FJ40 ammeter fried

[FEX]

Hi Guys,
need some help wiring my fj40 ammeter. I have a 1980 FJ40 with 2F engine. I was wiring my instrument cluster yesterday and everything was functioning properly .. until I started connecting positive and negative wires to my ammeter (the spade connectors on the back of the gauge cluster) and there was this smell of fumes.

I bought a new ammeter but I need your help to know exactly which cables should be connected to the ammeter or basically where does it take its inputs (positive and negative) from?
I can't afford to fry another ammeter, so please help me wire it properly or either point me to a thread that has this topic already explained.

Thanks

 

[Cruiserdrew]

The later ammeter is different than the earlier ones in that it has a shunt. If you hooked it up directly, it likely fried the element in the ammeter because it isn't designed to take the full power of the alternator.

Get out the wiring diagram and make sure you have it hooked up correctly.

 

[Solace in Solitude]

I'm on an iPhone and can't see wiring schematics.

If you don't have a schematic, pick your schematic from here --> Coolerman's Electrical Schematic and FSM File Retrieval

ALWAYS disconnect your battery before removing your gauge cluster or messing with the ammeter wiring.

Good luck!

 

[FEX]

Thanks guys,
that is correct, I did blew the shunt in the back of the ammeter. I will try to find the proper schematics for my vehicle in the link that Danny sent and see if I can figure it out.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

ALWAYS disconnect your battery before removing your gauge cluster or messing with the ammeter wiring.

Where is your sense of adventure Danny?

 

[shawnfj40]

Shouldn't a 1980 have a volt meter?

 

[Pin_Head]

It doesn't make sense that reversing the wires on a late model amp meter would burn it out because that would only make it work backwards. The sensor wires to the amp meter come from both ends of the fusible link and both wires are fused. If you shorted out a wire, it would blow the fuse, which is located near the fusible link at the battery. That is the most likely reason the meter doesn't work. Replace the fuses.

 

[shawnfj40]

Unless of course he has one wire from voltage and one going to ground. If that is the case it will burn up the gauge immediately. Has your rig been rewired or is it all stock? Plus what would happen if you install an Amp gage in a slot for a Volt Meter? My guess is it would burn up the gauge.

 

[Landpimp]

There is no volt meter in a 40, they are all amp meters

 

[Solace in Solitude]

Where is your sense of adventure Danny?

I melted my harness once, Ryan.

I'm adventured out on melted harnesses.

 

[FEX]

Unless of course he has one wire from voltage and one going to ground. If that is the case it will burn up the gauge immediately. Has your rig been rewired or is it all stock? Plus what would happen if you install an Amp gage in a slot for a Volt Meter? My guess is it would burn up the gauge.

Shawn, you are correct this is what i have a wire voltage and another from ground. And yes, my harness is not stock it has been fully rebuilt.
The only fusible link i have is an inline fuse on the battery cable. Is that what the ammeter input comes from?