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  #1   IP: 142.167.153.154
Old 08-24-2019, 09:45 PM
amizerin amizerin is offline
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Ammeter issue

Hi All,
I am new to the forum. I've searched extensively but have not found any guidance for my issue.

I just bought a sailboat with Atomic 4 gas engine. I noticed that the alternator was not charging the batteries. When the engine was running it showed about 12V on the starter battery (brand new) and going down gradually. When battery switch is turned off, the engine stopped. The alternator output showed 2.5V whatever it means.
So, I ordered a new alternator and installed it today. It didn't not help much. Btw, I just met the previous owner and he told that he installed a second hand alternator last year, thus, I think the alternator was not a problem.

The instruction from Moyer Marine stated that I can connect the alternator output directly to the big battery cable on the started solenoid. I did that and and did the trick. Batteries started charging, the output from the alternator turned to about 14V.

Now, I want to do the wiring right. Here are my questions.

Apparently the ammeter does not work right. It's showing negative though when I turn on the blower.
I checked the wiring and it seemed to be in order. The #8 orange connected to the negative, the #8 red from the battery connected to the positive. There are also blower switch and ignition connected to the negative.

How do I change my wiring to bypass the ammeter? I have a digital voltmeter installed by the previous owner so don't really need the ammeter.
Do I need to disconnect the #8 red wire going from the ammeter to the battery bus?

Which wire gauge do I need for connecting the alternator output directly to the started solenoid? Do I need to install a fuse?
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  #2   IP: 137.103.82.227
Old 08-25-2019, 09:43 AM
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joe_db joe_db is online now
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  #3   IP: 216.145.121.132
Old 08-25-2019, 11:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amizerin View Post
When battery switch is turned off, the engine stopped.
Welcome to the Forum!
A word of caution here...
Don't turn the Battery Switch to OFF while the engine is running.
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1978 RANGER 30
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  #4   IP: 142.167.153.154
Old 08-26-2019, 10:24 AM
amizerin amizerin is offline
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Thank you. I actually found that ammeter was fine. The orange wire is an issue so I decided just to replace is with a new 8 gauge wire with a 50 amp fuse.

What's the problem with turning the batteries off when the engine is running? I'm not going to do that, just curious.
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  #5   IP: 97.93.70.7
Old 08-26-2019, 10:32 AM
Dave Neptune Dave Neptune is online now
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Turning the battery witch can cause a "short null in the charging" which causes a spike in energy with no where to go and fries the diodes rendering the alternator useless.

Dave Neptune
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  #6   IP: 142.167.153.154
Old 08-26-2019, 10:37 AM
amizerin amizerin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Neptune View Post
Turning the battery witch can cause a "short null in the charging" which causes a spike in energy with no where to go and fries the diodes rendering the alternator useless.

Dave Neptune
Got it. Thank you.
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