Brian902
XS650 Junkie
Doing a voltage drop test it is nice to have a bare connection to get your readings from, but most new plugs and wire systems are almost completely sealed.
I've seen the damaged caused by people piercing the wire on either side of a connection with a test light probe, the sharp pointed kind, or using stick pins to pierce the wires coating. This usually leads to corrosion and further troubles down the road.
How are you electrical geniuses getting your readings?
I tested a bike from the positive battery terminal to the #30 terminal on a starter relay and got 0.16 volts. Which is great, considering it went through the key switch and all the connections from the battery to the relay and was under the recommended 0.60 volts acceptable total loose for a circuit.
Did the same test to the #86 terminal, which is the magnet portion of the relay, and got 0.52 volts. Which is still under the 0.60 volts limit of total loss for a circuit and it would have traveled from the battery positive post through the key switch, through the starter button and all the connections in between and on to the relay.
Any one connection should never exceed 0.20 volts loss.
This bike has a starting problem that comes and goes with very few clues as to why. Problem was by-passed by running a hot wire from the battery to a switch, push button type, and then directly to the starter solenoid. When relay acts up, by-pass system work every time, but because it ignores neutral safety switches and clutch safety switches, it's just a quick fix until the problem get resolved.
Relay was replaced, no other issues found so far. Bike starts 95% of the time.
To do more testing, I almost have to bare wires to get good connections at points I want to test.
What are others doing in situations like this?
I've seen the damaged caused by people piercing the wire on either side of a connection with a test light probe, the sharp pointed kind, or using stick pins to pierce the wires coating. This usually leads to corrosion and further troubles down the road.
How are you electrical geniuses getting your readings?
I tested a bike from the positive battery terminal to the #30 terminal on a starter relay and got 0.16 volts. Which is great, considering it went through the key switch and all the connections from the battery to the relay and was under the recommended 0.60 volts acceptable total loose for a circuit.
Did the same test to the #86 terminal, which is the magnet portion of the relay, and got 0.52 volts. Which is still under the 0.60 volts limit of total loss for a circuit and it would have traveled from the battery positive post through the key switch, through the starter button and all the connections in between and on to the relay.
Any one connection should never exceed 0.20 volts loss.
This bike has a starting problem that comes and goes with very few clues as to why. Problem was by-passed by running a hot wire from the battery to a switch, push button type, and then directly to the starter solenoid. When relay acts up, by-pass system work every time, but because it ignores neutral safety switches and clutch safety switches, it's just a quick fix until the problem get resolved.
Relay was replaced, no other issues found so far. Bike starts 95% of the time.
To do more testing, I almost have to bare wires to get good connections at points I want to test.
What are others doing in situations like this?
