Trying to find a Short.. Help!!!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore MD
Trying to find a Short.. Help!!!!
I'm sure there are many of you out there who have conquered this task. I am at the beginning and am just looking for suggestions of where to start or methods that have worked for you. Thanks.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 595
Likes: 0
From: Boston MA
the best method for me is to take the lead off the battery and put a test light in between the lead and positive cable. Then start pulling fuses.
If there is a short, the test light will light up with the car off. If you pull fuse and it goes out, then start looking there.
Thanks,
Joe
If there is a short, the test light will light up with the car off. If you pull fuse and it goes out, then start looking there.
Thanks,
Joe
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,063
Likes: 104
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
the best method for me is to take the lead off the battery and put a test light in between the lead and positive cable. Then start pulling fuses.
If there is a short, the test light will light up with the car off. If you pull fuse and it goes out, then start looking there.
Thanks,
Joe
If there is a short, the test light will light up with the car off. If you pull fuse and it goes out, then start looking there.
Thanks,
Joe
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
OK, a little bit on troubleshooting basics....
ALL electrical faults are not "Shorts", that is reserved for a malfunction in which there is a current path to ground that bypasses normal circuitry or takes a "Short" path to ground, usually popping a breaker, fuse, fuse link or burning something. That said, if you do have a Short somewhere and it has blown the fuse associated with that circuit, the lightbulb on the battery bubba thing is useless, the fuse has already told you where to start looking.
So, what is not working? Blown fuse? what have you checked? Do you have a chematic? can you read it? (not making fun, some can, some can't)
Be glad to help, but need a bit of info
ALL electrical faults are not "Shorts", that is reserved for a malfunction in which there is a current path to ground that bypasses normal circuitry or takes a "Short" path to ground, usually popping a breaker, fuse, fuse link or burning something. That said, if you do have a Short somewhere and it has blown the fuse associated with that circuit, the lightbulb on the battery bubba thing is useless, the fuse has already told you where to start looking.
So, what is not working? Blown fuse? what have you checked? Do you have a chematic? can you read it? (not making fun, some can, some can't)
Be glad to help, but need a bit of info
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 7,708
Likes: 266
From: indy indiana
best tool I have found is one of those little bitty testlight/screwdriver looking things with a sharp point. You can at least find out where you getting power to,or not. and ...their cheap.
