[DeTomaso] Best place to hook up a new circuit

[SOBill at aol.com]

Let me try this.
 
There are two power sources in the car: the battery and the  alternator.
 
The alternator is connected to the battery thru the ammeter. The  sole 
purpose of the ammeter is to indicate the charging or discharging of the  
battery.
 
The total electrical load of the car, with the exception of  the starter 
motor, is connected to the alternator side of the ammeter.  The current 
provided by the alternator to the total electrical load, with the  exception of 
the current charging the battery, does not go thru the  ammeter. 
 
If the added load is connected  to the battery side of the  ammeter, when 
you switch on the load the ammeter will read upscale as if the  battery were 
being charged when the alternator is supplying the load. If the  alternator 
is not supplying the load, the ammeter will not indicate that the  load is 
drawing current from the battery. Both these situations are  wrong.
 
 
Any electrical load you add to the car should be connected on the  
alternator side of the ammeter so the current drawn by the added circuit will  not 
indicate on the ammeter as if it were a current charging the  battery.

 
Any electrical load you add to the car must be controlled on  and off by an 
adequate switch or relay so as not to continuously drain the  battery.
 
Thomas knows of what he speaks.
 
Have fun  today,

sobill at aol.com  

 
In a message dated 7/22/2012 10:41:54 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
coatesr8 at aol.com writes:

Surely  if you understand electrics Thomas, you can perhaps explain what 
the  difference is between a fused link direct from the battery, and a fused 
link  from the fuse box ( which incidentally connects to the  battery)

Roger