Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (March 2011, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:29:34 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Blown fuse
Comments: To: Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <5B9F9660-84C2-444E-A91C-0F6B6BD92BE2@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 10:47 PM 3/15/2011, Robert Stevens wrote: >Makes me wonder that if you were to run a test wire with a fuse in >its line, bypassing the fuse panel, to the wires going into the back >of the fuse panel at #8, .... if you'd then find out >that something has "melted" in the panel that is creating the resistance?

Bob, when you're tracing a short circuit controlled by a single fuse and without easy means to disconnect parts of it there are three basic ways to go about it. First is visual inspection, oops I mean looking at it. Second is measuring resistance; but that requires a much more sensitive ohmmeter than most of us have access to. The third (which I described in my previous post) is essentially to fake a very sensitive ohmmeter by passing a large but controlled current through the circuit and measuring the voltage drops. The branches with no current flowing will show a constant low voltage, but the branch with the short will show a voltage that decreases as you get nearer and nearer to the short.

Ah - with the new clamp-on DC ammeters there's a fourth method as well.

Then there are all the ways involving unhooking stuff, of course.

Yours, David


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.