Ammeter to Voltmeter...who does it?

FLynes said
I don't know either...my first thought was maybe it's there, in case the something happens to the solenoid, like the 12V power source spikes. I really have no idea.

Probably worth figuring out if this is standard practice and if so, why. A fuse or breaker, especially one thats 20 amps or less, between two batteries or between the alternator and the battery just seems odd.

FLynes said
As it stands in stock form now, the ammeter is on full time...will it hurt the voltmeter, if it stays on full time? If so, I can find a switched 12V source under the dash and use it to power the voltmeter.

Ammeters aren't on or off. It's the same as having a short piece of wire in the same location. If you go to the Chrysler MTSC page I linked, you'll see the ammeter consists a big plate with a connector on each end. A high resistance fine circuit is attached in parallel. When current moves through the plate, the needle in the fine circuit deflects.

Voltmeters are a through path with a very high resistance. The resistance limits flow through the meter to a tiny amount, but its there. It would be a slow drain on the battery.

AMC used the switched side of the fuse box on late SJs for the voltmeter lead. Not sure if it was fused on not, probably yes. I'm sure some folks earlier in this thread have discussed locations to tap.

FLynes said
Yes, it is. It requires the removal of the existing Coach/House battery charging solenoid and replacing it with an updated charging system. It's on the list of things to do.

FLynes said
The Coach/House battery has a second ammeter, located at the Power Distribution Center under the kitchen counter. When you press the switch, it gives you the health of the battery, and whether it's charging or not.

Interesting. Maybe it has a big resistor in it (load test).