Well, I hooked up one external wire from the battery gauge to the hot on the alternator. I took the other wire and hooked it direct to the hot on the battery. I started the car, and as I was looking at the gauge I smelled burning elect wires, and then noticed the smoke coming form the console dash area. I turned the car off and started unhooking all the text wires and it  was over. The battery gauge went from center point to all the way over. Fried it and it smelled really bad. So there must be another way of checking out a amp gauge. I will order another one at $59.00 (green face) Like I said before I have two hot wires on this gauge, and I cannot understand why the guage will not work. 

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[quote=Adams' Apple]So basically, the way it should be wired is, the large red wire from the alt will go to one side of the amp gauge, and the other side of the amp gauge continues on to the battery. That's a simple explanation of how it is wired, since it is not usually a direct route from one to the other. You have a regulator and fuse box in there, too.[/quote]

I should have been more specific on that. The amp gauge also has a resistor on it, or it should have. Some are connected across the two terminals on the gauge itself, some are located externally. The black wire on the gauge comes from the horn relay, as does the black/white wire(via the regulator). BOTH have fuse-able links in them...either one should have blown before letting the smoke out of the gauge.
I've hooked many an amp gauge up directly in-line with the alternator, and never had one let go like that. I need to check the wiring diagram...


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
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That is to bad..one thing I have learned over the years is that there is smoke in the wires and it really gets me peod when I let it out..like Joel said a fuse able link smoked out hopefully..the other thing that I learned over the years is never test anything in the car..whether it be a power window motor or a blower motor..anything that draws heavy amps is coming out..put that power probe to work and figure it out..then collateral damage is minimal..some day I will find out how to put the smoke back in..till then ETM and be careful.
Rich


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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

I think the fuseable links went many years ago and it is just direct from the horn relay amp to the gauge. So to be safe, I ordered a amp gauge and a horn relay. I will be replacing some wires in the area of the horn relay, that had old butt joints in them and are showing their age.. Any suggestion on fuseable links to use. 

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Well I see a few problems that how the smoke said hello..butt connectors work and cannot be soldered when used for high amp parts..the butt connections must be crimped complete and tightly without any movement in them..if you get the gauge out and see burn marks then it made contact with the housing..not sure if that would make a ground or not though..just another path for the power to go..as far as which fusable link to use is a tough one..I know my amp gauge goes to 40..since there is no load on this wire a 40 amp link would work..I looked in my 69-70 manual and it shows a 10 gauge wire for the gauge..I am not sure if the 68 is the same so check a ETM..but a 40 amp one is a 10 gauge if I remember right..do a voltage drop on the wires from the gauge to the relay and alternator..the power probe makes quik work of this..this of course after the wires are repaired..it will find any weak spot or broken wire..you want less than 0,02 drop..any more on these high amp wires and there is to much drop in the wire..be careful..may be a good idea to have a quick disconnect on the battery and an electrical extinguisher handy..the amp gauge isn't worth loosing a car over so don't push it to hard and take your time..
Rich

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

Hello guys,

A couple more things, How much current does your alternator put out?  I have a 120 amp alternator so I do not use the Ammeter, instead I use a voltmeter which is far more useful to me anyway.

You know Chris you may have hit on something there..if the new alternator puts out more than what the gauge can handle it may have burned up a long time ago..I have an internal alternator and will be putting in a volt gauge this winter..don't like all them amps running thru there!!

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

I was thinking that I just put in an alternator for the 68 year. however I have discovered that it can be anywhere from 38 amp to 60 amps. depending on AC and other. I will check this out once I get the parts in that I have ordered to put the horn relay in and the new amp gauge. Plus doing some work on the wireing. I really don't understand the fuseable links that corvette put in the wires off the horn relay and starter etc. seems like they just put in a small wire spliced into the 20 guage wire so something would give with an overload.  It wasn't like a fuse itself. So how do I go back and protect these wires if the fuseable links are gone. Maybe just add a circuit breaker or fuse to keep this from happening again. 

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Well to answer the fuse able link question is that it is a wire and not a fuse in a glass tube with a wire thru the middle..the fuse able link looks like and acts like a regular piece of wire untill the amps get to high for what it is rated for then the wire actually melts inside..sometimes you won't even know it..the first thing I do is grab the link and pull on it if it comes apart it's burned up..they are usually at big amp spots like at the starter..it feeds the fuse box..don't use a circuit breaker instead..if you have a short the breaker will catch it then turn it back on again once it cools off..it's like flipping a light switch..not good..you can still get fuse able links..use a quality crimp tool and splice in with the new one..do not solder them..shrink wrap works though..

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

That is very good info.  Never realized this is how the fuseable link worked, that it was in a glass tube. I guess after 42 years most of this is gone. Where would you find a fuseable link to put  back in the wiring system.  i don't recall seeing any of this in the many catalogs I have.  

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