Amp meter installation ?

[Lmoore1624]

Has anyone installed an 'amp meter' to monitor while driving. (2004.5 3500 SLT QC) On the older cars/trucks is was pretty easy,
but these "computer-controlled" newer-ones ... little more trouble ??

thanks,
LG

 

[p-Bar]

Shouldn't be just need to get to the output of the alternator . Be sure the wire gauge is the same or a bit larger.

 

[GCroyle]

Why amps?

How about a gage system that will monitor 4 functions, your choice from a big list, more MPG functions than you need, code scan and the list goes on and it just plugs into your ODB port.

Scangage https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...dzePVxKgm7EaLE1a-rjBfw&bvm=bv.129422649,d.dmo

I'm running one on my Bug.

 

[oldb]

You would be better off and safer with a voltmeter.

B

 

[Motorhead]

I would say that adding an amp gauge would be a waste of time. You have a 130 amp alternator with a temperature sensor system on one of the batteries to monitor charging. If you mounted anything to monitor the charging and batteries, I would install a high quality volt meter, but you already have one in the instrument cluster.

 

[PWong]

Has anyone installed an 'amp meter' to monitor while driving. (2004.5 3500 SLT QC) On the older cars/trucks is was pretty easy,
but these "computer-controlled" newer-ones ... little more trouble ??

thanks,
LG

What are you trying to monitor: alternator output, load on truck, blower motor current ..............???
As for the charging system (alternator/batteries) concern, system voltage was the vital parameter.
ECM had to maintain a target voltage (on driver side battery) and never care about the charging current.
Scangauge on OBDII port and voltage gauge on cluster read the driver side voltage.
If you really want to add a gauge to help monitor the charging system add a voltmeter to monitor the alternator output.
A higher (over 16V) alternator output voltage (than the driver side battery voltage) would indicates that the driver side battery failed to get the proper charge, usually due to BAD electrical connections between battery posts, crossover cable....
And hence the passenger side battery would be overcharged and boiled.

 

[seafish]

If you really want to add a gauge to help monitor the charging system add a voltmeter to monitor the alternator output.
A higher (over 16V) alternator output voltage (than the driver side battery voltage) would indicates that the driver side battery failed to get the proper charge, usually due to BAD electrical connections between battery posts, crossover cable....
And hence the passenger side battery would be overcharged and boiled.

I am planning on adding a Westach dual voltage gauge to my instrumention that reads voltage at each battery...any substantial differnece between the two readings would also be indicative of a problem with either battery condition, battery connections and/or crossover cable.

 

[mwilson]

Ammeters are scarce now on big trucks but remains an option. A part called a "Shunt" is used to feed the gauge instead of all the load having to pass through a gauge in the dash. Much safer.

 

[Wayne M.]

The proper way to install an ammeter would be to shunt it as mwilson recommended. However, I think there is a new way to monitor charging rate. I hope one of the Chrysler techs jump on to drive my point, but there is a parameter in the OBDII data stream that shows the charging rate of the alternator. I think it would be monitored via one of the displays that plug into the OBDII port. The alternator field is controlled by the PCM, and basically does the job of the voltage regulator. This algorithm is shown as a parameter, so you can see the alternator's charging rate.
For me, I was always an ammeter guy- love em in my old Mopars, but nowadays just seeing the volt meter is good for me.

 

[JKosten]

You also look at an inductive meter that installs on the alternator wire. But really what are you trying to see? if one battery is not keeping up with the other one?

 

[Lmoore1624]

Thanks ! ..... best answer yet !

 

[Lmoore1624]

thanks ...... I want to measure FLOW in the "pipe", not the "PRESSURE" in the pipe.

 

[Lmoore1624]

.... good post ! .... need more info on this method. Thanks !!

 

[Lmoore1624]

...... total CURRENT flow in the charging system. Thanks for the post.