[Mike]

i've got an ammeter i want to install in my sierra but the instructions are dodgy and say there are a few different ways it can be installed
so does anyone know how to install one in a sierra?

Cheers

[royce]

Jack front right hand tyre up
place ammeter under tyre
lower jack

you're welcome

[Scrawny]

Why the right front Royce? Will it work under the other ones?

[Damo]

ScrawnC wrote:

Why the right front Royce? Will it work under the other ones?

right front, because that's where the most weight is, because of the driver. Which means you have to sit in the zook and have someone else jack it up, but the affect is the same

Get yourself a voltmeter Mike.

[Mike]

Damo wrote:

right front, because that's where the most weight is, because of the driver.

are you having a go about my weight

Damo wrote:

Get yourself a voltmeter Mike

well i've got this gauge already i may awell use it

[royce]

OK serious answer now

see the thinner wire coming off the positive batter terminal into the loom?

pull that off and hook 1 side of it to one terminal and the other terminal to the battery, make sutre you use really really fat wire

now look how far that wire has to travel to get to the gauge and back and imagine the voltage drop it will induce both from ant to the battery, combine that with the voltage drop standard from the massive run the standard loom does and youll be loving your new dim lights and half flat batteries

[TZAR]

I am also in the IHAWAP club ( I hate ammeter with a passion)

They are nothing but trouble. Basically all your charge from your alternator to the battery goes through this gauge. And what does it tell you? nothing really except your battery is charging.

So imagine your $45 set of three gauges which probably cost $10 to produce meaning your $3.33 gauge now supports if your car will charge or not. if this $3.33 piece of equipment fails then you are stuck on battery power to get home.

All because you have it.

Sometimes it pays not to do things. I have penis and a blender but I don't put my penis in the blender cause I can......

[lump_a_charcoal]

As if you could reach the blades anyway...

Anyway, yeah get a volt meter instead, much more useful, and easier to hook up.

[Mike]

i didn't realise they were that bad i might have to see if i can get a voltmeter to match my other gauges

[Zook_Fan]

lump_a_charcoal wrote:

As if you could reach the blades anyway...

Ah hhahahahha

[royce]

just as an example my mini had an ammeter and I pulled it out and fitted a volt meter, next time I drove it the generator died and I knew cause the voltage read lower, also gives you a better idea of when you are about to push than an ammeter

they are handy for checking out things like whether you have enough juice to run lights and stuff though

[Mike]

would 12 gauge wire be thick enough to use to hook it up?

[royce]

FUCK NO!!!!!! all the power from your car is going through it, 8 gauge at the min

[Mike]

haha ok then i didn't think the wire coming from the alternator was that thick

[royce]

its not but its only 50cm from alt to battery, tis a long way to the dash and back

the cable will cost more than a volt meter

[Mike]

but a volt meter won't tell me if the accessories in my car are drawing more than my alternator is charging

[royce]

yes it will cause the voltage will sit at battery voltage not 14.4 when its running

[TZAR]

you could make up a test ammeter

just undo the wire from the alternator to the battery and put it on one terminal of the gauge. Then put a little wire from the other terminal to the battery.

turn on all your accesoriereseresessssss (sp) and check you gauage

Then wwork out what is drawing hard turn them on one by one and have a look and work it out. Then sell it on ebay after you are finished

Good volt gauges are only $20 -30 hell you could even just by a multimeter and mount that in the car

[Mike]

i went and had a look for a volt meter and the only one anyone had in stock was this weird blue faced one i can't seem to find anything to match the gauges i have and i don't really want to have to replace all my other gauges

[Brett]

Mike wrote:

i went and had a look for a volt meter and the only one anyone had in stock was this weird blue faced one i can't seem to find anything to match the gauges i have and i don't really want to have to replace all my other gauges

its a sierra, half of the car will come from some thing else when your done with it, think of it as a "feature gauge"