Weird Amp Meter Behavior--what does it mean?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,023
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From: TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS
St. Jude Contributor
Weird Amp Meter Behavior--what does it mean?
In the past, my stock "battery" meter has stayed near "0" most the time, only moving when there's a temporary increase in demand (turn on the headlights, etc.) and then going back to just over zero. Now suddenly it seems to follow the tach at idle, going all the way to +40 when the RPMs increase and then falling back down to near zero. At cruise, it stays at about +40 and doesn't drop significantly when I let off the rpms.
Can anybody clue me in? I'm not too good at this electrical stuff.
JB
Can anybody clue me in? I'm not too good at this electrical stuff.
JB
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,367
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From: Virginia USA
Re: Weird Amp Meter Behavior--what does it mean? (JB)
Check your battery cables especially the ground. I found that loose battery connections cause the amp meter to read high because of a high resistance connection. I cleaned all my grounds, the engine block ground and the battery cable ground and it fixed it. I have never seen the amp meter follow the rpms though, that’s kinda weird.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
Re: Weird Amp Meter Behavior--what does it mean? (JB)
Ditto battery and block ground cables and connections.
Also check the 8 or 10 Ga wire that connects the alternator to the horn relay and on to the starter. This in turn connects to the battery. If these connections are loose, frayed or corroded, you could get the results you are describing.
Also check the 8 or 10 Ga wire that connects the alternator to the horn relay and on to the starter. This in turn connects to the battery. If these connections are loose, frayed or corroded, you could get the results you are describing.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 93
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From: Brandon FL
Re: Weird Amp Meter Behavior--what does it mean? (flynhi)
Funny you should say that; I just replaced a suspect alternator, and as it turns out there was only a resistance problem. Corrected the problem and now amp meter reads around 11 amps unless I'm running around 70mph when it reads lower. I don't know why this happens. The other side to it is my horn. When locking the tilt on the steering column the horn often times sounds off. It's as if there's a short. Now I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the amp meter. Any ideas? 1980 (L-48)
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS TEXASTEXASTEXASTEXAS
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Weird Amp Meter Behavior--what does it mean? (flynhi)
Also check the 8 or 10 Ga wire that connects the alternator to the horn relay and on to the starter. This in turn connects to the battery. If these connections are loose, frayed or corroded, you could get the results you are describing.
Thanks, guys!:cheers:
JB
[Modified by JB, 6:20 PM 10/15/2003]
