Amp meter reading - Is this right?

Good luck Don

Ammeters don't care, 6 or 12 volts, positive or negative ground. BUT YOU CARE. Traditionally, ammeters indicate (+) when charging the battery and (-) when discharging the battery. And as a general rule, no matter how many lights, you still want to charge the battery about 1-3 amps when the engine is running. And your Voltage Regulator takes care of that automagically, isn't that amazing?

Heres a simple test for you to make. In the daylight so you can see what your ammeter needle is doing, WITHOUT ENGINE RUNNING, turn on your headlights. If ammeter is doing its thing correctly, it should indicate -5 to -7 AMPS with just headlights ON and ZERO with headlights OFF. If it doesn't indicate, you've got the ammeter wired incorrectly. (we've already established that the ammeter works because you reported -7) If'n it still reports -7 AMPS, its wired correctly. If'n it reports +7 with headlight on and engine OFF, its wired bassackwards.

The most important question to determine the answer to, does your current electrical system keep your battery charged? You might notice, most modern automobiles, don't even have an ammeter any more, just an idiot light. That implies that ammeters don't supply enuff useable information to the hoi-poli..... .....Dell

Me? I'd probably "re-polarize" your 8N'sgenny/VoltageRegulator by arc-sparking the BATT and ARM terminals at the VR. You can polarize as many times as you want without hurting anything as long as the engine is OFF.

Then if'n you don't get a charge to show on your ammeter while yer engine is runnin, then its time to takker into a gennerator shop for a "free" test along with your voltage regulator..... ...Dell

Closely examine your 8N's squarecan voltage regulator. It should have 4-wires attached somehow. sometimes 4-terminals, sometimes 3-terminals and 4th-wire under a mounting screw. The squarecan cover used to be "stamped" or engraved with terminal labels. BATT, ARM, FLD, GND. (one under the screw is GND) Sometimes the labels are hard to read. Don't matter, you should be able to tell wire sizes, thick and thin. The thick wires are the BATT and ARM wires. They are also usually COLORCODED YELLOW.

To polarize your 8N voltage regulator, you need to "arc-spark" the BATT and ARM terminals with something metal. Since they are SIDE-BY-SIDE, a quick slip of a screwdriver blade will sufficently "arc-spark" everything.

This may NOT solve your missing (+) charge on your ammeter, but it don't cost ennythang..... .....Dell

Does the ignition key need to be in the on position to do this? I know you told me to only do it with the engine off.

I am all for trying the free fix-it first.... Rich

That would be backwards for sure. If so, reverse the connections if you feel better looking at (+) numbers instead of (-).

DOES THE BATTERY STAY CHARGED?? That is the #1 goal here, not how a particular meter reads.... Just My Thoughts..... .... duey

Now, if the meter showed, say, +7 ,engine running, lights off, and + 1 or 2 with the lights ON, you'd say that's normal. More load, less charge for the battery.

Reverse the wires and it would read backwards, just like he wrote. Dell used alot more words but asked the same thing I did, a) How does it read with the engine off, and b) does the battery stay charged.

I still say, look at the ammeter with a mirror and it'll seem fine. duey

John A

John A

John A