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Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:58 am
by silverboydreamer
I want to fit an ammeter to my T6 B, I would like to fit an ammeter to the car, has anyone done this or knows how to do it?, looking at the wiring diagram it looks to me the best place to do this would be by breaking into the power input into the fuse board at terminal 3. By diverting the input wire to the ammeter and then returning from there to the fuse board would seem to the best and easiest way?
Any advice would be welcome

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 1:36 pm
by Nine One One
Do you have a cigarette lighter socket in your car?

If so this is the easiest way to overcome having to wire in a meter, if you do an ebay search, there are plenty of variants of the same module.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Car-Auto ... %3A2334524

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 1:44 pm
by Winston Teague
That's a voltmeter, OP wants an Ammeter..... A double acting Ammeter (ie. Showing charge and discharge) would interrupt the main power feed from the battery to the fuseboard. NOT the battery cable but the smaller one on the positive battery terminal. This maybe what is being described, but I'm away from my wiring diagram at the mo.
I do wonder why though? All the best W

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 2:10 pm
by silverboydreamer
The smaller wire from the battery is the one that goes to terminal 3 on fuse board, as to why?, why not?.
Regards dk

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 2:31 pm
by Lightweight_911
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I had one fitted to my 356C:

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Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 3:14 pm
by mycar

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 3:46 pm
by silverboydreamer
Thanks for info on registry, unfortunately, you need the password as they have blocked nonmembers accessing the site!

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 7:16 pm
by jwhillracer
Why fit an ammeter which involves major electrical work and heavy current cables, potentially giving a voltage drop to the whole system, when a voltmeter just needs a feed from an ignition controlled circuit, and will show you just as clearly whether your alternator/dynamo is charging or not?

JW

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:01 pm
by Nine One One
That is exactly why I suggested the Ebay gizmo

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:13 pm
by mycar
jwhillracer wrote:Why fit an ammeter which involves major electrical work and heavy current cables, potentially giving a voltage drop to the whole system, when a voltmeter just needs a feed from an ignition controlled circuit, and will show you just as clearly whether your alternator/dynamo is charging or not?

JW
This is pretty much what all those Registry links say but there is a reference to an 'inductive ammeter' which may be a simpler option wiring wise.

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 9:44 pm
by neilbardsley
I have a ammeter on my a. It was wired between regulator b+ and battery. It explained why I had a voltage drop between the regulator and battery. When feed directly to from the regulator to battery it stopped working.

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Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:14 am
by S.J.Szabo
Mr.Bardsley:

I hope you'll pardon my confusion, but could you clarify your post?

I take it to say that the ammeter was first installed between the batt and the regulator, but caused a voltage drop, so you wired it between the batt and the regulator and the gauge stopped working?

As to the thread, some find the ammeter to be more informative than the volt meter. Not only does one get batt and gen condition/operation, but it also shows ign-off drains.

I installed a voltmeter in The Coupe, but only because the meter was easy to adapt to the previous oil temp spot in a combo gauge, plus I was loathe to run 10ga. up and back from the regulator, with its attendant losses. But I still prefer the ammeter, a taste I acquired from driving a Triumph.

Re: Fitting an ammeter?

Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 1:00 am
by neilbardsley
Maybe I miss typed. Rather than the regulator returning directly to the battery via the big cable which feeds the starter motor it was feeding another way via the amp meter. I found this when I was chasing a voltage drop between the regulator and battery. I charged the wiring to feed directly to the battery. No longer had a voltage drop but the amp meter stopped working.

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