Hey everybody, I run a single tank system on one of my 240Ds in los angeles utilizing both a FPHE and 12v heaters. it has worked great for 3 years and 45k miles
for electrical, I use injection line heaters, a fuel line heater and a 12v filter heater. i upgraded the alternator to a 95 amp model to get more juice.. I am wanting to monitor my systems power/charging a little closer just to make sure things are good and mostly to detect any issues before they are a problem - i recently had a loose alt belt that was only partially charging the battery, so it left me hanging, but i didnt get any pre-warning such as the battery light coming on. it was sorta charging, just not enough to keep up with my electrical demands.
has anyone installed a volt/amp meter on their dash? if so can you recommend which one you used? I see a few cheap little ones on ebay from china that look like they would do the trick, although I'm a little confused on where to wire them in- directly across the battery, through the fuse box.. ?? will the volt/amp of the whole system read differently at different places or in an electrical circuit will it always read the same no matter where i tap the meter in?? i know you can plug a volt meter into the cig lighter, but i'd love to have an amp readout as well, so i can see how much current my 12v heaters use. i have them on switches and use them before start up and until the FPHE gets to temp, then i just leave the injection line heaters on...
here is the meter i found on ebay:
1PCS DC 4.5-30V 0-100A Dual LED Digital Volt meter Ammeter Voltage AMP Power | eBay
it says it needs a "shunt" to work, which i also found on ebay for like $6. although i dont really understand what that is or where to put it either!
thanks for any insight you guys may have!!