67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

[Harry S.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

Don,

I don't know how old your harnesses are but I would look for a broken wire. Engine harness and dash harness.

If you have a multi-meter run a continuity test on everything, wires, bulkhead, voltage regulator connection, etc, etc, etc

[Donald H.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

I bypassed the wiring harness with a jumper at the battery terminal on the solenoid and a jumper on the correct wire on the horn relay. Started the car and got 12.25 volts at the solenoid terminal and 12.22 volts at the horn relay. Connected my 66 battery gauge to the jumpers then grounded and it worked.

I recheck the voltages under the dash at the wiring connector for the gauge and got 12.25 volts and 12.11. These readings are very close to the direct readings under the hood. I connected the battery gauge to these jumpers and it does not work.

So, I guess I go back and try cleaning the firewall connectors some more. The battery gauge must be extremely sensitive given how close the voltage reading I'm getting.

I though I was pretty thorough with the hand wire brush and the dremel wire brushes. Is there any safe chemical way to get all the corrosion off the terminals?

Don

[Donald H.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

Don,

I don't know how old your harnesses are but I would look for a broken wire. Engine harness and dash harness.

If you have a multi-meter run a continuity test on everything, wires, bulkhead, voltage regulator connection, etc, etc, etc

What is frustrating is I'm getting 12+ volts at each of the terminals under the dash and I've checked the ground to the cluster and gauge housing. If the problem is a broken wire, how is it possible to still get voltage readings at the gauge connector?

But I will do as you suggest. I've only owned the car a couple of years, but it looks like it could be the original harness.

Thanks,

Don

[Joe R.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

Here is what I did so far today. I again disconnected the wiring plug from the gauge. I connected jumpers to the two terminals in the wiring plug. Started the engine and I am getting voltage readings of 14+ plus volts at one terminal and 12+ from the other one.

I am restoring my 66 coupe so I took the battery gauge out of that cluster. I connected it to the two jumpers from the wiring plug and grounded the case to a good ground via a jumper connected to the engine. With the car running I get no reading with this gauge either. So I guess it isn't the gauge.

Any suggestions now?

I though I got the wiring harness connector clean at the firewall. And as I state, I'm getting good 12+ volt reading with the engine running at the wiring plug at the gauge.

I'm thinking that maybe I can bypass the firewall connection all together and take the gauge out of my 66 and jumper one terminal to the B terminal on the solenoid and the other terminal to the RED wire on the horn relay and ground the case. If I'm reading the wiring diagram correctly that is.

Don

Don,

I agree with Harry, I think you still have a open circuit (bad connection or broken wire). By the way, an open circuit by definition the voltage is undefined and can be anything. You know that 1.5 V is enough to peg the meter, so there can't be a two volt difference without the meter being pegged. So one side or the other (or possibly both) is open circuit. I still recommend disconnecting the battery and ringing (Ohming) out every connection in the circuit. Once that is good, I have a strong suspicion it will work.

Joe

[Wayne W.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

The terminals are wedge shaped to apply pressure to the connection. Use a small pick to spread the terminals.

[Donald O.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

What is frustrating is I'm getting 12+ volts at each of the terminals under the dash and I've checked the ground to the cluster and gauge housing. If the problem is a broken wire, how is it possible to still get voltage readings at the gauge connector?

But I will do as you suggest. I've only owned the car a couple of years, but it looks like it could be the original harness.

Thanks,

Don

You need to check the voltage at each of the two wires to the nearest 2 decimal places.
Don

[Donald H.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

I ohm'ed out the wiring from the horn relay and the solenoid to the harness connector at the firewall. All good. Then I check from the firewall connector into the connector at the gauge. All good.

I had done a pretty good cleaning of the firewall pins, but with some of your suggestions, I took a small pick and screwdriver and open up all the connector pins. That seems to do the trick. The gauge is now working and I hope it says that way. Its hard on an old man to get under the dash even with the seat out!!!!!

Thanks to all,
Don

[Harry S.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

I ohm'ed out the wiring from the horn relay and the solenoid to the harness connector at the firewall. All good. Then I check from the firewall connector into the connector at the gauge. All good.

I had done a pretty good cleaning of the firewall pins, but with some of your suggestions, I took a small pick and screwdriver and open up all the connector pins. That seems to do the trick. The gauge is now working and I hope it says that way. Its hard on an old man to get under the dash even with the seat out!!!!!

Thanks to all,
Don

Don, congratulations.........We're all happy to help!

[Joe R.]

Re: 67 Battery/Amp meter stopped working

I ohm'ed out the wiring from the horn relay and the solenoid to the harness connector at the firewall. All good. Then I check from the firewall connector into the connector at the gauge. All good.

I had done a pretty good cleaning of the firewall pins, but with some of your suggestions, I took a small pick and screwdriver and open up all the connector pins. That seems to do the trick. The gauge is now working and I hope it says that way. Its hard on an old man to get under the dash even with the seat out!!!!!

Thanks to all,
Don

Hi Don,

Great job!!! Way to stick with it!!!

Joe