DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - WIRING HARNESS


TROUBLESHOOTING TOOLS

When diagnosing a problem in an electrical circuit there are several common tools necessary. These tools are listed and explained below.

WARNING: Never use a jumper wire across a load, such as a motor, connected between a battery feed and ground.

CAUTION: Most of the electrical components used in today's vehicles are Solid State. When checking voltages in these circuits, use a meter with a 10 - megohm or greater impedance rating.

CAUTION: Most of the electrical components used in today's vehicles are Solid State. When checking resistance in these circuits use a meter with a 10 - megohm or greater impedance rating. In addition, make sure the power is disconnected from the circuit. Circuits that are powered up by the vehicle's electrical system can cause damage to the equipment and provide false readings.




INTERMITTENT AND POOR CONNECTIONS

Most intermittent electrical problems are caused by faulty electrical connections or wiring. It is also possible for a sticking component or relay to cause a problem. Before condemning a component or wiring assembly, check the following items.


TROUBLESHOOTING WIRING PROBLEMS

When troubleshooting wiring problems there are six steps which can aid in the procedure. The steps are listed and explained below. Always check for non-factory items added to the vehicle before doing any diagnosis. If the vehicle is equipped with these items, disconnect them to verify these add-on items are not the cause of the problem.


1. Verify the problem.
2. Verify any related symptoms. Do this by performing operational checks on components that are in the same circuit. Refer to the wiring diagrams.
3. Analyze the symptoms. Use the wiring diagrams to determine what the circuit is doing, where the problem most likely is occurring and where the diagnosis will continue.
4. Isolate the problem area.
5. Repair the problem area.
6. Verify the proper operation. For this step, check for proper operation of all items on the repaired circuit. Refer to the wiring diagrams.