Amp not in use... what to do with the wires?

[Mopewbie]

Quick and simple question... I removed the dash and noticed the amp is not in use. Instead both wires were together in one of the bolts from the amp. (Can't remember which one now) but the question is:

- Do they need to be attached to the amp/dash (if so any bolt or any specific?) or can I just connect them together and leave it loose behind the dash?

Thanks.

 

[RemCharger]

You can just bolt them together.
Make sure to tape the **** out of it. Maybe tie that to the harness.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Amp gauges were pretty much a fire starter back in the day. The full load of the car goes through it. You should look at doing the MAD mod to it. Apparently it either didn't work at some point or it was disconnect for some other reason.

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

 

[Mopewbie]

Thanks!

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Thanks!

I got a disagree with my post.. So let me say this there were cars that caught fire due to the amp meter. You can just bolt the wires together like someone else suggested then tape the piss out of it and stuff it up in the dash. Doing this would mean your amp gauge would not work.

I'm not sayin all cars caught on fire. I am saying it is a possibility with the full load of the car going through the amp gauge. Google Amp gauge fires and Mopar's for yourself. Do it right and crimp and solder the wires together if that is what you must do.

With all these links below I hardly think I'm the wrong one here. There is a weak point in the harness where the amp meter wire passes through the bulk head connector. This is probably more likely to cause a fire than the amp meter itself. You are relying on the entire load of the car going through a spade connector in the bulkhead connector. They do melt, this may be why I got the disagree.... Not sure. But the MAD conversion takes that weak connection and does away with the problem.

Here are some examples of dash fires due to the amp meter.
https://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/ammeter-under-dash-fire.61775/

https://www.moparmotorhead.com/tag/ammeter/

https://www.dodgetalk.com/threads/bullet-proof-your-ammeter-a-how-to.252130/

https://www.69roadrunner.net/mopar/threads/ammeter.12460/

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

I disagree with your opening statement and following supposition, isn’t that why the “disagree” button is present?

Interesting, I’ve posted a great deal on this subject here and elsewhere over the years, countering false and misleading information about ammeters. First time I’ve been accused of being on “the hack job side of this”. Looks now like the hack job comment was removed.

The links are just older misinformation and conflation with the later plastic framed Dodge truck ammeter fiasco, they’ve been around forever.

 

[Dave6T4]

Quick and simple question... I removed the dash and noticed the amp is not in use. Instead both wires were together in one of the bolts from the amp. (Can't remember which one now) but the question is:

- Do they need to be attached to the amp/dash (if so any bolt or any specific?) or can I just connect them together and leave it loose behind the dash?

Thanks.

Don't leave any of the wires bolted to the ammeter. This leaves the guts of the gauge live. As another poster said, just bolt them together and tape them up to insulate them.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

“the hack job side of this”.

I took that back I realized it was stupid to say. I admit I can be wrong. My apologies. But also nobody else posted on the thread offering answers at the time I was typing. I know what I have read and you cannot tell me the firewall bulkhead connection is not a loose cannon. I did say the Ammeter was also a fire hazard which it absolutely is if the connection is loose. You know what happens to a battery cable that is loose.. Oh yea, heat and cooking. Same way with the Bulk head connection and the number 10 gauge wire passing through an undersized spade connection. Kind of like running a 50 amp welder through a 12amp receptacle.. Something is gonna melt. And 50 year old wiring to add to that.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

I took that back I realized it was stupid to say. I admit I can be wrong. My apologies. But also nobody else posted on the thread offering answers at the time I was typing. I know what I have read and you cannot tell me the firewall bulkhead connection is not a loose cannon. I did say the Ammeter was also a fire hazard which it absolutely is if the connection is loose. You know what happens to a battery cable that is loose.. Oh yea, heat and cooking. Same way with the Bulk head connection and the number 10 gauge wire passing through an undersized spade connection. Kind of like running a 50 amp welder through a 12amp receptacle.. Something is gonna melt. And 50 year old wiring to add to that.

Little to disagree with in this post. If you’ve seen any of my past postings on this subject, most are normally prefaced with the fact that the bulkhead terminals in the charging system is by far the weakest link in the original design and recommend bypassing the bulkhead terminals first and foremost.

Heat damage commonly attributed to the ammeter is caused by high resistance buildup at the ammeter connections, more often than not, a result of loose, over-tightened, or generally poorly maintained connections. Heat/crush damaged insulators can/will lead to possible shorting to the cluster fame. Any component/connection designed to handle any current requires some care and maintenance to get 50+years down the road.

 

[Ron H]

I took that back I realized it was stupid to say. I admit I can be wrong. My apologies. But also nobody else posted on the thread offering answers at the time I was typing. I know what I have read and you cannot tell me the firewall bulkhead connection is not a loose cannon. I did say the Ammeter was also a fire hazard which it absolutely is if the connection is loose. You know what happens to a battery cable that is loose.. Oh yea, heat and cooking. Same way with the Bulk head connection and the number 10 gauge wire passing through an undersized spade connection. Kind of like running a 50 amp welder through a 12amp receptacle.. Something is gonna melt. And 50 year old wiring to add to that.

My BH was seriously damaged from overheating, running this wiring through the BH was a bad design; this routing wasn't done on police package cars - go figure..