[DeTomaso] Factory Shunt? was Re: Ammeter, was Re: Key difficult to turn

[Guido deTomaso]

There was a factory shunt?  Guess I missed a few episodes here...my car is a '73 
though.

The shunt I took off I made long ago, before the internet.  The needle stopped 
moving over time, something I wanted to address.  But a shunted gauge with a 
non-moving needle beats walking home.

And so am starting to question the wisdom of this whole project.  Has anyone 
used the existing red wire off the ignition switch, that powers everything(?) 
that goes on and off with the key, to only trip a relay, switching power from a 
new third wire off the ammeter?

Taking just the fan current out of the ignition switch doesn't take all the 
current away, as I'm finding out.

Thanks,

GD


________________________________
From: "MikeLDrew at aol.com" <MikeLDrew at aol.com>
To: guido_detomaso at prodigy.net; detomaso at realbig.com
Sent: Sun, October 14, 2012 7:58:38 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Ammeter, was Re:  Key difficult to turn


In a message dated 10/14/12 10 05 30, guido_detomaso at prodigy.net writes:


But I started the engine, the needle waves almost to the peg on the plus side, I
turn on the headlights, it waves over nearly to the peg on the minus side. 
Which is fine, but the terminals are getting hot.  Too hot to touch.  No idea if
the heat is coming from the crimps, the connections, from inside the unit.


>>>This all started because you removed the factory, external shunt.  Why not just 
>>>reinstall it?  It's there for a reason.

It's possible that early ammeters had the shunt internal to the case, but the 
later units definitely came from the factory wiith an external shunt, and your 
car is a '74.  It sounds to me like you just made trouble for yourself?

Mike