Ammeter stuck at zero

[fstblk66]

Recently got stranded temporary due to a failure of the battery. Once back to the garage upon completing an inspection of the battery noticed very slight swelling of battery. purchased new battery and started car however I noticed that the ammeter gives no reading and is stuck at zero (middle) even upon accelerating. Car has a fairly new voltage regulator, could it be the alternator , toasted ammeter or the charging system. Please help

 

[Rob Musquetier]

Do you see any decharging when lights are on (or other current suckers)? If not it is likely your guage is gone...

greetings,
Rob.

 

[fstblk66]

Not a budge from the guage no matter what is turned on , lights, wipers, radio, signals.

 

[Rob Musquetier]

Then it must be the gauge, it should indicate both charging (+) and dis-charging (eg when lights are on and engine isn't running).

greetigns,
Rob.

 

[JohnZ]

Chances are it just has a bad contact inside the inboard multiple connector on the engine side of the fuse block; the battery gauge has two wires, both of which go through that connector - 20-ga. black that goes to the big stud on the starter solenoid, and 20-ga. black/white that goes to a screw connection on the horn relay. See this frequently.

 

[fstblk66]

I have cleaned both connectors with small brush, still no reading

 

[LVMYVT76]

dod you check and see what voltage is going to battery??? voltage reg may be putting too much out since old battery was swollen. Sounds like overcharging to me, but need facts. I had a car that the guage did not work until I changed out the motor wiring harness and lighting harness, so in the wiring may have gone bad with the battery problem. Need a wiring diagram to check out.

 

[magicv8]

The battery meter is not an ammeter. It reads the slight voltage differences between the horn relay (black with white stripe) and the starter solenoid (black on large post). Both wires provide battery current to the meter contacts at all times.

See the diagram at the bottom of this web page:
http://www.corvetteforum.net/classics/magicmachine/index5.shtml

The meter can be protected by a 1 or 2 amp fuse connected to either meter lug (post/contact). If unprotected, a grounding of either feed wire will toast the meter. (You can fix it if you take it apart.) To install a fuse, put 1 male and 1 female spade lug on a fuse holder. Insert the female end in the plastic meter connector in place of either wire, and connect the other end to the wire you removed from the connector - as shown in the following photo:
http://www.corvetteforum.net/classics/magicmachine/apic5/fused_batmeter.jpg

To test the meter unplug the connector and connect a 9volt dry cell in its place. If the battery meter does not move, remove it and fix it AND the wiring problem that fried it.

ALWAYS disconnect the battery when working on wiring.ad

PS: C1s do have ammeters. 67 wiring harnesses have fusible link protection at the starter and the horn relay. IMO neither link will protect the meter.

 

[rowingone]

You say you can fix it if you take it apart . . . what is required once its apart to repair it?

 

[magicv8]

You say you can fix it if you take it apart . . . what is required once its apart to repair it?

On most failed meters, you will see a spot on the wire wrap that's burned though. You can solder a small piece of wire across the break and dab liquid insulator on it, or you can unwind one wrap and solder the ends together then dab.

 

[rowingone]

thanks . . . that's the easy part I guess . . getting out of the cluster . . I hate that part!