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I'm adding a amp gauge to my Great Dane super surfer, I got it to work wright but the hour meter runs all the time unless I disconnect the battery.
I don't want to do that , I not sure what to do. ?

Now you hooked your amp. gauge in a series to the wire that charges your battery? I don't know why that would effect the hour meter in any way.

One wire to the alternator and one wire to the positive side of the soilnoid.
I'll recheck it, but I might just rewire the hour meter. I think that would be easier. ?

Amp gauge measures the amount of flow of electric through a wire. What is the reason you would hook your amp gauge in a series. Your hour meter is getting a back feed from the hot wire that go's to your solenoid which would be hot all the time. Do what ever works for you. Maybe add a on and off switch to your hour meter.

Do you have any ideas of how I can hook it up differently. I know if I add a on /off switch, I will surly forget to turn it off and add many hours.
I would appreciate any ideas.

I really don't know how your Great Dane super surfer is wired. You will need to wire your amp gauge in a series to the main wire that charges the battery. Other then that you maybe can hook your hour meter to a relay from the kill wire.

I'll try a few different things,I appreciate your suggestions. ?

Greg, Did you buy a kit ammeter? If so did you follow the wiring instructions, or did you break into an existing wire (which could be ok)? Seems like you may have defeated the ignition switch off feature to make the time meter run continuously. Many (not all) instructions suggest a new thick gauge wire be installed. Many problems with incorrect installation as the current flow generates heat which can melt insulation . My craftsman meter would run continuously with key on.

Motoman, I bought a amp meter at FLEET FARM off the shelf for a farm tractor. (Generic) I am going to use 10 gauge wire once I got it to work correctly. I'm using 14 gauge temporarily, do you think I'm having problems because I'm not using the rite wire gauge wright now?
I think I'm following the directions correctly, they were kinda confusing. ?.

I am taking a guess and think you want a gauge to tell you that your battery is charging. It would of been so much simpler to use a volt gauge over a amperage gauge. I have found most newer tractors have all gone to vote gauges now. One wire to positive and one wire to negative and you have it.

gregmartin said:

Do you have any ideas of how I can hook it up differently. I know if I add a on /off switch, I will surly forget to turn it off and add many hours.
I would appreciate any ideas.

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What you should have done is to remove the battery feed to the hot end of the solenoid connected that to one side of the amp meter then run a new wire from the ampmeter to the solenoid where you removed the original wire from.
No other wires should have been touched.

Gauge thickness is only a good (necessary) installation consideration. The off control at the key is your problem to the time meter. Although discussions run for and against an ammeter, I personally like them. To me they are like an oil pressure gauge which is "dynamic" in that it shows movement (and strength) of current flow and direction while voltage is static although also useful. Break the tie and install both. I have found the JC Whitney sourced Taiwan gauges very good , but good combo setups are available at auto parts stores.
My Craftsman ammeter lets me see the heavy charging rate just after starting and then a lighter rate while running before starting again. Negative needle can tip you to battery charging problems. Use good crimp joints on the terminals, or better, solder , and use shrink tubing readily available. route carefully and tie up long runs.:thumbsup:

Edit. There are digital gauges which are very "trick," but I guess you probably have an analog type with needle pointer, The led style need a shunt I think, which should come in the kt.

I also have a volt meter I'm going to add also, I kinda like gauges and they are fairly cheap.
And I wanted to fill the holes in the dashboard.

It's starting to make more sense to me now, I really didn't know exactly how they worked..
I think the positive and negative terminals on the gauge was throwing me off..(blew a few fuses)
I think bertsmobile 1 idea is making a lot of sense to me now, I'll try it in the morning. Thanks Guys.

makes no difference which way you install an amp meter as it goes in series.
Wron way around it just reads , well wrong way around so it will read - when you are charging and + when you are discharging.

However I did get it wrong.
To work the way I told you to wire it the heavy power wire from the battery needs to be connected so you would need a meter that can read 600 A.
I forgot it has a starter motor and is not a kick start Pommie motorcycle.
So it should have gone on the wire that goes from the regulator to either the switch or solenoid hot terminal, not having your circuit diagram in front of me.
In this position it will read either charging current or nothing.So if when running it shows any + number then you have it right.
If it shows no number or a - number it is wired backwards.
If you have connected it one side to the alternator wire and the other side to earth then you have just bypassed the ignition switch which I think is what you have done and why the hour meter continuously reads.

Amp gauges are usually wired to the "R" or regulator terminal on the ignition switch which has continuity to the "B" or battery terminal in the "on" position. Hour meters are usually wired to the "A" or accessory terminal on the ignition switch which is only hot in the "on" position.

Thanks all you guys for the advice, I got it working wright and the hour meter works fine also.
I can't believe something so basic can give me so much aggravation.
Between everyone's comments I got it to work. THANKS.

Nice looking :thumbsup:

Thanks Reynoldston I plan on posting before and after restoration pics. soon.