Ammeter: Get rid of it!

[Kit Sullivan]

This may have been addressed here before, but if not I will bring it up now:

The Ammeter in our 3-gauge cluster is a poor design, and potentially a disastorous event waiting to happen.

an Ammeter measures current flow into or out of a battery. The problem is that they are "HOT" all the time! If the battery is connected, the ammeter is "hot"...regardless if the ignition is on or not.

I have heard many stories over the years of fires starting randomly due to ameters, and often it happens when the car is parked overnight...alone and unsupervised.

The coil in the anmmeter can overheat, and if hot enough, start a fire.

If your factory ammeter is still functional, I strongly recommend one of three actions on your part:

1) Disconnect it: Of course it won't work anymore, but you will be safer from unwanted fires!

2) Add a 25-30 amp fuse in-line on the main dash feed line coming of the starter solenoid/ relay.

3) Convert your ammeter from reading amps to reading volts. This can be done for around $50 by several places. Much safer. Do it. Dion't want to hear any stories about someone's beautiful Mustang burning up...just do it.

 

[JimNiki]

Agree 100%. Very poor and cheap design... I suppose the gauge voltage regulator is just as bad a design but because it doesn't start fires, we just change it without the drama. Of all my many gauges, the ammeter is the only one not working.

 

[caspianwendell]

I am not a fan of these matches either

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

here is the appropriate/best place to disconnect it? Mine has never worked.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

The back of the gauge is the surest place I know. If yours doesn't work you are probably safe...no working means no connection.

 

[goodnigh]

My gauge does not work either, never has.

Guess I could check to see if there is any

voltage present at the gauge's connector.

My gauge says "ALT" so I assume it is an

ammeter. It bugs me when a gauge does

not work.

mike

 

[Totalled]

One of the things I'm going to do is go through the whole harness before my car goes back on the road. The previous owner(s) added the gauges. I think I saw some extension cord used in a section for the ammeter....

I'm converting to a 3G alternator and will be running autometer gauges, so it's going away one way or another...

 

[72HCODE]

if anybody has had the conversion done, post where and who did it. i would be interested in a conversion.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

RCCI (Rocketman's Classic Cougar Innovations) sells amp-gauge conversions for $30 with your core. Switchs from an amp gauge to a volt gauge.

You simply disregard the factory wiring, and run a hot wire off a switched source, and a ground wire.

The gauge looks factory, operates visually as normal. Bolts directly in place.

Is only hot when key is on.

Much better.

 

[MechEng]

RCCI (Rocketman's Classic Cougar Innovations) sells amp-gauge conversions for $30 with your core. Switchs from an amp gauge to a volt gauge.

You simply disregard the factory wiring, and run a hot wire off a switched source, and a ground wire.

The gauge looks factory, operates visually as normal. Bolts directly in place.

Is only hot when key is on.

Much better.

The gauge looks close to factory, as others have noted the one main difference will be that when the gauge is "off" instead of the needle staying in the center as it does with the ammeter, it will pin to the left side of the gauge like the Oil Pressure and Water Temp gauges do.

It's a small note, but this might be important to someone considering the change.

There's a number of people here who have had the RCCI upgrade, and they all seem incredibly impressed with the quality of work, the turnaround time, and the professionalism, so it's on my list of things to do.

 

[jbojo]

We had this discussion recently here:

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-volt-gauge

I posted some pics for will e of how the gauges look at key on, charging etc.

-jbojo

 

[midlife]

Hey! I happen to like ammeters. When they screw up and burn up the insulation on the wires, I have more customers!

 

[kidwithfastback=fast]

I have one in but its not connected. Just a dummy, chillin out between the necessary ones. I would rather have a volt gauge.

 

[Gonzo1970]

http://www.rccinnovations.com/index.php?show=menu-volt-all

$30 with your core.. turn around time = 6-7 days.

Its too cheap not to do.

-Gonz