Or put in a voltmeter.
Stop in for a cup of coffee
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That would have been nice in terms of one less regualtor
dukeboy440
Well-Known Member
Up to 14 gauge, yeah.
and wiring is like rocket science in chinese with a german translating it
Agree...
As much as I appreciate the ammeter, I don't know why they seem to have been preferred over voltmeters well into the 70s. Even the aftermarket underdash gage sets came usually came with ammeters, not voltmeters. In fact I hav etwo of those in a box in the garage. Maybe accurate voltmeters in that range were more expensive??
Sure would have been easier for Joe average to wire in a voltmeter than a ammeter to his Chevy Nova. (I added a mechanical oil pressure gage to mine)
Could be. Voltmeters aren't built much different. It's not like the manufacturers had to wait for the computer before they figured out how to make one.
Need 10 or 12 gage for the main runs. Its the male terminals and the doubles (two wires crimped into one terminal) that you want to make sure the crimpers can do well.
How ya figure?
If it looks like a maze on paper, then take your electronic crayon and color it so you can follow it.
If it looks like a rats nest in the car, then label each connections with masking tape or whetever. Then take the whole thing out or at least far enough you can see everything. Clean it, photograph it and unwrap the tape. Copy as needed.
I'm not sure might see if the spot on the end is open.
Be easier to park the car and let one of you use the front half.
As I stood looking at meters the other day at Harbor Freight I wondered which one I should get.
I've never owned one, but feel the more I do things on the cars I need one.
At least my mechanic neighbor wouldn't have to walk back to his house to get his.
Any recommendations....what it should have on it??
I've never owned one, but feel the more I do things on the cars I need one.
At least my mechanic neighbor wouldn't have to walk back to his house to get his.
Any recommendations....what it should have on it??
and I wish they didn't cut the A-body headlight wire size so close to the power requirements. 18 gage from the hi/low switch forward!
My favorite analog for kicking around in the tool box is a mid 80s Radio shack multi-meter.
For digital, so far I've been pretty happy Innova 3340
I never paid attention. No wonder why the relay systems make so much difference.
Cool picture Mitch. I had them on my 69 Road Runner for a weekend. They sounded like a redneck pick up truck. Worse with smaller pipes.
Just paid mine...........
Yup!!
I can't swear for every year, but the ones I've had shop manuals for all show 16 gage headlight switch to dimmer and then 18 gage.
First time I had the headlight really fail was on I280 in East Orange NJ. Bad road to lose headlights; below grade and curvy. Some overhead lighting so could have been worse. That was my 75 valiant4 door with sealed beams of course. 15 amp breaker in the switch was tripping.
I've also had headlight connectors get hot enough to melt, as well a headlight switch connector in my current Barracuda partially melt. So all this got me very interested in the headlight circuits (whether I wanted to or not LOL).
The original lamps used in the mid 60s drew a bit less power than the ones installed later. If you look up the original lamp numbers you'll see the earlie rones were rated something like 50/40 Watts and later ones bump up so something like 60/50 Watts.
Maybe production engineering didn't catch that, or the lighting guys forgot to tell electric, or the accountants pushed back and asked if it was really needed....
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Here's a '68 diagram showing the main circuits and headlights (Barracuda/Valiant/Dart?).
@dukeboy_318 This is a good example of redrawing a factory diagram to focus on a specific circuit or two.
If there's something here you can't follow, then ask.
@dukeboy_318 This is a good example of redrawing a factory diagram to focus on a specific circuit or two.
If there's something here you can't follow, then ask.
dukeboy440
Well-Known Member
still looks like a maze haha. but hey, it has colors!
now, let me ask you this, this universal harness, I'm assuming its set up for a GM based system, so its probably designed for a voltmeter system, will that affect anything other than the ammeter gauge?
Think of it like a water hose. Voltage/water flows from the spigot/battery, towards the earth, ground. Diagrams only show the hot wires, the positive side. The negative side get connected to the chassis, a common ground.
Now the black alt. wire is positive potential, but it the alt. overcomes the voltage at the Battery, so it back feeds against current flow, towards the battery. And effectively running everything in the car as well as keep the Batt. charged. If a wire/line o the diagrams cross another wire/line it does not connect to it, unless there is a dot at the connection. Like you see on the black wire, changing to red to fuse panel. That is a connection both in the diagram and in the wiring itself.
dukeboy440
Well-Known Member
now im really lost lol
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