From ammeter to a volt meter

[shatar4]

I remember reading somewhere either on here or another site that when you switch from a ammeter to a volt meter, the red and black wires that went to the volt meter are spliced together? I've always been taught that you do not touch a positive to a negitive or you would get sparkling results. Is this correct or is my memory going?

[Katfish]

Your probably thinking of the amp meter bypass.  Since the meter is in series, you just connect the 2 wires together.
I think on the factory harness 1 of the wires was red, and the other is blk.

So, this would be connecting the red to the black.  But yes, normarly you would never connect the + side to the - side directly.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

An ammeter is just a reading of whats going on in a wire. So very basically there is a wire from the alternator to the battery +. Cut that wire, put one end on one stud of the gauge, other end of the wire on the other stud of the gauge and it completes the circuit. So basically, you aren't touching 'red' to 'black' in connecting the wires to the ammeter. But yes, touching positive straight to ground will not be good!

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml