Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2017 13:03:38 -0400
Reply-To: Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Electric mayhem part 2
In-Reply-To: <CA03FB6C-4C74-4445-B3FA-7655FD3817C4@mac.com>
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Jeremy,
Where are you on this? Are you sorted?
What Kim is saying is that the presence of potential (IE, voltage) doesn't
mean there is a current flow. It would, however, if that voltage was
connected to ground. Does it kind of feel like you're chasing your tale?
Testing for current is a bit troublesome. You need a meter that can
measure AMPS and you need to open each circuit and insert the meter.
A better test is to use your meter check for CONTINUITY between POS and
ground; and that failing to give usable information, check for resistance
(ohms) to ground.
Tips:
-Be methodical: disconnect your battery and use the POS connections as
your starting point. Progressively isolate circuits until you find short.
-If you disconnect the battery and test those big leads for a connection to
ground and your meter says that there is no connection (no beeping in
CONTINUITY mode and infinite resistance in RESISTANCE mode) then this
method will not work for you.
-Don't forget that some loads are always ON, like your clocks.
-Use alligator clips or your jumper cables (IE massive alligator clips!) to
connect one of your meter leads ground so you only have to deal with one
lead at a time.
-FREQUENTLY check that your meter and set-up is still working by touching
your leads to a good ground. Your meter should BEEP or read very low
resistance (near zero ohms) when your set-up is correct.
-If you find the short with the continuity feature, it is much easier
because you get an audible response; but for a short which is making a weak
connection, you may have to resort to the resistance feature (IE measuring
Ohms). This is more likely the case because if a POS wire is making a
strong connection with ground, it would probably heat up, smoke, catch fire
or at least blow a fuse.
-You can also use your nose to find a short by sniffing around for that
expensive burnt electronics smell -- we've all smelled it!
-Use your eyes to look for discoloured, broken, crumbling wire insulation.
.
Let us know if this sounds like so much non-sense. Maybe somebody can give
you better instructions.
Maybe others even disagree with this method or have a better method to
suggest.
gabby
On Sat, Sep 9, 2017 at 2:15 PM, KIM BRENNAN <kimbrennan@mac.com> wrote:
> Volts doesn’t measure current (draw). You would want to put an amp meter
> in between your positive post on the battery and one of the wires you have
> connected to it normally, to identify where your mystery drain is coming
> from.
>
>
> > On Sep 9, 2017, at 1:51 PM, Jeremy Stovin <jjstov@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> >
> > This is where I show you how much of an idiot I am but hopefully someone
> will be patient with me and teach me what I'm doing wrong.
> >
> > So to sum up where I am. I have something drawing power from the Aux
> battery and currently my Aux batteries (3 wheelchair batteries) are dead. I
> ordered replacements, which came but I ordered the wrong ones. So in the
> meantime, I took one of the new 12v batteries to see if I could find the
> draw.
> >
> > Now I was going to try a modified version of the test of disconnecting
> the ground and using a multimeter between the ground and neg terminal and
> then remove fuses, etc.
> >
> > Since everything is disconnected, meaning the multiple positive
> connections that were attached to the positive terminal, I thought it may
> be easier to try just one positive wire at a time. Connect the positive and
> then test between the ground and neg terminal for Voltage.
> >
> > Well, I tried this and it gives me the full 13v. So must be doing
> something wrong.
> >
> > Can someone please, gently, let me in on the obvious blunder?
> >
> > Jeremy
> > '87 Westy
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
>
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