Electrical Systems Testing Flip-Chart

Shows you how!

This free tutorial is provided on testing a vehicle's primary 14V electrical
system. A vehicle's primary electrical system consists of the battery, the
generator (formerly called an alternator) and the engine and accesssory
grounds. With FIRST THINGS FIRST you can test the battery, engine
and accessory grounds and perform a thorough charging voltage analysis
in 5-8 minutes with a little practice using our FIRST THINGS FIRST flipchart.
FIRST THINGS FIRST begins with electrical tests before the engine is
cranked, when the vehicle is first started and electrical testing continues
through engine warm-up to ensure that there are no primary electrical
system problems in the primary electrical system that will affect vehicle
performance and driveability.
The complete step-by-step electrical system test procedure using only your
DMM is contained in our electrical troubleshooting flip-chart we call FIRST
THINGS FIRSTbecause it's the FIRST thing to do - electrically.

A laminated flip-chart version is available for the professional technician to

purchase for $79.00 plus S/H.
Read the following tutorial of FIRST THINGS FIRST to get an idea of the
effectiveness of using FIRST THINGS FIRST without the need for
extensive electrical training to use the flip-chart. Please feel free to print out
your own copy of this tutorial.
Overview Of A Vehicle's Primary Electrical System
The generic block diagram of a car or truck's primary 14V electrical system is shown in
Figure 1 and is the schematic diagram used in the flip-chart FIRST THINGS
FIRST. The illustration consists of a Battery, and an Generator (Alternator) which
is referred to by the name "generator" (an old term coming back into use since 1996)
and the vehicle's Primary Ground System consisting of an Accessory Ground and
an Engine Ground. To become more familiar with a vehicle's primary electrical
system, trace the wires in Figure 1 between all components to see how they connect
together.

The Battery
The vehicle's battery stores electrical energy in chemical form and delivers large
amounts of electrical energy (current) on demand to crank the engine. Identify both
battery posts on the battery in Figure 1. One post is marked "+" (positive) or "hot" side
and has a red or black battery cable connected to it. The Junction Block is a voltage
side common connection point used on many vehicles. It is located in the engine
compartment near the battery. The negative battery post is marked "-" (minus) and is
called "ground.". The negative battery cable is usually a two wire black cable. The
smaller diameter cable is connected to the sheet metal for the Accessory Ground.
The larger diameter wire is connected to the engine block for the Engine Ground.

The Generator (Alternator)

The generator (alternator) produces a charging voltage to electrically power the
vehicle and recharge the battery as long as the engine is running and the alternator is
performing properly. The positive output terminal of the alternator, called the "B+"
terminal, is a large insulated terminal on the rear or side of the generator (alternator)

housing with a heavy gauge wire connecting back to the battery's positive (+) post
through the Junction Block. The generator (alternator) housing is the generator
(alternator)'s negative (-) terminal (or ground).
Trace both the positive and negative battery cables from the battery posts to their
connection points in the vehicle. Battery "+" goes to generator (alternator) "+" (the B+
terminal) through the wiring harness. Battery "-" goes to generator (alternator) "-"
through the engine ground and the engine block. The purpose of the voltage regulator
is to excite the generator (alternator) and prevent the charging voltage from rising
above a preset limit. The voltage regulator may be mounted external to the alternator
and bolted to the vehicle's sheet metal with wires connecting to the generator
(alternator) or it may be mounted inside the generator (alternator). On many newer
vehicles the voltage regulator may be computer controlled by a vehicle computer for
more precise control of the charging voltage. This flip-chart may be used regardless of
where the voltage regulator is mounted. Testing the primary electrical system using
FIRST THINGS FIRST requires only a digital voltmeter (DMM).

Do This On A Vehicle First

Look under the hood of the car or truck to be tested and make sure all connections and
wires around the battery and generator (alternator) are tight, in good condition with no
corrosion or damaged insulation. Identify both "+" and "-" battery posts and visually
inspect for corrosion around the battery cable terminals where corrosion is normally a
big problem. Tug on the battery cables to make sure that corrosion has not caused the
cable ends to form a bad connection where the cable enters the battery cable terminal
end. Next, locate the generator (alternator) and the B+ terminal. Inspect the wire at the
generator (alternator)'s B+ terminal to make sure it is clean and making a tight
connection.

What You Need To Know About Digital Multimeters (DMMs)

There are two types of DMMs in use. (1) Autoranging DMM automatically selects the
proper range for a DC Voltage being measured. (2) Manually Selected DMM requires
the technician to manually select the correct voltage range using the main function
knob.

Autoranging DMM
A block diagram of an Autoranging DMM is shown in (1) of Figure 2. Note the symbol
for the DC Voltage function. It is a small solid line above a small dotted line followed by
a "V". This means "DC Volts." By selecting DC Volts, an Autoranging DMM
automatically sets to the lowest milli-volt (mV) DC Voltage range, usually 200, 300, or
400 mV depending on the DMM brand. All DMMs display 00.0 or 000.0 when on the
milli-volt range so 100 mV (or 0.10V) would read as 100.0 (mV). When an Autoranging
DMM senses the test voltage is above the value of the milli-volt range, the DMM
automatically steps up to the next higher voltage range which is 2.00, 3.00 or 4.00 V
DC range, depending on the DMM brand. All DMMs display .000 on the 2/3/4 volt
range so 1.5 volts would read as 1.500 (V).
When an Autoranging DMM senses the test voltage is above the value of the 2/3/4 Volt
range, the DMM automatically steps up to the next higher voltage range which is the
20.00, 30.00 or 40.00 V DC range, depending on the DMM brand. This is the highest
range the DMM must "step-up" to since cars and trucks run on 12-15 volt systems and
no voltage greater than 20 volts is measured. All DMMs display 0.00 on the 20/30/40
Volt range so 14.25 volts would read as 14.25 (V).
If 145 mV is measured, the DMM drops back down to the mV range and reads 145.0
mV. As an Autoranging DMM jumps around between the mV, 2/3/4V and 20/30/40V
ranges, it can get very confusing and cause reading errors which lead to misdiagnosis
when troubleshooting. If using an Autoranging DMM here's how to make it easy and
avoid the confusion caused by the DMM automatically changing voltage ranges
between test steps.
Manually select the 20V, 30V or 40V range which ever your DMM has and leave
it there while performing these FIRST THINGS FIRST electrical tests. Simply
press the RANGE BUTTON until the readout first says 0.00. This is the 20, 30 or
40 Volt range and a ten millivolt reading is 0.01 while a 14 volt reading is 14.00.
The 20V, 30V or 40V range is the best DMM range for performing the electrical
tests as explained in FIRST THINGS FIRST.

Manually Selectable DMM

A manually selected DMM, is represented in (2) of Figure 2 and is easier to use. They
have a main function knob in the center of the DMM face plate that permits a technician
to manually select the desired range. Manually select the 20/30/40 Volt ranges. The
readout should read 0.00. The DMM then stays on the 20/30/40 volt range for all tests.
Leave the knob set to 20/30/40 volt range for all the test steps. A comparison of

voltage readings for both types of DMM is shown in Figure 2.

Use Either Type DMM (Autoranging or Manually Selected)

Select the 20, 30, or 40 DC voltage range on the DMM. This is when the DMM first
indicates 0.00. Leave the DMM on this range for all tests. DO NOT ALLOW THE
DMM TO AUTO-RANGE DURING MEASUREMENTS AS IT COULD CAUSE
CONFUSION INTERPRETING READINGS WHICH WILL VARY BETWEEN
VOLTS AND mV. Place the DMM test leads into the vehicle as shown in the illustration
for each test step and follow the written instructions on the left side of the page for that
step. Compare your DMM reading with the diagram of each test. The text discusses
what to do if an incorrect reading is obtained. Follow directions given on each page for
repair procedures. Step 1 is provided so you can sample the format.

How To Use The Test Procedure - FIRST THINGS FIRST

Each of the 15 test steps are explained and illustrated on their own page. On the left side of
the page are instructions on how to perform each test step. On the right side of the page is
a picture of the primary electrical system showing how the DMM test leads placed into the
vehicle to make each measurement. Follow the illustration of the DMM test leads when
connecting your DMM to the vehicle. The DMM also shows the approximate reading you
should find in the vehicle. Compare your DMM reading with the reading in the illustration. If
the reading can be a little higher or a little lower than what is shown in the illustration, the text
will explain the acceptable upper and lower limits of a reading needed to pass or fail a test
step and what should be done to correct a problem.
Connect your DMM Test Leads to the DMM as shown in the illustration to the right. The Red
(+) DMM Test Lead connects to the V/Ohm jack. The Black (-) DMM Test Lead connects to
the COM (Common) jack. Here is a sample of how FIRST THINGS FIRST guides
you through each step with these paragraph titles.:
Title of the measurement
Do This . . . .
Expect This . . . .
Tips . . . .
Here's a sample of FIRST THINGS FIRST Step 1 . . . . . . .

Step 1: Measure Battery Open Circuit Voltage

Do This:
This paragraph explains the exact procedure to follow to perform the test step. For
example, it will say "with the ignition key OFF, measure the battery terminal post
voltage." The illustration also shows how the test leads are connected into the vehicle.
Follow the illustration.
Expect This:
This paragraph explains the expected result so it can be determined that the vehicle
passes or fails a test. Also included are the range of readings that should be expected
in this test. If the reading is a little lower or a little higher, the exact numbers are given
in the text for comparison with what is found in the vehicle to determine pass or fail.

The paragraph "Expect This:" suggests items to check if the reading is incorrect
(too high or too low) and the vehicle fails a test step. Also listed are items to double
check to avoid common mistakes made when performing each test step. When the
vehicle passes each test step, go to the next page and perform the next step. Do not
move to the next step until the correct reading is obtained from either the vehicle
passing the test or as a result of a suggested repair procedure correcting a problem.
Tips: Some of the test steps offer tips on what to check next if a DMM reading on a
particular test step is too high or too low.

FIRST in 5 minutes.

Veejer Enterprises Inc.

Garland, Texas 75042-5419
Phone: 972-276-9642
Fax: 972-276-8122
Email us
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