this does not have to be hard
if the power glitches or drops in the cab, the check the FI fuse at the fender for that drop
if it drops on the inputs side of the fender box.
then its bad battery cables or grounds. (all grounds must be good , off my bad grounds page)
even a bad alternator can glitch out the main fuse box. because it sits right there.(has its own fuse, drive with it pulled? for 10min)
if the main is good (fender) no glitching and say the ECU sees glitching
this can be a bad ignition switch (got 100 keys on a ring> guaranteed to wreck any ignition switch)
if the IGN switch out side is good, it can be the MAIN relay is dying.
input to MAIN relay good, out bad. (12v across coil full time)
The voltmeter will find the 2 points of proof, good here, bad there ,so the part between is bad. (voltage drop)
I hope this helps you.
my comments are for cars worth more that $50 and is not a swamp buggy or field hand stump puller, and that it has great value to you and you don't want to make it wor$e.
some folks may have other ideas. that is ok too.
between 0 and -10 degrees Celsius Alberta for example uses SALT.
ok, how to find the glitch.
i connect my meter with a long wire to the battery minus cable, this allows me to see GROUND FAILURES INSTANTY (keep it there at all times testing)
then connect the red lead of said meter to the CIG lighter. (using a std, adaptor , got a box of old CEL phones. and 100 car adaptor, bingo free parts...) i save them all, those cables, just in case.
The cig center pin is hot, the shell is ground, for get this ground.
red meter to center cig. pin, the center is HOT. test there.....!!!
key on 12v. (12.6v is perfect) is this a 2 door rag top car? is the fuse holder corroded from driving in the rain?
engine running. (14.6v (no lower that 13.3. or alternator is dead) 800 or more engine RPM.
engine misfires, did voltage drop below 12v at any time,, that is a glitch if below 10v, big time bad that!!!!
if the Cig goes dead. or drops or glitches ,that means the power is bad, new cars have a gauge and you see the needle drop fast.
we have 2 paths here.
its ok, or not ok.
lets work not ok, it gliches. IF the CIG glitches that tells me , MAIN FUSE box is GLITCHING.
i check the fender box next.
http://www.fixkick.com/power-elect/96fuse-map.jpg
see that?
see FI ? if FI glitches, DOOM. a hopeless case and future, it will get worse. all bad connections love to get , worse (entropy always wins , car, or Black holes, etc)
The red test lead is clipped to , the FI output wire.
then fuse 3 IG this wire runs the whole cab fuse box, neither can be allowed to glitch.
glitches are only legal 1 way and that is cranking, we are not cranking we are running and voltages are 13.4 to 14.7 , in that band at all times. out of that band is a GLITCH.
the word glitch means an abnormal voltage transition. (a drop out ?)
if you look close to the fender box. there are many connections to it, it runs the whole car. every inch.
when power is bad, in any car the first place to look and test (after the green slim inspection , SALT DAMAGE and HACKER damager)
is to look at chapter, 8A-10 called power distribution.
its here (at ACKs FAQS)
http://www.acksfaq.com/96-FSM-v2-8A-10_pdf.htm
see that first page? see the fuse box?
see the white-green wire at pin 2, that is IG. (main to cab)
see the black-red wire that is FI, (main to cab)
neither of these, must be allowed to glitch, do not accidentally ground out any of these wires, or the hard to find fuse blows or it catches fire. there is 600 AMP there. respect those amps.
ever kick ive ever seen or touched or helped on,
I pull the battery minus, lug.
then invert that box #1 , and look for the green SLIME, this any time, i see main power glitching. and if in a SALT belt , times 1000 that idea.
really. in fact it should be in the service list.
if those 2 points dont glitch then it must be in the cab wiring.
repeat the tests at (red test lead on meter)
at
IG-COIL, a glitch here, is a bad ignition switch. see fuse marked IG-coil see wire with color marked. black-white ( black solid with white stripe, dots dont count)
if this wire glitches, try a new fuse. here. they can look ok and not be ok, for sure.
looking at the same FSM drawing above, see that wire from IG, going to the ignition switch., if it glitches and the white-green input to said switch is good, then the switch is DOA.
I will not pretend to know what is bad, any thing can fail (entropy is a beach, no?), but the tests are easy if the car fails fast. more random failures takes patience.
now lets talk bad grounds.
if the ECU case reads (red test lead touching it) more than 0.5vdc at anytime,then the grounds in the car , are bad.
that is a whole other set of tests.
look for melted body grounds. g105 or 6? that means the battery cables are failing and this weak ground burned up in do to the electrical law. of currrent seeks the least path of restances.
the starter to batter minus cable is bolted to the top starter bolt ,if the salt is bad, this fails and the other grounds smoke.
here are the critical grounds, and varies by body type ,not stated.
http://www.fixkick.com/Good_Bad_Ugly/com...lures.html
got slime, the green death of copper oxide?
![[Image: fuse-box1-failure2.jpg]](http://www.fixkick.com/fuse-box1-failure2.jpg)
when you drive north, this happens.
snow/ice and salt
i spent a long time at sea, fixing navy electronics, its 1000 times worse.
if the power glitches or drops in the cab, the check the FI fuse at the fender for that drop
if it drops on the inputs side of the fender box.
then its bad battery cables or grounds. (all grounds must be good , off my bad grounds page)
even a bad alternator can glitch out the main fuse box. because it sits right there.(has its own fuse, drive with it pulled? for 10min)
if the main is good (fender) no glitching and say the ECU sees glitching
this can be a bad ignition switch (got 100 keys on a ring> guaranteed to wreck any ignition switch)
if the IGN switch out side is good, it can be the MAIN relay is dying.
input to MAIN relay good, out bad. (12v across coil full time)
The voltmeter will find the 2 points of proof, good here, bad there ,so the part between is bad. (voltage drop)
I hope this helps you.
my comments are for cars worth more that $50 and is not a swamp buggy or field hand stump puller, and that it has great value to you and you don't want to make it wor$e.
some folks may have other ideas. that is ok too.
between 0 and -10 degrees Celsius Alberta for example uses SALT.
ok, how to find the glitch.
i connect my meter with a long wire to the battery minus cable, this allows me to see GROUND FAILURES INSTANTY (keep it there at all times testing)
then connect the red lead of said meter to the CIG lighter. (using a std, adaptor , got a box of old CEL phones. and 100 car adaptor, bingo free parts...) i save them all, those cables, just in case.
The cig center pin is hot, the shell is ground, for get this ground.
red meter to center cig. pin, the center is HOT. test there.....!!!
key on 12v. (12.6v is perfect) is this a 2 door rag top car? is the fuse holder corroded from driving in the rain?
engine running. (14.6v (no lower that 13.3. or alternator is dead) 800 or more engine RPM.
engine misfires, did voltage drop below 12v at any time,, that is a glitch if below 10v, big time bad that!!!!
if the Cig goes dead. or drops or glitches ,that means the power is bad, new cars have a gauge and you see the needle drop fast.
we have 2 paths here.
its ok, or not ok.
lets work not ok, it gliches. IF the CIG glitches that tells me , MAIN FUSE box is GLITCHING.
i check the fender box next.
http://www.fixkick.com/power-elect/96fuse-map.jpg
see that?
see FI ? if FI glitches, DOOM. a hopeless case and future, it will get worse. all bad connections love to get , worse (entropy always wins , car, or Black holes, etc)
The red test lead is clipped to , the FI output wire.
then fuse 3 IG this wire runs the whole cab fuse box, neither can be allowed to glitch.
glitches are only legal 1 way and that is cranking, we are not cranking we are running and voltages are 13.4 to 14.7 , in that band at all times. out of that band is a GLITCH.
the word glitch means an abnormal voltage transition. (a drop out ?)
if you look close to the fender box. there are many connections to it, it runs the whole car. every inch.
when power is bad, in any car the first place to look and test (after the green slim inspection , SALT DAMAGE and HACKER damager)
is to look at chapter, 8A-10 called power distribution.
its here (at ACKs FAQS)
http://www.acksfaq.com/96-FSM-v2-8A-10_pdf.htm
see that first page? see the fuse box?
see the white-green wire at pin 2, that is IG. (main to cab)
see the black-red wire that is FI, (main to cab)
neither of these, must be allowed to glitch, do not accidentally ground out any of these wires, or the hard to find fuse blows or it catches fire. there is 600 AMP there. respect those amps.
ever kick ive ever seen or touched or helped on,
I pull the battery minus, lug.
then invert that box #1 , and look for the green SLIME, this any time, i see main power glitching. and if in a SALT belt , times 1000 that idea.
really. in fact it should be in the service list.
if those 2 points dont glitch then it must be in the cab wiring.
repeat the tests at (red test lead on meter)
at
IG-COIL, a glitch here, is a bad ignition switch. see fuse marked IG-coil see wire with color marked. black-white ( black solid with white stripe, dots dont count)
if this wire glitches, try a new fuse. here. they can look ok and not be ok, for sure.
looking at the same FSM drawing above, see that wire from IG, going to the ignition switch., if it glitches and the white-green input to said switch is good, then the switch is DOA.
I will not pretend to know what is bad, any thing can fail (entropy is a beach, no?), but the tests are easy if the car fails fast. more random failures takes patience.
now lets talk bad grounds.
if the ECU case reads (red test lead touching it) more than 0.5vdc at anytime,then the grounds in the car , are bad.
that is a whole other set of tests.
look for melted body grounds. g105 or 6? that means the battery cables are failing and this weak ground burned up in do to the electrical law. of currrent seeks the least path of restances.
the starter to batter minus cable is bolted to the top starter bolt ,if the salt is bad, this fails and the other grounds smoke.
here are the critical grounds, and varies by body type ,not stated.
http://www.fixkick.com/Good_Bad_Ugly/com...lures.html
got slime, the green death of copper oxide?
when you drive north, this happens.
snow/ice and salt
i spent a long time at sea, fixing navy electronics, its 1000 times worse.
http://www.fixkick.com