AMP. GAUGE

[Larry3609]

HAS ANYONE INSTALLED A amp. GAUGE , and if so where did you wire it to? wired mine to acc. and does not read right, it seems to read low have checked it with a meter and reads 14.80 at the batery and gauage reads at 12.90. can anyone help please.

[Steve F]

You said an "AMP" gauge. But then later on you said the you were getting 12.90 ......which sounds like a voltage reading. What kind of meter do you HAVE? They hook-up totally different, and an AMP meter hooked up to something like the acc connection doesn't make sense.
Normally, an AMP meter goes in series (or a shunt goes in series) with the battery positive post and everything except maybe the starter runs through it to tell you if your battery is charging or discharging.

[Larry3609]

It is a voltmeter, not a amp. meter, sorry about that and i hooked it up to the acc. is this right?

[Steve F]

Yes, that'll work as long as what ever you have also on the acc. circuit doesn't draw too much and lower your reading. The readings that you get there could be different than if you hooked it directly to the battery, which is what I would recommend. Don't forget to put a fuse inline if you do it this way.

[Larry3609]

Ok, thank you will put a fuse in and go to the battery

[grandpa]

I had exact the same problem with my Vmeter. As soon as you turn the key to have some reading there is curent draw and because poor connection, there will be a volt drop.

You can hook it up to the battery itselvs but then you have the reading all the time. I have put in an relay fore my headlight an that is hooked up strait to the battery. So as soon I turn the key the relay will draw and the voltmeter showes the voltage on the battry. The only drop is over the relaycontacter and that is less than nothing.

[Larry3609]

I hooked it to the battery and yes it draws all the time, thinking of putting in a toggole switch to solve the problem, any other suggestions?

[Steve F]

I hooked it to the battery and yes it draws all the time, thinking of putting in a toggole switch to solve the problem, any other suggestions?

Any other suggestions????? Yes, the previous post had the answer, where he installed a relay for the voltmeter which turned on the meter when the headlights were on. In other words, the relay was operated by the headlight circuit, and the voltage to the meter was routed through this relay.
Good idea!
Steve F