Auto Meter Products was founded in 1957 starting with the manufacture of tachometers for the then High-revving 1955-57 Chevy’s. In the ‘60’s it develop the racing instrument line and with continued, rapid growth supported a 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Sycamore, Illinois. Today it is recognized as America’s No. 1 racing instrument manufacturer with over four hundred employees and two more facilities, a 56,500 sq. ft. plant in Pleasant Grove Utah and a 60,000 sq. ft. factory in Ephraim, Utah.
Their serious commitment to racing has allowed them to
continue leading the way in the latest racing technology.
They have a numerous line of instruments and gauges.
Is
it better to use electrical gauges over mechanical gauges?
Although mechanical gauges have the
same accuracy as electrical gauges, electrical gauges make for an easier
installation using wires instead of capillary tubing. The new "Full
Sweep" electric gauges also offer the same readability as our mechanical
gauges.
Can
I install a fuel pressure gauge inside my car in the dash?
For safety reasons, all fuel pressure gauges must be mounted
outside of the vehicle, unless you use a fuel pressure isolator. In low pressure
applications (0-15 PSI) we offer fuel pressure gauges that include the isolator
and 4 ft. of braided line between the gauge and the isolator.
The isolator keeps any fuel inside the engine compartment
behind the firewall and not in the passenger compartment.
Another option is to use the new full-sweep electric fuel
pressure gauge. Available are 0-15
PSI and 0-100 PSI electric fuel pressure gauges in most of our popular lines.
Can
I install a pressure or temp. gauge on my import vehicle?
Metric adapters are available in the accessory line. It is
very likely there is an adapter for your application. First determine the metric
thread specification by referencing auto repair manuals or contact your local
import car service department.
What
type of battery do I need?
A wet cell or gel type battery is required for proper
operation. Use of a dry cell battery, such as a flashlight or lantern battery,
is not recommended and may damage the gauge.
Will
an Auto Meter fuel level gauge work with my existing stock sender?
Fuel level gauges are designed to work with specific sending
units that vary with different automobile manufacturers. Auto Meter offers gauge
models for use with existing senders on most cars. Also a sending unit (model
3262) is available to work with certain model Auto Meter fuel level gauges. If
you want to use your existing sender and are uncertain about your type of
sending unit, an ohm reading will need to be taken. To test your sending unit,
first locate the wire coming from the sending unit. Once located, two-ohm
readings should be taken; one with fuel tank full. To properly take an ohm
reading, disconnect the wire to the sender then connect the positive lead from
the ohmmeter to the sender terminal and the negative lead to a good ground.
Short answer: A voltmeter, by far. Electrical guru Mark
Hamilton of M.A.D. Enterprises points out that amperage is a measure of current
flow, so an ammeter is actually a "flow meter" that's intended to
measure current flow to the battery (under normal conditions) or discharge from
the battery (in the case of alternator system failure). On a typical flow meter,
all output must be directed through the device to obtain an accurate reading. In
the ammeter's case, that means all the alternator output used to recharge the
battery must first be routed through the ammeter under the dash. Which requires
a heavy-gauge cable and presents a possible fire hazard. And the ammeter itself
must be able to handle all this current flow, so it must have a higher current
rating than the alternator's maximum rated output.
All this might be worth the hassle if the ammeter produced
reliable information. But the ammeter can only measure the amount of current
output to the battery for recharging purposes: When the alternator recharges a
"low" battery, the ammeter indicates a high charge rate; with a fully
charged battery the voltage regulator reduces alternator output, and the ammeter
is supposed to indicate a very low charge rate. But how can you really tell the
regulator has reduced alternator output because the battery is fully charged?
Maybe a diode in the alternator rectifier failed, or the alternator belt slipped
after it warmed up, just as if the battery were fully charged. Or maybe the
meter indicates a medium charge rate most of the time-does the battery want this
much or could the voltage regulator be overcharging the battery?
On the other hand, a voltmeter works like a fuel pressure
gauge-but instead of measuring fluid in psi, the voltmeter measures electrical
system pressure in volts. Just like a fuel pressure gauge, a voltmeter only
needs to tap into a circuit; all the fuel (or electricity) does not have to
detour through the gauge itself. Voltmeter installation is easy, quick, and
safe: It hooks up to a fused, ignition-switched "off/on" source and
does not require any modification of the circuit used to recharge the battery or
any part of the alternator/regulator system. In short, the voltmeter installed
at the dash will be a stand-alone circuit.
The voltmeter directly measures the result of charging-system
performance. With normal alternator/voltage-regulator function, battery voltage
is maintained at 14.0 to 14.5 volts-and this is reported directly by the
voltmeter. In the event of alternator-system failure, voltage will be low and
continue to drop as the battery discharges. In the event of an
"overcharge" condition, the voltmeter will climb above its normal
zone. In summary, there is no chance for misinterpreting a voltmeter's readings
as can happen with an ammeter.