Tracing 12v Circuits, Shorts...First Steps

[jimmickle]

When looking for short, there is a low cost tool available at jc whitney among others. It is a short circuit finder item number 1JA 14937. Once you have one, you will never want to be without it when chasing electrical problems
. Cost is $41.95
Jim Mickle TAC IA2

[fotochop]

found this one, not sure if its the same

SHORT CIRCUIT FINDER - JCWhitney

no instructions shown. analog dial. do you just try to zero in on a smaller and smaller zone with it?

[fotochop]

instructions shown:

SHORT CIRCUIT FINDER
Easy to use! Hook leads to fuse posts. Induction-type needle on gauge pinpoints shorts. Unit operates through metal posts, panels, etc. No need to remove upholstery or floor coverings. Schematic included. Comes with high-impact plastic storage box.

[jimmickle]

That is the one. It does come with instructions. You clip the unit so it replaces the fuse. It sends a short pulse of voltage down the shorted wire. The meter is run along where the wire might go. Each time there is a pulse, the meter deflects. You follow the pulses until they stop. That is the location of the short. It works thru trim and metal panels!

Jim

[fotochop]

Upgraded the battery lug connections to ones much easier to deal with:



and voila! none of the interior lights worked!

oh boy.

went back a few baby steps and did a continuity test starting at the converter wires.

found no continuity at one of the ground fuses, fuse tested OK, got rid of the shunt (my Safari didn't come with a real dial ammeter anyway, only the Int'ls, according to the manual, no great loss for me now that I knew what it was...

moved that dead ground wire up to fuse #2 position, then sprayed the whole dealie down with contact cleaner, scrubbed all the fuse contacts and stripped wire...checked continuity, OK all around...

oh yeah, I had removed the (ac) switch (the one to turn off the crawfish when they started to boil), and the shunt wires by this time:



installed a VoltMinder from bestconverter:



nice to see what actually is going on, volt-wise, quite a nice 'bit 'o kit' as the brit would say...

fixed the curbside compartment convenience light, went inside and rehooked the furnace, which is really where this whole saga started back when the voltage dropped inside to like, 9 volts and I had to get real about how incredibly little I knew about my rig's electric....



then I recalled in my initial freak-out I started diddling with the (original?) Honeywell thermostat when the furnace started to act weird... I think I tried to adjust the screw (arrow) but have no idea where it was originally...I may have to ask about this in a new thread...

(like the beatles tho, its get-tin bet-ter all the ti-i-i-me....)

[DreamStreamr]

Rick,
we bought a $20 furnace thermostat from the hardware store, a Hunter. Uses a pair of AA batteries, displays current temperature in easy to read LCD characters, and allows you to set your desired temperature. Range is 45 degrees F to way high (we've actually never checked how high it can go).

We also found a setting inside it for hysteresis (the dead-band), so you can adjust how many degrees the room cools before turning the furnace back on again.

This is so much better than the bimetallic coil t-stat original to our trailer, on which we could neither visualize the temperature setting nor see the actual temperature.

You may like your old t-stat, maybe it matches the decor. For us, the new one is worth the $20 just in knowing clearly what the temp setting is. Because, unfortunately, we are chasing 75 degrees unsuccessfully. Everywhere we go it is cold! Well, a little cold anyway.

Good luck!

Jim

[fotochop]

hi Jim, yes, I'm hearing how much better the new digital t-stats function compared to the groovy looking old ones...I'm gonna give this one ONE more chance to make me happy with the anticipator adjustment...if that doesn't work, well, I'm pretty good at "antiquing" things, I'm sure I could make a new stat fit our decor pretty well..

[DreamStreamr]

Yeah Rick, a little brushed gold metal trim, and some food color or something to stain a little of the exposed white plastic kinda brownish-yellowed-like -- ANTIQUE!

Go for it,

Jim