I have yet another electrical issue and just want to double check whether I am attacking this properly.
I began my relationship with Annabelle remediating the damage done by the idiot stereo installer who tied a powerful stereo into the left side light circuit, replacing a 5 amp fuse with a 50 amp fuse, thereby enable the melting of various components in the circuit whenever the stereo was played loud.
Recently, the voltage regulator went on my alternator and I ran the car with 19+ volts! a couple of times. After having the alternator rebuilt and installing the new battery and she started a couple of times. I checked the voltage drop on the ground circuit, hooking the B+ post on the alternator and comparing the voltage grounding to the alternator case with the voltage on the chassis. Total drop was 0.2 volts. I was thinking this was ok, and was planning to start checking voltage drops on the positive circuits.
Then, I turned the key and got nothing. I charged the battery overnight, and then with a voltage meter on the starter, when I turn the key to start, the voltage drops quickly down to nine volts, and continued falling.
So, here is my question -- my plan of attack so far has been to test first the circuits that operate independent of the key (on my car these are wired together on fuses 5 and 6), then move on to test the circuits enabled by turning the key to aux, and then finally to check the load shedding relay and the start circuit. So far I have not started the car, so I have been testing to ensure I do not have continuity to ground problems in any of these circuits.
I found two small problems in these circuits, and I am now voltage drop free with the key out of the car. When I turn the key to aux, however, I can see a continuous voltage drop. Not nearly as rapid as what I saw when turning the key to start, but still a problem.
The testing I am now doing will identify continuity problems, but won't tell me about voltages and current draw in normal operation. I am thinking the safest way to proceed is to continue to isolate and test the various circuits separately to ensure I don't have ground problems and then to start the car test the circuits while in operation.
Is this right, or am I missing something?
I began my relationship with Annabelle remediating the damage done by the idiot stereo installer who tied a powerful stereo into the left side light circuit, replacing a 5 amp fuse with a 50 amp fuse, thereby enable the melting of various components in the circuit whenever the stereo was played loud.
Recently, the voltage regulator went on my alternator and I ran the car with 19+ volts! a couple of times. After having the alternator rebuilt and installing the new battery and she started a couple of times. I checked the voltage drop on the ground circuit, hooking the B+ post on the alternator and comparing the voltage grounding to the alternator case with the voltage on the chassis. Total drop was 0.2 volts. I was thinking this was ok, and was planning to start checking voltage drops on the positive circuits.
Then, I turned the key and got nothing. I charged the battery overnight, and then with a voltage meter on the starter, when I turn the key to start, the voltage drops quickly down to nine volts, and continued falling.
So, here is my question -- my plan of attack so far has been to test first the circuits that operate independent of the key (on my car these are wired together on fuses 5 and 6), then move on to test the circuits enabled by turning the key to aux, and then finally to check the load shedding relay and the start circuit. So far I have not started the car, so I have been testing to ensure I do not have continuity to ground problems in any of these circuits.
I found two small problems in these circuits, and I am now voltage drop free with the key out of the car. When I turn the key to aux, however, I can see a continuous voltage drop. Not nearly as rapid as what I saw when turning the key to start, but still a problem.
The testing I am now doing will identify continuity problems, but won't tell me about voltages and current draw in normal operation. I am thinking the safest way to proceed is to continue to isolate and test the various circuits separately to ensure I don't have ground problems and then to start the car test the circuits while in operation.
Is this right, or am I missing something?