Vega ammeter

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Vega ammeter

Postby 73Vegaguy » Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:09 pm

Does eveyone else have the same problem with the ammeters in their Vega GT dashes? I've had 3 GT's, and none of the ammeters worked. I got one working (sort of) by cleaning and tightening various connections, but it still wasn't really accurate. My current car looks to have clean and tight connections and the fusible links look OK. I'm wondering if the guage itself is bad. Does anyone know if failed amp guages is a chronic Vega problem? Any other common trouble spots to check for?
Oh, and my temp guage only reads about 1/2 way between the lowest 2 marks (140 degrees?) when the car is fully warmed up. I think the previous owner put a 160 degree thermostat in the car, but it seems that it should read higher than that. Again, any guesses whether it's more likely a temp sender or a guage problem? Are the senders still available? Thanks.
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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby cjbiagi » Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:09 am

My 75 Monza has the same amp gauge as the Vega and I have never had a problem with it. Depending upon what type of sender you have I may be able to get a correct one. It's important that the sender match the gauge, sometimes a different sender could have been installed ruining the accuracy.
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby spencerforhire » Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:23 am

There really is no "sender" for an ammeter; in order for it to function properly, ALL the current flow in both directions(alternator to battery AND battery to ignition/fuse box/headlight switch) must pass through it. The most common cause for an ammeter to not appear to work is any kind of underhood wiring upgrade. For example, if you install a newer style alternator and hook it directly to the + battery cable, the alternator needle will no longer show on the "+" side. Also if you install any accessory such as an aux. fan or a stereo amplifier that hooks up to the battery, the alternator will not register these things on the "-" side. A popular upgrade for older Vega's is the installation of a GT full gauge dash, usually without the complete harness that would actually make the ammeter work.
I really don't like ammeters; they don't belong in the dash of a modern vehicle. Bringing all the current into the dash and back out creates both an un-necessary voltage drop and a potential fire hazard. I usually recommend the installation of a volt gauge instead.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
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Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby 73Vegaguy » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:26 am

I was referring to the sender for the temp guage, not the ammeter. Sorry for the confusion.
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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby cjbiagi » Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:24 am

Sorry, I was brain dead last night. You are correct that there is no sender for a amp meter. I was referring to temp and pressure senders. The amp meter connects to the starter, make sure those connections are clean and tight.
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby 73Vegaguy » Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:50 pm

Thanks, Clyde. i'm going to try cleaning and tightening all the connections and see if that helps. Would you have the temp sender if I would need one?

Ralph
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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby cjbiagi » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:04 pm

If you end up needing a sender let me know and I will research the number and see if I can locate one. cjbiagi@yahoo.com
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Re: Vega ammeter

Postby 72 SS PNL » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:57 pm

i got my temp sender from car quest , it reads a little slower than the aftermerket cheapy , but it reads around the 1/4 mark if i remember correctly and the other reads right at 180

clyde , let me know if you can get a gm sender and how much
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