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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.