ammeter wires together and on the postive terminal of the voltmeter will cause a constant drain. Another alternative as stated is to connect the 2 ammeter leads together (needed to run) and tap your 12 volt source for the voltmeter from a keyed source such as the run or radio circuit, anything that the ignition key turns on and off.
Joe
 
I'm in the Chimney Hill area by Rosemont and Holland. My last jeep now lives over by you somewhere?
Joe
 
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