[fixit-p]

72lb4x4, you last post was a bit harsh I see alot of those statements in the general forums but in the specialized sections (suspension, engine & drivetrain, electrical, ect...ect.) there seems to be a level of mutual respect and when there is a difference of opinion it's more productive to further the discussion. This thread is a perfect example.

neba, 72stepside, The system does make sense if you go back to the basic fundamental that electricity will always take the path of least resistance. The best way to explain this is to imagine a large 6" diameter water pipe with 10 gpm (equivalent to volts) of water flowing through it. If you were to tap an 1/8" line into the 6" pipe not much water is going to flow through it because the 6" pipe offers little or no resistance. Now put a valve (shunt) on the 6" pipe and close it half way you now have a pressure drop on other side of valve which is the electrical equivalent to a voltage drop and the pressure drop (voltage drop) at the end of the 1/8" hose allows water to flow through the 1/8" line the amount of water flowing is equivalent to electrical current which is expressed in amps. Increasing the water supply also increases the pressure drop and more flow thought the 1/8" line or ammeter in our case. So the current flow through the ammeter will be proportional to the current flow through the shunt. The voltage drop at either end has no direct effect on the ammeter other than influencing the direction and amount of current flow which is expressed in amps, so yes it is an ammeter (only measures a small percentage of current flow) and not a volt meter.

Vette, Thanks for verifying the paths on the circuit boards are still there from terminal 5, I don't have spare parts to double check myself also the link you posted on the ammeter is the best I've seen so far and this is a highly debated topic in this and other forums.

72stepside, Have you double checked continuity through the circuit board to the ammeter. Sorry for the long post hope it adds more help than confusion.