RE: IML: 73 Ampmeter Gauge

[Tim Durrer <tdkd99@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Dick, I did not get your first message. Must
have gotten lost among all the spam I seem to
receiving these days. I have the FSM on my Christmas
list. You are probably right about the test light. It
would not surprise me in the least if I have a wiring
issue under the hood somewhere. The previous owner had
a not so hot mechanic working on this car and I have
spent most of my time since I acquired the car in July
chasing electrical problems. He either unplugged it,
bypassed it, or in the case of the horn relay, simply
threw it away! He even went so far as to take all the
warning lights out of the dash and cover the outside
instrument panel with black tape!

My next task will be the fuel gauge that pegs past
full, followed by restoring the inoperative Auto Temp
II. I got my new servo from Performance Analysis
today. More 'bout that later.

Tim Durrer

--- Dick Benjamin <dickb@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Tim, I wrote back to you the first time you posted
> this - must have been
> about a week ago.  This is what I said at that time
> - I have no further
> thoughts:
> 
> 
> 
> >>Sorry, I've been gone for about 10 days to visit
> family.
> 
> The ammeter gauge probably has been bypassed by a
> wiring mistake - it
> appears that it is working, but current is not being
> routed through it.  The
> only way to troubleshoot something like this is to
> take the wiring diagram
> in the FSM and carefully follow the wires that are
> attached to the ammeter
> to see what is connected to the wrong place.
> 
> I am surprised that your test light moved the
> needle, by the way, unless
> your test light has a really high power bulb in it -
> the usual #1895 bulb
> wouldn't budge the gauge, I don't think.  That may
> be a clue as to why the
> gauge has been bypassed - namely that the internal
> shunt may be burned out,
> and it has become way too sensitive.   If that is
> the case, your best bet is
> to replace the gauge (or devise a replacement shunt,
> which I can help you
> with), but you still have to find the wiring mistake
> and correct it to find
> out what is going on with the gauge.
> 
> If you want to just ignore it, you can do so with no
> bad effects, you just
> will have to pay attention to other signs that your
> charging system is not
> up to snuff.  Probably the gauge sentry system will
> still work OK to warn
> you if there is a problem - you are back to the old
> idiot light situation,
> <<<but still able to use the car.
> 
> 
> Dick Benjamin
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Tim Durrer
> Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 2:27 PM
> To: Imperial Mailing List
> Subject: IML: 73 Ampmeter Gauge
> 
> Maybe Dick might have some insight in this. I
> checked
> the website archives but could not come up with my
> exact problem.  
> 
> My ampmeter is not working. I have 12 volts on both
> the back and red wires on the back of the gauge. My
> ohmmeter says I have continuity in the gauge. When
> connect a test lamp in series with gauge it moves.
> 
> So why does it not work connected to the car? 
> 
> Connections are correct and tight. This ones got me.
> I really would like to know what my 33 year old
> alternator is doing, (or not doing)! My voltmeter
> shows 14.5 volts at the battery with the engine
> running and the headlights brighten when I rev the
> engine, so the alternator must be working (for now).
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Tim 
> 
> 73 Blue Sky
> 
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