One more question

[nrubino]

Still working on my 67 cuda, I did the MAD ammeter bypass, my question is, do the red and black wires to the ammeter provide any power to the rest of the cluster? I unhooked them, hooked them together and taped them up per the instructions. Is this correct?

Thanks, Nick

 

[RedFish]

No, 12 volts to the instrument panel at switch on comes from drk blue w/ white tracer. 10 o'clock position of round harness connector.
So if you have the large red and black tied together that's good. If the rest of the panel isn't functioning at switch on, its still hanging from the harness connectors and not chassis grounded. A permanent dedicated ground wire is recommended.
Hope this helps

 

[nrubino]

Yes, that helps a lot, thanks

 

[BillGrissom]

Kind of. The black wire (ALT) feeds most things in the cabin, via the fuse box. The red wire (BATT) goes straight to the battery, so it measures current flow in/out of the battery thru the ammeter in the factory system. There are a few loads on the red wire. In the cabin, special add-ons like a spotlight and maybe the convertible top motor. Under the hood, most boxes (horn, starter relay) are powered from the red wire, i.e. not metered thru the ammeter. Anyway, hooking them together and isolating is the best approach in the MAD bypass.

 

[67Dart273]

"Kind of" is right. Here's the thing you need to understand SPECIFICALLY about the MAD bypass. There is a reason they do this mod "in the way" that they do this mod

When it is done, the red and black become ONE LARGE WIRE, now feeding battery power INTO the interior of the car. This is just like a "main feeder" into the fuse panel of your house, or say, from your house to the garage, to run your welder or compressor. And, since the red/ black wires no longer carry the alternator current, they are now "free" to have less voltage drop for supplying accessories like headlights.

This "one big wire" also accomplishes something even more important.........it provides less resistance through the bulkhead. These bulkhead terminals are and were a weak point from the very beginning.

EVERYTHING "in the car"........headlights, tail lights, ignition, etc, essentially comes "off of" that black /red wire pair. So in effect, "yes" they do power your cluster.