UPDATE Starting/Charging issues

[rp23g7]

I want to thank everyone who offered suggestions to my problem today. I went out at lunch after I was told about the Ammeter having all the power from the whole system going to it.

I reached under the dash and the connections were loose.

i hand tightened them and tried starting, and the car started.

After work, it started and drove it home.

The ammeter that i had never seen move before was charging up a storm.

I crawled under the dash at home and tightened the studs and the connections which were both loose.

tried starting and it started right up with the key 3 times.

Wonder if the relay was bad in the first place.

Definatly going to try that bypass idea, or the volt gauge replacement.

What would the difference be in replacing the ammeter with a volt gauge? I still dont understand that part.

 

[C130 Chief]

A volt meter will give you an indication of system voltage. So with the key on, engine off, it will read 11.5-12.5 volts. With the engine running it should read 13.5-14 volts. The reason most OEM's went away from the ammeter in the 70 is because cars started requiring greater electrical loads, and were fitted with more powerful alternators. It was not practical, nor was it safe to route the entire output of the alternator through the dash and a single istrument. Oh yeah, that big fat wire was expensive too. A red "amp" or "charge" light is all you really need, but add a voltmeter if you wish. Sooner or later the ammeter will crap out and the cheap fix is to bypass it.