Can bypassing the amp meter hurt motor?

[Paul_NY]

I was having trouble this past summer with current to my starter. I would turn the key and nothing would happen. Eventually I tracked the problem to the ammeter. When I tightened the nut on the + post (alternator), I could then turn the key and the A4 fired right up and ran fine. Occassionally the engine cut off and I would jump down into the cabin and jigger with the alternator lead on the ammeter which enabled me to start her right back up. This would occur about 10% of the time, if not less. However, while out on the water once near the end of the season, the engine quit and no amount of tightening or jiggering would get current across the ammeter. So, I connected the alternator wire to the ammeter's ignition/starter post (-), bypassing the ammeter. The motor fired up and I experienced no other problems.

I plan to replace the ammeter with a volt meter before launching in the spring. But, has my bypassing the ammeter caused any unseen damage (or can it in the future)?

Paul

[Don Moyer]

Paul,

I don't think you damaged anything by bypassing the ammeter, but I'm not understanding how or why jiggling the charging circuit at the ammeter should have enabled you to get your engine restarted. The lead from the starter solenoid to the "Batt" terminal of your ignition switch (usually an 8 gauge red wire) should have supplied power to the coil through the ignition switch, regardless of the status of the charging circuit. With the charging circuit interrupted, the batteries would have of course eventually depleted, but until then, your engine should have continued to run.

I recommend rechecking the rest of the terminals behind the instrument panel. My guess is that the "Batt" terminal may be defective and the effect of your jiggling the ammeter terminal may have reached the Batt terminal enough to cause it to make contact.

Don

[Paul_NY]

Ammeter post loose?

Don:

Thank you for your advice. I will check all connectors.

In hindsight and based on your response, it may have been the orange wire I was manipulating. You are right that my batteries were eventually depleted. Another symptom is that when I did lose power, power to the whole instrument panel was lost. I could tell by looking at the guages' backlighting whether my terminal jiggling was going to make any difference. Although, sometimes the backlights would come on, I would turn the key and the lights would go out.

I thought perhaps something within the ammeter was breaking the circuit (corrosion?). Maybe the ammeter post connection inside the meter has broken loose and my tightening the nut just brought the post back in contact with a wire in the meter? I have not taken an ammeter apart so don't know the inside workings.

Again, I will check what you suggest. Thank you.

Paul