Wiring up A volt and current meter

[binge]

Ok, I know its not about a motorbike, But at the mini forum its like trying to talk to advanced Monkeys!

I got my mini today, And apart from the dash board being a total BODGE. Its quite nice

There were live wires floating about behind the dash board . Ive traced them all back. Replaced all the wires as there were branches of Scotch block wiring all over the place which I didnt like.

Anyway, Ive got 3 clocks which sit in the middle of the dash. VOLTS, CURRENT, CLOCK.

The clock is easy, Its just a Live and an earth, and it will hapily tick along.

Now how do I wire up the Volt meter and the current meter. Do I just cross them over the battery?

<|Binge|>

[BLOFLY 636]

the volt meter is exactly like the clock possitive terminal from battery straight to the + terminal on the volt meter and the ground is connected straight to the chassis. The current is generally measured at the beginning of the electrical circuit so for example from battery to current meter, out of current meter to the electrical system
____________________
Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[binge]

So Will I need to bring a fresh run from the battery for the Volt meter as if its a branch from the radio, When the sound is on, obviosly the reading will be duff.

So you are saying the current meter is the key to my electric system

NO THANK YOU

Its a rusty little clock.

Would it work If I was to put the current meter from the +ive on the battery, to the current meter, and then to earth? Would it give any sort of reading?

If not I think Ill scrap them. I would like to have the volt meter though because im running ICE in a mini and Id like to keep an eye on my battery as its an automatic... (No bump starting)

<|Binge|>

[stinkwheel]

Voltmeter measures accross the battery so one wire to the positive, one to the negative. ie. In PARALELL with the battery

Ammeter (current) measures THROUGH the positive so the main power supply to the car attaches to one side then the rest of the car attaches to the other. ie. in SERIES with the battery (if you connect it in paralell it will go pop or perhaps catch fire).

That much I know, here is where I start guessing. I would have though that you would want to connect the ammeter AFTER the starter motor as this is very high draw and will probably overload the meter. I am not sure about car wiring but on a bike the supply to the rest of the vehicle usually goes through the solenoid so I would either connect Solenoid--> Ammeter --> back to solenoid or perhaps you could connect it into the main wire going into the ignition switch or fusebox. As I say, not so sure about car wiring.

Like this:
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[BLOFLY 636]

it would give a reading but it would only be the reading that the current meter draws from the battery to register the reading of itself if that makes any sense hang on let me think ok it is like the current meter draws power to create a movement on the needle but it is not exactly measuring the power being used by the electrical system. think like it is a flow meter in a water pipe it has to be in line with the pipe to flow the amount of water passing through it where as if it was off to one side it would only be circulating water that is inside the meter does that kind of make sense?
____________________
Those bloody footpegs......they ought to do away with em!

[stinkwheel]

[binge]

Ok, Thats great Cheers!

I think I will wire the volt meter up as theres not much can go wrong with that. But I will wire up the ammeter "Battery - ammeter car electrics" but I will put a switch to bypas it incase it was to get messy while im out

A switch to bypas it would be perfectly safe wouldnt it

[stinkwheel]

Double post
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[stinkwheel]

[binge]

I might just give the ammeter a miss because its just somthing to go wrong

Ill do the volt meter and the Clock. But I cant be arsed pissing about if the whole car electrics are relying on the current meter to actually work. It also means running thick cables from the boot right up to the bonnet!

Cheers for all the help anyway!

<|Binge|>

[pipnet11]

Hmm. Ammeters are usually very reliable as theres very little to break. Many old bikes have ammeters on. They can be very useful sometimes. However Voltmeters im not too sure about the need for one. That diagram of stinkwheels is the way to do it though, if you decide to
____________________
I love the girls that do, I hate the girls that dont, I hate the girls who say they will and then they say they wont, but the girl I like most of all and I think youll say Im right, is the girl who says she never has but looks as though she might. - Max Bygraves

[Hex]

The ammeter is a pain in the ass to wire up in the mini (specially with their doggy wiring in the first place ).

Take if from someone whos had more minis than you've have hot dinners.
____________________
The BCF's very own Party boy! Though he's getting old and feeling it!
Monkey hanger, Born and bred
My little photo portfolio

[binge]

I agree with you on the wireing side of things

Behind the dash, there is wires EVERYWHERE. and no way of telling them apart

anyway, Me grandad is comming down next month and he is bringing me down a Smiths Oil pressure gauge. Ive got a Smiths ammeter and vot meter. And he said If I mount them for now, He will wire them when he comes down which is

<|Binge|>

[Hex]

You'll need a connector for the oil pressure guage. Unless you have a oil pressure guage already that is.

I do miss mini's, though I don't miss the headaches and lack of skin I used to get from them.
____________________
The BCF's very own Party boy! Though he's getting old and feeling it!
Monkey hanger, Born and bred
My little photo portfolio

[map]

[Git]

In the past I have fitted a few ammeters, I just got some 8.5mm cable, run it through the bulkhead and then soldered on a pair of ring terminals at either end, one for alternator output and the other for ammeter. Then another cable the same thickness from ammeter to a terminal block with more solder connections, inside the block the ammeter cable connects to vehicle electrics and the battery, worked fine fo me for years then vehicle got sold on, and then maybe caught fire

I have no idea what a mini draws amp wise nor the alternator output but they work fine on transits which I would think may need a bit more power than a mini? not sure. not getting involved, done wrong something will get burnt

[binge]

Well the gay thing about Minis is that the battery is in the boot. So theres that great big cable running through the car to the starter. The length and thickness of that cable reduces the voltage terribily. Ive just had to put the battery on an overnight charge because I used the sterio for 15 minutes without the engine

The connectors are all ready fitted Hex. Just needs linking up to a guage.

<|Ben|>

[Scotsman37]

[Hex]