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Triumph TR6 - AMPS question

Guys,
For those of you with an Amp guage rather than volts....

I have been out a few evenings when it cools down enough to enjoy the drive (95 and humid in the daytime) and with headlights on the Amp guage moves more than halfway to the 'D'. It runs fine, but is this normal? It also jumps in time with the Traficator (aka directional signal....gotta love those Brits).

Just wondering if this is normal, or is there trouble coming with the alternator.

Thanks,
Mark
Mark Hauser

Mark--Under the same nightime lighting loads, my ammeter deflects slightly left center. I have a Delco alternator that was rebuilt a year or so ago. There is an almost imperceptible blip when trafficator is engage. I do get large blips when I crank the music up. I would say your charging system may be getting tired.

Speaking of 'trafficator', have a look at the units on your oil pressure gauge. Never seen that before!

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

Hi Mark

Amp meter or ameter is the best device. Much more reliable and expensive than volts.

As Rick pointed out with the stereo your alternator depending on the unit puts out a certain amount. Usually around 40 to 60 rough. If your loading up lights radio etc. it will deflect more.

If you are concerned take car to a parts store for a free test. Will show load capability output.

Or following RickCs advice clean up all your lighting connections and hit them with dialectric grease. You will probably find a great improvement. Any resistance to device and ground increases the amps to do the required work.

RickO if your oil Gauge is in Ba or bars its around times 15 psi. There were others used. Barometric pressure. Pip Pip old boy off to climb Everest you know :)

Bill
Bill Brayford

Bill--What's interesting about my oil pressure gauge is that the units are not "psi", but "lb/__in" where the "__" is a tiny square!!

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

Mark
My Ameter has always sat slightly to the D side and I have no problems. It goes up when car started then drops down. Deeper into the D with things operating.
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Hey RickO

That gauge marking came to me like a bolt today.

PSI. Pounds "Square" Inch.

Man I thought Microsoft were the kings of stupid shortforms. That fella must have stayed up all night with a case of Gin and the giggles before he came up with that.

Bill
Bill Brayford

Just imagine if "Newtons" had been involved....
Brent B

But if you get Newtons involved, you still have to add an areal unit of measure. This in turn leads us straight down the path to one of the units that I have always had difficulty relating to, namely the Pascal, a unit describing one Newton spread over one square meter. It takes a whole bunch of Pascals to correspond to even a small number of pounds per square inch.
SteveP

Takes kilos of pascals...
Brent B

I was imagining a drawing of a cookie/the square unit. Sorry - a very bad joke...
Brent B

Ok guys just took a look around and found us newbies in the Americas use PSI. Not common elswhere.

Just think back in the 60s-70s prior to the internet ISO and quick info. Some poor bloke in England getting the task of designing a small oil gauge face for American export?

Oh by the way they want it marked in "POUNDS SQUARE INCH" on the dial.

"Uh Gov where would you like me to put all that on this little dial".

"Well Fred the engineering dept. said its just a simple math conversion from the bar" "So abreviate it"

Where I bet he went to figure it out as I previously posted.

I solute the quick thinking gentleman with a shot of single malt Scotch and a Fig Newton. Both favourites of mine. They go well together by the way Brent. :)

Steve if the same fella tried Newtons and Pascals I think our dashes would display an Apple dropping on a bottle of French wine. Just a thought, possibly one of my relatives :)

Bill







Bill Brayford

Only after several pulls on your favorite single malt can one truly perceive shorthand for "cubic inches" displacement.

Rick O.
Rick Orthen

This thread was discussed between 09/07/2003 and 11/07/2003

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