I would like to acquire more knowledge on the eletrical side in order to keep my car runnning. I simply do not understand Ohms, injector testing, resistance, and testing injectors and that type of thing.

I need direction on where to go to learn this. A good book? Give me some directions folks!

 

1st would be a FSM:
2nd: is use the Search function w/advanced and include "archive posts" in your search... good info on the Tech and General forums on this stuff... learned alot from reading posts.
3rd: Get the corvette injection book, can't remember the exact name but it covers a ton on the subject.

 

Get yourself a digital Meter, not really expensive, less than $50.00 will buy what you need. It will come with a little book on how to take measurements. Measure a AA or D cell to see how the DC voltage works. You can measure your battery voltage in the DC Volt's scale. Red lead to the positive (RED) terminal, Black lead to the Negative(Black) terminal.
The Ohm's scale is for measuring resistance. When you turn up the volume on the radio you are changing the resistance.
The Ohm's scale is only used when NO power is applied to whatever you are measuring. Simply unplug all your injectors and read the resistance across the 2 terminals, it does not matter which lead goes where. If an injector does not measure close to all the others, then maybe it is bad. You need the FSM to know how much resistance you should be reading.

 

http://www.wikipedia.org/ is your friend!

I have the FSM, also I have the Chilton's witch has detailed information on all those topics and how they relate to your automotive trouble shooting. I like the Chilton's for the easy in finding a topic and there are some nice charts and information. I think you'd be happy surfing Wiki and also with the Chilton's manual.

I have the $15 Walmart multi-meter and it works well.

 

I'm sure there is a good, basic, book available. Unfortunately, I don't know of and therefore can't recommend one. I think what you are seeking is something very basic; like the principles of electricity. What helps me with electricity, not electronics, is to visualize it as water. Volts are the measure of the pressure. Amps are the gallons per minute, or volume. Ohms is the resistance through a given size pipe (gauge wire). If that helps, find a book. there are a couple of laws that it will help to become familiar with, too; like volts times amps = Watts. Check out the library.

RACE ON!!!

 

Thanks guys, I knew I could count on you. I have two multi-testers one in kind of fancy looking. I have the Factory Service Manual. I will refine my question, I really need a good reference on how to use all the capabilities of my testers. I have read through the manuals but it appears to assume that I have more basic knowledge than I have:o . I know how to test the battery and the charging but that is about it.

When I get to a point like this I find it is best to drop back and learn the basics. I need a suggestion on some good basic auto electrics!

 

CFI-EFI,

This is helpful, thank! Now I am on my way!

 

The Chilton's also covers how to use a multi-meter in automotive trouble shooting.

I agree, nice discriptions of the differing properties of electricity.

 

CFI-EFI is right, water is the perfect analogy, but to get to where you can see the analogy well I would still recommend getting an introductory electronics book.

Voltage is a measure of how much energy is involved when electrons cross something. This metaphor is a little bit different from what the others are suggesting: Picture a 12-volt battery to be an elevated portion in an otherwise horizontal system of water pipes. You get 12 volts worth of energy out of the system for every gallon of water that moves from the high side of this waterfall to the low side, which you can use to push any sort of machine or turbine that you place there as it falls down. When you try pushing current the other way, up the waterfall, you must put energy IN to the system, which you will recieve back again when the water falls back down the waterfall. The higher the elevation, the higher the voltage and the more energy is at stake.

Current is an expression meaning flow, which expresses how many electrons per second flow past a point. The flow will tend to travel "downwards" through the system, as if it were falling, until it reaches ground (when it reaches ground, picture water falling out of the pipe system altogether through the very bottom, and then just scattering). If ground is not available, like say someone builds a wall right after the low side of the pipe, water will just build up in the pipe and not be able to go anywhere; a little pressure at the very end of the pipe (capacitance) will build up but overall the flow will stop. So electricity only flows when the circuit is grounded, and of course you also need a voltage source, or a "raised portion of pipe," to provide something for the current to fall down from. The initial precense of "water" in the system is not something you have to worry about because there are electrons inside of everything, but you do need some way of returning water to the high point once it runs dry.

In reality, voltage sources are either from chemical reactions that draw electrons from one container to another (batteries), or from moving magnetic fields around the pipe that induce electron flow (generators). Both of which, chemical or magnetic, pass energy into the system; the chemicals end up at a lower energy state, and similarly energy was used up when moving the magnet.

Coming up with an analogy for resistance really isn't so easy, it's not accurate to just say "the pipe shrinks down in diameter," that would be more like a bit of capacitance I would think. Resistance is more like turbulence in the pipe. You get things that break up the flow, converting the energy of the current into waste heat energy, and ultimately the current is slowed down because that section of pipe resists flow somewhat. Resistances inherently create a voltage drop, because for every gallon of water that passes through, there is some energy cost, as some portion of the energy passed through turns into waste heat.

Too little resistance in a circuit, like if you just short power to ground, and it's like the water is in free fall and there's no limit on how fast it can fall. Such high currents can melt things. But let's say your system of pipes starts off very high up off the ground, so there's a lot of voltage and a lot of potential energy involved; by placing a resistance anywhere along the pipe, like by roughing up a small section, you can create turbulence and break up the flow so the current doesn't just fall down like a rocket. Some of your energy will now go into waste heat along the pipe instead of all of it going into slamming at full speed into whatever is at the bottom.

Inductance is probably comparable to the inertia of the water in the pipe, and its tendency to not slow down or reverse direction on a whim. Any section of pipe (that is, any part of a circuit) can be said to possess some amount of inductance, capacitance, and resistance. All three.

I would recommend reading about the meaning of electrical "nodes," as well as getting a basic understanding of Kirchoff's voltage law and Kirchoff's current law, ideas from which all the rest of analysis of basic circuits is built.

 

Does Chiltons have this information in all of its manuals or is it a special one? I have an old Chevy truck Chiltons somewhere...

 

Think of a water hose. Pressure in the hose is voltage. Rate of flow is amperes. Resistance to flow is Ohms. Essentially the same as CFI-EFI's explanation. Comparing a circuit to a water hose helped me when I was learning.

Electricity for Dummies. No offense meant. Get it at:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...rocess=default

 

It's been years since I saw them, but Radio Shack had some excellent beginners books by Forrest Mims.

http://www.forrestmims.com/.


Tom Piper

 

http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mas...L/EEIndex.html

 

No offense taken, when it comes to this subject I am what I am...

Seriously, thanks to all and I hope this helps some others! So far I have had every other problem on this car but electrical. I don't want to jinks myself but it sounds like injectors are my next most likely problem and I am going to acquire some brain power before that happens plus I am enjoying learning this stuff. So unlike my day job of pushing green paper (cash) and white paper. Boring bank stuff. Give me a wrench on Saturday!

 

I am not sure, you could check. I bought the one for my '88 at NAPA. It covers a few years and really does have a lot in it.

 

I still have my SET (Specialized electronics training) book from A 10 day class I took at the GM Training Center years ago. There is a ton of useful info in it. I'd be happy to loan it to you for a while if you pay shipping.

 

Hey Jakers
I actually just found a second SET book here at work, the tech that it belonged to no longer works here so you can actually have it.
You just have to cover shipping. Let me know if you want it.

 

I just checked and multimeters range from $15 to $20 at Advanced Auto Parts. They measure voltage, resistance, current, etc. Go get one, and stab its metal probes through the wires going into your TPS to check to see if the voltage difference is correct at different throttle positions. That would be a good first use for one of those.

 

Try Ben Watson's Chevy Fuel Injection. There's enough there (electrical and otherwise) to keep you out of trouble and along the way, you'll learn enough to work on your next Toyota - assuming it's not hybrid.

 

Piercing the insulation isn't necessary and should only be done as a last resort.