Hi Scott,
Congrats on getting your car going again. When you re-do your ammeter
connections make sure that you use ring lug connectors, not spade lugs, and
that all the nuts stacked up on the back of the ammeter are tight. With the
current going through it, it doesn't take much resistance to cause
significant heating, which will quickly melt the plastic parts inside the
ammeter. Use a high quality crimp tool on the ring lugs and some heat shrink
over the stripped end of the wire. For extra security you can solder the
connection into the ring lugs but if you do, make SURE that you use
electronics solder, not acid-core, and do NOT use a transformer type
(Weller) soldering gun near the ammeter, tachometer, or speedo - a pencil
type is what you need, although it will take a while to heat up big 10 gauge
wires. The problem with the transformet type (100/140 watt) soldering gun is
that the magnetic field it puts out when it's on will demagnetize (or
remagnetize) the movements in the instruments.
Regarding the ignition warning light: Did it ever come on? If not, then you
already have half your answer ;) . If your alternator has a warning light
output, then this output should connect to one side of the lightbulb and the
other side of the lightbulb should go to the ignition switch. Some
alternators require a diode in this circuit to prevent current leakage. If
the person that installed your alternator was clever and used an LED as the
warning light, then the series resistor(s) would be necessary to prevent too
much current from flowing through the LED when it was on. So... How your
light should be fixed depends on a number of factors. I'm in the process of
prototyping up a combination 10 volt instrument regulator and warning light
combination, which will tell you when the ignition system voltage goes below
12.5 volts. This would operate independently of what kind of charging system
you have, alternator or generator.
Best regards,
Theo
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