Thread: Electrical Questions

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But we both know that others will wire them using the positive side.

It almost/kinda the same concept of the ampmeter versus the voltmeter. Can you imagine having a 130 AMP charging system with that capability running to a amp gauge on your dash and it goes to ground.

Originally Posted by 34_40

Can you imagine having a 130 AMP charging system with that capability running to a amp gauge on your dash and it goes to ground.

The manufacturers could have switched to a remote shunt to handle the amps and read the millivolt drop across it with a remote indicator. Fuses in the remote line would have protected against shorts. This would have been much more expensive and complicated than the simple voltmeter, so you know the cheaper answer was used by the OEM's. Seems that I recall Ford used something similar to this on the last ammeters that were factory installed. They used a known length section of wire as a shunt.

As for the OP about relays. As has been said, yes on the horns. On the lights, I would, but you could probably get away without it. You could mount the light relay close the the battery under the hood and use a smaller wire to trigger the relay.

Mike