Believe me, I was careful not to say fire in the same sentence as ammeter. Todays wire is pretty tuff to start on fire. If a person wants to run a honkin 6 or 8ga wire to a dash meter, I say "more power" to them. If an alternator shorts or some other device shorts, this may cause a melt down at ammeter or elsewhere. Depending on what safety devices are installed. A small wire to and from volt meter scares me less. A good ammeter has a shunt bar and meter movement circuit. If the meter movement quits, no sweat. If the shunt bar fails, could be trouble...but it won't fail.
I post to give a balance to 5253chevyman, not to argue with Jerry. 95% of the auto forums and all of the wire harness companies say use a voltmeter. Just as when I had to fix my 150 HP mercury outboard, I read a lot of stuff to get temporarily smart and to keep up with technology. This is what is said about ammeters and it makes sense. The only good thing said about ammeters is "I never had a problem" after someone says they had a problem. As far as the value or quantity of information being inadequate from a voltmeter, That myth has been busted. One guy said an ammeter will tell him if he left his lights on and a voltmeter won't. He always looks at it before it gets out of his truck. Why don't he look at his lights after he gets out of his truck? Why don't he look at his light switch before he gets out of his truck. Gosh all Friday, people! (Carl, I know it's "doesn't" but I'm on a Ranch)
It is a 40 year old "argument" and I had to take Jerry's bait....a catfish would have said fire, I'm a trout.
