The Ford Barn

Samson · 12-12-2011, 11:27 AM

The ammeter in my '34 reads only at discharge with the lights on. It doesn't show charge. The generator and regulator have been checked out as good. The connections are tight.The belt is not loose. I have taken the car out on the road to see if it needed a trip to set a charge.
Any suggestions? Repair, replace with a old, stock gauge or bypass this and use a new one.

DavidG · 12-12-2011, 12:01 PM

Before replacing the ammeter, try adjusting the brushes in the generator to increase the charging rate. Your note implies that without the lights on the ammeter does show a positive reading, which would seem to rule out the ammeter as the problem.

Junknshit · 12-12-2011, 12:09 PM

Is this a new build? The reason I ask is on an ampmeter if term. are reversed, or if this is one with wire thru loop behind ampmeter and is run thru wrong way it could be problem. If battery is fully charged it shouldn't charge, but when lites are turned on it would call for a charge (which would be discharge on gauge if backwards) What does gauge read when you are engaging the starter to start it? Does it read discharge then? Does it read discharge if not running and lites turned on? If it does read discharge in these instances, wrong way wires is NOT the problem.

alanwoodieman · 12-12-2011, 12:12 PM

as you have been told before, you have an original wiring harness with a later model generator/regulator (8RT) and there is only a wire running from the regulator to the post on the starter solenoid and does not connect with the underdash wires. This "charge" wire needs to be routed into the original wiring harness to be able to show a charge on the ammeter. It does show charging voltage at the battery

Samson · 12-12-2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwoodieman

as you have been told before, you have an original wiring harness with a later model generator/regulator (8RT) and there is only a wire running from the regulator to the post on the starter solenoid and does not connect with the underdash wires. This "charge" wire needs to be routed into the original wiring harness to be able to show a charge on the ammeter. It does show charging voltage at the battery

Thanx Alan. How soon I forget.

DavidG · 12-12-2011, 03:00 PM

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In a properly wired electrical system, the starter motor circuit is indepent of the rest of the wiring and the ammeter does not register when the starter motor is activated. The current draw of a starter motor is such that it would destroy the ammeter in short order if its wiring was routed through the ammeter.

alanwoodieman · 12-12-2011, 07:05 PM

David G not quite what I am talking about-instead of the old wire from the 3 brush generator /cut out going into the underdash relay, etc. There is only a wire from the voltage regulator to the battery side of the solenoid-which means that the voltage from the gen goes directly from the regulator to the battery-remember this is a ammeter gauge not a volt meter and does not pass thru any wires to get the ammeter to show charging-ammeter currently only shows an electrical load neg

Kurt in NJ · 12-12-2011, 07:31 PM

You don't need a + charge with you lights on, it probably never did from new, the charge rate has to be set for your total useage, read in your owners man, + there are several articles in the service bulletins starting with model A, and I know there are some in 36, it is normal to have a discharge at night, the intention is that daylight driving makes up for it,the charge rate is to be adjusted for your use of the car, on my A I set a 15 amp charge with the 3rd brush, it is good enough to have 1 amp + with the lights on(direct fit Halogen), but I drive 50% at night, if I take a long drive in daylightI turn on the lights to prevent overcharging ( I have never used a maintainer, or charged the battery other than driving, my system works for me and gives long battery life, 14 years on the Optima so far)

Walt Dupont--Me. · 12-12-2011, 07:57 PM

Just put a volt meter on the batt, speed the engine up, if it's charging the meter should read somewhere around 7 volts or a little more. if it's below 6 volts with engine speeded up it's not charging. Walt

alanwoodieman · 12-12-2011, 11:19 PM

Walt-finally some one who gets it!! Voltmeter shows charging voltage at the battery and if he had a voltmeter in the system he would see that voltage. Wish someone had for sale a 4-8 volt dash mountable voltage gauge.

DavidG · 12-13-2011, 12:25 AM

Alanwoodieman,

I was addressing junkn&%#$'s comment about starter motor activation registering on the ammeter.

David

12-12-2011, 11:27 AM	#1
Samson Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: SC Posts: 23	stock ammeter The ammeter in my '34 reads only at discharge with the lights on. It doesn't show charge. The generator and regulator have been checked out as good. The connections are tight.The belt is not loose. I have taken the car out on the road to see if it needed a trip to set a charge. Any suggestions? Repair, replace with a old, stock gauge or bypass this and use a new one.

12-12-2011, 12:01 PM	#2
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,101	Re: stock ammeter Before replacing the ammeter, try adjusting the brushes in the generator to increase the charging rate. Your note implies that without the lights on the ammeter does show a positive reading, which would seem to rule out the ammeter as the problem.

12-12-2011, 12:09 PM	#3
Junknshit Banned Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Wash. Posts: 233	Re: stock ammeter Is this a new build? The reason I ask is on an ampmeter if term. are reversed, or if this is one with wire thru loop behind ampmeter and is run thru wrong way it could be problem. If battery is fully charged it shouldn't charge, but when lites are turned on it would call for a charge (which would be discharge on gauge if backwards) What does gauge read when you are engaging the starter to start it? Does it read discharge then? Does it read discharge if not running and lites turned on? If it does read discharge in these instances, wrong way wires is NOT the problem.

12-12-2011, 12:12 PM	#4
alanwoodieman Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: upstate SC Posts: 2,963	Re: stock ammeter as you have been told before, you have an original wiring harness with a later model generator/regulator (8RT) and there is only a wire running from the regulator to the post on the starter solenoid and does not connect with the underdash wires. This "charge" wire needs to be routed into the original wiring harness to be able to show a charge on the ammeter. It does show charging voltage at the battery

12-12-2011, 03:00 PM	#6
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,101	Re: stock ammeter Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) In a properly wired electrical system, the starter motor circuit is indepent of the rest of the wiring and the ammeter does not register when the starter motor is activated. The current draw of a starter motor is such that it would destroy the ammeter in short order if its wiring was routed through the ammeter.

12-12-2011, 07:05 PM	#7
alanwoodieman Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: upstate SC Posts: 2,963	Re: stock ammeter David G not quite what I am talking about-instead of the old wire from the 3 brush generator /cut out going into the underdash relay, etc. There is only a wire from the voltage regulator to the battery side of the solenoid-which means that the voltage from the gen goes directly from the regulator to the battery-remember this is a ammeter gauge not a volt meter and does not pass thru any wires to get the ammeter to show charging-ammeter currently only shows an electrical load neg

12-12-2011, 07:31 PM	#8
Kurt in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: on the Littlefield Posts: 6,159	Re: stock ammeter You don't need a + charge with you lights on, it probably never did from new, the charge rate has to be set for your total useage, read in your owners man, + there are several articles in the service bulletins starting with model A, and I know there are some in 36, it is normal to have a discharge at night, the intention is that daylight driving makes up for it,the charge rate is to be adjusted for your use of the car, on my A I set a 15 amp charge with the 3rd brush, it is good enough to have 1 amp + with the lights on(direct fit Halogen), but I drive 50% at night, if I take a long drive in daylightI turn on the lights to prevent overcharging ( I have never used a maintainer, or charged the battery other than driving, my system works for me and gives long battery life, 14 years on the Optima so far)

12-12-2011, 07:57 PM	#9
Walt Dupont--Me. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gardiner Me. Posts: 4,200	Re: stock ammeter Just put a volt meter on the batt, speed the engine up, if it's charging the meter should read somewhere around 7 volts or a little more. if it's below 6 volts with engine speeded up it's not charging. Walt

12-12-2011, 11:19 PM	#10
alanwoodieman Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: upstate SC Posts: 2,963	Re: stock ammeter Walt-finally some one who gets it!! Voltmeter shows charging voltage at the battery and if he had a voltmeter in the system he would see that voltage. Wish someone had for sale a 4-8 volt dash mountable voltage gauge.

12-13-2011, 12:25 AM	#11
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,101	Re: stock ammeter Alanwoodieman, I was addressing junkn&%#$'s comment about starter motor activation registering on the ammeter. David