Possible Ammeter problem (1 Viewer)

[Beckley]

I may have overloaded my ammeter gauge if that is possible. With the cluster out of the dash I tried to use a 12v battery out of my elec drill to test the bulbs in my cluster. It worked great and they were all good. I then hooked up the drill battery to the plus and minus of the ammeter and it burned the small jumper wire I was using. I disconnected it pretty quickly, but could I have damaged the ammeter? Now I don't get any power to the meter when its hooked up to the FJ40 battery. Any ideas? How does the ammeter work? Thanks for any info you may have.

 

[pb4ugo]

The + & - are only a designation to the direction of the flow of the current and shouldn't be actually grounded. The meter really doesnt do any work, but measures current or flow. The meter is inserted in the wire coming from the battery and goes to the + side of the fuse box. When you hooked it up as you described, you essentially ran a wire directly from positive side of the bat to the neg side of the battery and shorted it out

 

[Coolerman]

You fried the meter if you now have it hooked back up correctly, and have no power to the fuse panel.

To get back running for now, just put one amp meter lead on top of the other on one of the amp meter studs. That will bypass the amp meter restoring power.
Start looking for a replacement meter...

 

[Beckley]

thanks for your advice and I am looking for a meter. I noticed that it has two solder points at the inside of the gauge on the studs and nothing is hooked to them. The other gauges have a hairlike wire inside them and I am assuming that these two studs once had them also.

 

[1969FJ]

What year is the FJ40 ?

 

[Beckley]

1978

 

[1969FJ]

I see from the ammeter thread you figured it out.

 

[Beckley]

hope so,,,,,,i'll know for sure when new ammeter is in.

 

[1969FJ]

hope so,,,,,,i'll know for sure when new ammeter is in.

Were you able to get a new one ? If so , where ?

 

[Beckley]

I found a used, guaranteed, for $55 at cruiser parts in NH. I have dealt with them before and they were very good and helpful. They have a hugh salvage lot and send out the best parts available from their lot.