1960 Ammeter Always Negative

[Joe M.]

My ammeter has always read slightly negative without the lights on. I noticed that last time I drove it at night that ammeter was almost pegged on the negative side. I checked the battery when I returned home, thinking that the generator has stopped working, and the battery was 12.3 volts. I don't know what this means or how to determine if something is broken.

[John H.]

Re: 1960 Ammeter Always Negative

My ammeter has always read slightly negative without the lights on. I noticed that last time I drove it at night that ammeter was almost pegged on the negative side. I checked the battery when I returned home, thinking that the generator has stopped working, and the battery was 12.3 volts. I don't know what this means or how to determine if something is broken.

Joe -

Put your voltmeter across the battery terminals with the engine running at 1200-1500 rpm; if it reads between 13.8-14.4 volts, the system is charging. If the ammeter shows negative while doing that, it's wired backwards (the factory wiring diagram has the connections to the ammeter shown backwards).

[Al E.]

Re: 1960 Ammeter Always Negative

Joe -

Put your voltmeter across the battery terminals with the engine running at 1200-1500 rpm; if it reads between 13.8-14.4 volts, the system is charging. If the ammeter shows negative while doing that, it's wired backwards (the factory wiring diagram has the connections to the ammeter shown backwards).

So.. do you have a photo of how these wires are wired up.. I took mine apart to fix the ammeter screw and nut.. now I want to make sure i do it right

[John H.]

Re: 1960 Ammeter Always Negative

So.. do you have a photo of how these wires are wired up.. I took mine apart to fix the ammeter screw and nut.. now I want to make sure i do it right

Al -

The 12-ga. black feed wire from the starter solenoid should be connected to the ammeter terminal closest to the driver's door, and all the red wires to the loads should be on the ammeter terminal closest to the passenger door.

[Donald H.]

Re: 1960 Ammeter Always Negative

John,

Unless I am looking at it wrong, the 1960 AIM (Sect 12 Sheet 11.00) shows the Black wire going to the terminal on the passenger side and the Red wires going on the driver side. I've attached a picture from the AIM. Also when I took mine apart it was wired as per the AIM, unless I am looking at it from the wrong side. I also attached a picture from the back side of my cluster when I removed it. However, my car was a rolling basket case when I bought it, so I don't trust anything about it.

I also have the illustrated wiring diagrams from Doc Rebuild and they are labelled as you indicated. Black wire on the Driver Side stud and Red wires on the Passenger Side stud.

If it is hooked up backwards, does it simply indicate reverse?


1960 Battery Meter Wiring.jpgGauge Wiring from AIM 2.jpg

[John H.]

Re: 1960 Ammeter Always Negative

John,

If it is hooked up backwards, does it simply indicate reverse?

Donald -

Yes - if it's connected backwards (as shown in the A.I.M. illustration of the back of the cluster in your post and in the electrical wiring diagram in UPC 12), the ammeter just reads in reverse.