1995 BMW M3 Battery ground wire connections

If
steam
is
coming
from
the
engine
compartment
thenthere
is



With
the
engine
and
ignition
off,
check
for
loose
or
corroded
most
likely
a
burst
coolant
hose
or
a
large
leak
in
the
cooling



battery
cables
or
wires
at
the
battery
or
thealtemator
.
Discon-
system
.
To
find
the
leak,
look
for
signs
of
coolant
leakage
on



necting,
cleaning,
and
reinstalling
corroded
wires
and
connec-
hoses,
at
hose
connections,
or
on
the
radiator
.
Let
theengine



tors
may
solve
the
problem
.
Also
check
drive
belt
tension
as
cool
thoroughly,
then
add
coolant
or
water
to
fill
the
system
and



described
in
020
Maintenance
Program
.
start
the
engine
.
If
a
great
deal
of
water
or
coolant
flows
out
of
the
hole,
then
thecarshouldnot
be
driven
until
repairs
are
made
.
lf
there
is
slight
seepage,
then
it
may
be
possible
to
drive



TOWi
ng

a
short
distance,
adding
coolant
as
needed
.
The
cars
covered
by
this
manual
should
be
towed
witha
tow
truck
using
wheel
lift
or
flat
bed
equipment
.
Do
not
tow
thecar
on
all
four
wheels
except
for
very
short
distances
to
move
it
to
a
safe
place
.
If
thered
engine
oil
pressure
warning
light
illuminates,
imme-
diately
stop
thecar
and
turn
off
the
engine
.
Have
the
vehicle



A
towing
eye
is
provided
in
the
luggage
compartment
tool
kit
.
flat-bedded
or
towed
to
an
authorized
service
center
and
have



The
towing
eye
can
be
screwed
into
the
front
or
rear
bumper
.
the
engine
oil
pressure
checked
.



See
Fig
.
18
and
Fig
.
19
.

Low
Oil
Pressure

NOTE-

Detafed
information
on
checking
the
oil
pressure
is
covered
ín
119
Lubrication
System
.

Brake
Fluid
Leve¡

The
brake
fluid
leve¡
warning
light
may
bean
indicator
of
brake
fluid
loss
.
Problems
with
the
brakesystem
should
be
checked
and
repaired
immediately
.
See
340Brakes
for
more

information
.

Check
Engine
Warning
Light

Dim
Lights

FUNDAMENTALS
FOR
THE
DO-IT
YOURSELF
OWNER



010-13

If
the
"CHECK
ENGI
NE"
warning
light
comes
on
or
flashes,
it
indicates
that
an
emissions-related
fault
has
occurred
.
Faults
suchas
a
failed
oxygen
sensor
or
a
faultyfuelinjector
can
tum

the
light
on,
causing
the
exhaust
or
evaporative
emissions
to

exceed
a
specified
limit
.
The
engine
can
be
safely
driven
with

the
light
on,
although
the
emission
systems
should
be
checked

assoonas
possible
.
See
100
Engine-General
for
more
infor-

mation
on
the
Check
Engine
Light
and
the
On-board
diagnostic

system
.

Headlights
and
instrument
panel
illuminationthat
are
dim
or

gradually
getting
dimmer
generally
indicate
a
problem
with
the

battery
or
charging
system
.
The
battery
charge
indicator
light

may
come
on
as
the
lights
are
dimming
.
In
either
case,
theen-

gine
and
accessories
are
running
off
of
the
battery
alone,
and

will
soon
discharge
it
altogether
.

If
possible,
do
not
stop
the
engine
unless
you
have
the
capa-

bility
to
jump
start
¡t
.
There
may
not
be
enough
power
in
the

starting
system
torestart
the
engine
.
Instead,turn
off
as
many

electrical
consumers
as
possible
.
This
will
reduce
the
current

drain
and
will
allow
thecar
to
be
driven
farther
before
you
lose

all
battery
power
.

Fig
.
18
.
Pry
open
rear
tow
lúg
access
panel
.

When
towingthecar
from
the
front
with
the
rear
wheelson

the
ground,
a
maximum
distance
of
20
miles
is
acceptable
.
If

thecar
needs
to
be
towed
further,
have
the
rear
wheels
placed
on
dollies
.

CA
UTION-

"
Do
not
tow
with
sling-type
equipment
The
front
spoilers
andbumper
covers
may
sustain
dam-
age
.

"
Towínga
BMW
with
an
automatic
transmission
with
the
rear
wheelson
the
ground
can
resuft
in
transmission
damage
due
to
lackof
lubrication
and
should
be
avoided
.

0013128

EMERGENCIES

020-
1
2



MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM

6-cylinder
engines
use
a
coil-on-plug
configuration,
and
re-



Battery
cablesshould
be
tight
.
The
terminals,
the
cable
moval
of
thetop
engine
cover
(between
the
camshafts)
and
ig-



clamps,
and
the
battery
case
should
be
freeof
the
white
deposits
nition
cofs
are
necessary
.
See
Fig
.
12
.
Blow
away
any
dust
or



that
indicate
corrosion
and
acid
salts
.
Even
a
thin
¡ayer
of
dust
dirt
around
the
ignition
coils,
and
then
remove
the
coils
.
Blow



containing
conductive
acid
salts
can
cause
battery
discharge
.
away
any
dustor
dirt
around
the
sparkplugs
.
Remove
the
spark

plugs
.



To
remove
battery
corrosion,
begin
by
disconnecting
theca-

bles
.
Disconnect
the
negative
(-)
cable
first
.
Clean
the
terminal

posts
and
the
cable
clamps
with
a
wire
brush
.
Clean
the
main
chassis
ground
terminal
next
to
the
battery
.
Corrosion
can
be
washedaway
with
a
baking
soda
and
water
solution
that
will
neutralize
the
acid
.
Apply
the
solution
carefully,
though,since
ít
will
also
neutralize
the
acid
inside
the
battery
.
Reconnect
the
ca-
ble
clamps,
positive
(+)
cable
first
.
Lightly
coat
the
outside
of
the

terminals,
hold
down
screws,
and
clamps
with
petroleum
jelly,
grease,
or
a
commercial
battery
terminal
corrosion
inhibitor
.

Fig
.
12
.
Ignition
coil
being
removed
from
spark
plug
on
M52
engine
.

NOTE-

If
necessary,
see
120
Ignition
System
for
more
details
on
coil
removal
.

B11004

Lightlylubricate
the
new
spark
plug
threads
with
a
small
amount
of
anti-seize
compound
.
Thread
the
plugs
into
the
cyl-
inder
head
byhand
to
prevent
cross-threading
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Spark
plug
to
cylinder
head
.......
25
Nm
(18
ft-ib)

Idie
Speed

Engine
¡dle
speed
canchange
due
to
a
number
of
factors,
in-
cluding
normal
wear
.
The
idle
speed
is
electronically
adaptive
and
non-adjustable
.
See
130
Fuel
Injection
for
more
information
.

Battery,
checking
and
cleaning

The
battery
is
located
in
the
right
side
of
the
luggage
com-
partment
.
Simple
maintenance
of
the
battery
and
its
terminal
connections
will
ensure
maximum
starting
performance,
espe-
cially
in
winter
when
colder
temperaturesreduce
battery
power
.

ENGINE
COMPARTMENT
MAINTENANCE

WARNING
-

"
Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
bat-
tery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manualonpage
viii
.

"
Battery
acid
is
extremely
dangerous
.
Take
care
to
keep
it
from
contacting
eyes,
skin,
or
clothing
.
Wear
eye
protection
.
Extinguish
all
smoking
ma-
terials
and
do
not
worknear
any
oyen
flames
.

Battery
electrolyte
should
be
maintained
at
the
correct
level
just
above
the
battery
plates
and
their
separators
.
The
correct
leve¡
is
approximately
5
mm
(
1
/4
in
.)
above
thetop
of
battery
plates
orto
thetop
of
the
indicator
marks
(if
applicable)
.
The
battery
plates
and
the
indicator
marks
can
beseen
once
the
fill-
er
caps
are
removed
.
If
the
electrolyte
level
is
low,
replenish
it
by
adding
distilled
water
only
.

Battery,
repiacing

Batteries
are
rated
by
ampere
hours
(Ah),
the
number
of
hoursa
specific
current
draín
can
be
sustained
before
complete
discharge,
or
by
cold
cranking
amps
(CCA),
the
number
of
amps
available
to
crank
the
engine
in
cold
weather
conditions
.
In
general,
replacement
batteries
should
alwaysbe
rated
equal
or
higherthan
the
original
battery
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
thls
manual
on
page
viii
.

The
battery
is
held
in
place
bya
single
hand
screw
and
píate
.
A
secure
battery
hold-down
is
important
in
order
to
prevent
vi-
brations
and
road
shock
from
damaging
the
battery
.

NOTE-
NOTE-
"
Always
disconnect
the
negative
()
cable
first,
and
Design
characteristics
of
the
convertible
body
cause
vi-



connect
ft
last
While
changing
batteries,
clean
away
brations
in
the
trunk
area
.
Therefore,
E36
convertibles



any
corrosion
in
or
around
the
battery
tray
.
require
a
specialbattery
designed
for
constant
vibra-
tion
.
When
repiacing
the
battery,
be
sure
the
replace-



"
Design
characteristics
of
the
convertible
body
cause
ment
is
designed
specffically
for
the
convertible
.



vibrations
to
oscillate
in
the
trunk
area
.
Therefore,
the
convertible
model
uses
a
specialbattery
designed
for
this
constant
vibration
.

If
a
battery
cableconnection
hasno
visible
faults,
but
is
still
suspect,
measure
the
voltage
drop
across
the
connection
.
A
large
drop
indicates
excessive
resistance,
meaning
the
con-
nection
is
corroded,
dirty,
or
damaged
.
Clean
or
repair
the
connection
and
retest
.

NOTE-

For
instructions
on
conducting
a
voltage
drop
test,
and
other
general
electrical
troubleshooting
information,
see600
Electrical
System-General
.

Wiring
and
Harness
Connections

The
electronic
fuel
injection
and
ignition
systems
operate
at

low
voltage
and
current
values,
making
them
sensitive
to

small
increases
in
resistance
.
The
electrical
system
is
routine-

ly
subjected
to
corrosion,
vibration
and
wear,
so
faults
or
cor-

rosion
in
the
wiring
harness
and
connectors
are
common
causes
of
driveability
problems
.

Visually
inspect
all
wiring,
connectors,
switches
and
fuses
in
the
system
.
Loose
or
damaged
connectors
can
cause
inter-

mittent
problems,
especially
the
smallterminals
in
the
ECM

connectors
.
Disconnect
the
wiring
harness
connectors
to

check
for
corrosion
;
and
use
electrical
cleaning
spray
to
re-

move
contaminants
.
Often,
simply
disconnecting
and
recon-

necting
a
dirty
connector
several
times
will
clean
the
terminals
and
help
to
reestablish
good
electrical
contact
.

If
a
wiring
harnessconnectorhasno
visible
faults,
but
is
still

suspect,
measure
the
voltage
drop
across
the
connector
.
A

large
drop
indicates
excessive
resistance,
meaning
the
con-

nector
is
corroded,
dirty
or
damaged
.
Clean
or
repair
the
con-

nector
and
retest
.

Ground
Connections

For
any
electrical
circuit
to
work,
it
must
make
acomplete

path,
beginning
at
the
positive
(+)
battery
terminal
and
ending

at
the
negative
(-)
terminal
.
The
negative
(-)
battery
cable
is

attached
to
the
car's
chassis
.
Therefore,
any
wireor
metal

part
attached
to
the
chassis
provides
a
good
ground
path
back

to
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.

Poorground
connections
are
amajor
source
of
driveabílity

problems
.
If
any
of
themainground
connections
for
the
igni-
tion
system
or
the
fuelinjection
system
are
faulty,
the
in-

creased
resistance
in
that
circuit
will
cause
problems
.

Visually
inspect
al¡
ground
wires
and
connections
for

breaks,
looseness
or
corrosion
.
Be
careful
because
wires

sometimes
break
internally
or
in
areas
not
easily
visible
.
The

main
grounds
for
the
DME
system
are
shown
in
Fig
.
11,Fig
.

12,
and
Fig
.
13
.
Also
check
the
main
fuel
pump
ground
in
the
center
console,
below
the
emergency
brake
handle
.

If
a
ground
connection
has
no
visiblefaults,
but
is
still
suspect,

measure
the
voltage
drop
acrossthe
connection
.
A
large
drop

indicates
high
resistance,
meaning
the
connection
is
corroded,

dirty
or
damaged
.
Clean
or
repair
the
connection
and
retest
.

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-
1
3

UU,~uyi

Fig
.
11
.
Mainground
(arrow)
for
engine
management
system
.
Grounds
are
in
right
rear
of
engine
compartment
.

Fig
.
12
.
Mainground
for
ignition
coils
on
MS
41
.1
engine
manage-
ment
system
(arrow)
.

DRIVEABILITY
TROLIBLESHOOTING

Alternator
brushes,



STARTER
SERVICE
inspecting
and
replacing

Regulator
brushesarenot
available
as
replacement
parts
from
BMW
.
Replacement
brushes
may
be
available
from
af-

termarket
sources,
however
.

1
.
Remove
voltage
regulator
as
described
above
.

2
.
Clean
brush
contact
sürfaces
and
measure
brush
pro-trusion
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

Check
for
battery
voltage
at
terminal
50
of
the
starter
motor
Fig
.
7
.



Regulator
brush
protrusion
(A)
.



with
the
key
in
the
start
position
.
See
Fig
.
8
.
If
voltage
is
not
present,
check
the
wiring
between
the
ignition
switch
and
the
starter
terminal
.
If
voltage
is
present
and
no
other
visible
wir
Voltage
Regulator



ing
faults
can
be
found,
the
problem
is
most
likely
interna¡in

"
Brush
protrusion
(minimum)
.......
.
..
5
mm
(
1
/4
in
.)



the
starter
motor
.

3
.
To
replace
brushes,
carefully
and
as
quickly
as
possi-

ble,
unsolder
brush
lead
from
brush
holder
termina¡,

withdrawing
brush
from
holder
at
same
time
.

4
.
Remove
any
traces
of
solder
frombrush
holder
termi-
nal
using
solder
wick
.

5
.
Fit
spring
into
brush
holder
and
inserí
new
brush
.

6
.
Guide
brush
lead
into
terminal
and
solder
into
place
.

Check
for
free
movement
of
brushes
when
solder

cools
.

7
.
Check
brush
slip
rings
in
alternator
for
wear
.
Lightly
clean
slip
rings
using
fine
abrasive
cloth
.

BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR



121-
7

Starter
Troubleshooting

If
the
starter
tucos
the
engine
slowlyor
fails
to
operate
when
the
ignition
isin
the
start
position,
check
the
battery
first
.
In-
spect
the
starter
wires,
terminals,
and
ground
connections
for
good
contact
.
In
particular,
make
sure
the
ground
connections
between
the
battery,
the
body
and
the
engine
are
completely
clean
and
tight
.
If
no
faults
can
be
found,
the
starter
may
be
faulty
and
should
be
replaced
.

NOTE
-

"
Starting
in1194,
a
factory-installed
drive-away
protec-
tion
system,
alsoreferred
to
as
EWS
or
EWS
11,
was
used
on
all
E36
cars
.
This
system
prevenís
operation
of
the
starter
when
the
system
is
engaged
.
See
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-theft
.

"
On
cars
with
automatic
transmission,
a
starter
relay
and
a
neutral
safetyswitchare
used
to
present
theen-
ginefrom
starting
in
gear
positions
other
than
park
or
neutral
.
ff
voltage
is
not
present
atterminal
50
with
the
key
in
the
startposition,
check
these
components

To
make
the
most
accurate
check
of
the
battery
cables
and
starterwiring,
make
a
voltage
drop
test
on
the
cables
and
wir-

ing
as
described
in
600
Electrical
System-General
.

Terminal
30
'
\



/
Terminal
30h

0012518

8
.
Reinstall
regulator
and
alternator
.



Fig
.
8
.



Typical
starterwiring
terminal
identification
.
Large
wireat
ter-
minal
30
is
direct
battery
voltage
.
Smaller
wire
at
terminal
50
operates
starter
solenoid
via
ignition
switch
.

STARTER
SERVICE

Fig
.
9
.



Fuel
pump
relay
terminal
identification
.

Fuel
Pump
Electrical
Tests

Troubleshooting
of
any
fuel
pump
fault
should
begin
with

checking
the
fuel
pump
fuse
and
the
fuel
pump
relay
.
The
DME
main
relay
should
also
be
checked
.

NOTE-

Special
tools
are
requíred
for
some
of
the
tests
de-
scribed
here
.

Fuel
pump
electrical
circuit,
testing

The
fuel
pump
electrical
circuit
diagram
is
shown
in
Fig
.
10
.

3
.
If
fuel
pump
does
not
run,
disconnect
black
harness

connector
from
tank
sender
unit
.
With
jumper
wire
con-

nectedas
described
in
step
2
above,
check
for
positive

(+)
batteryvoltage
at
harness
connector
terminals
.
See
Fig
.
11
.

FUEL
TANK
AND
FUEL
PUMP



160-
7

From
Main
Relay
(+15
power
with
key
in
run



From
B+juretion
point
orstartposition)
(batteryvoRageatalltirnes)

'
.5
RD/Nrr



1
.5
RD

1
.5
GNNI

From
Engine



2
.5
GNNI
Control
Module



15
2
.5
GNNI

Ground
(below
center
console)

Fig
.
10
.
Fuel
pump
electrical
circuit
.

30

-~
Relay
Fuel
Pump

8~T

I



1

s
ám
61
Front
Power
I



a
1
Distribution
Box
I_
16

WIRING
COLOR
CODE

BK
-
BLACK
BR
-
BROWN
Fuel
Pump



RD



-



RED
(in-tank)
M
YL
YELLOWGN
-
GREENBU
-
BLUE
1
VI
-
VIOLET
GY
-
GREY
WT
-
WHITE
PK
-
PINK

0011946

4
.
If
voltage
and
groundare
present,
fuel
pump
is
proba-
bly
faulty
.
If
there
is
no
voltage,
check
wiring
From
fuel
pump
Reay
and
make
sure
Reay
is
functioning
correctly
.

CAUTION-

Fuseandrelaylocationsmayvary
.
Usecara
when



Fuel
pump
power
consumption,
testing

troubleshooting
the
electrical
system
at
the
fuselrelay
panel
.
To
resolve
problems
in
identify-



NOTE-
ing
a
relay,
see
en
authorízed
BMW
dealer
.



"
To
achieveaccurate
testresults,
fhe
battery
voltage
at
the
connector
should
be
approximately
13
volts
.
1.
Remove
rearseat
cushion,
pull
right
side
insulation
mat



Charge
the
battery
asnecessary
.

back
to
expose
fuel
tank
accesscover
.
Remove
cover



.
q
higher
than
normal
power
consumption
usually
fin-
to
expose
wiring
connections
.



dicates
a
worn
fuel
pump,
which
may
cause
intermit-
tentfuel
starvation
due
lo
pump
overheating
and
2
.
Remove
fuel
pump
relay
and
opérate
fuel
pump
as
de-



seizure
.
The
only
remedy
is
pump
replacement
.
Be
scribed
under
Operating
fuel
pump
for
tests
earlier
.



sure
to
check
that
thereturn
fine
and
the
pump
pickup
Pump
should
run
.
Disconnect
jumper
wire
when
fin-



are
not
obstructed
before
replacing
the
pump
.

ished
.
1
.
Remove
rear
seat
cushion,
pull
right
side
insulation
mal
back
to
expose
fuel
tank
accesscover
.
Remove
cover
to
expose
wiring
connections
.

2
.
Disconnect
(black)
harness
connector
from
fuel
pump
.

3
.
Connect
an
ammeter
and
an
insulated
jumper
wire
be-

tween
terminals
in
connector
and
corresponding
pump

terminals
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

FUEL
PUMP

NOTE
-

Sometimes
the
color
of
en
installed
wire
may
be
differ-
ent
than
the
one
on
the
wiring
diagram
.
Don't
be
con-
cerned
.
Just
be
sure
lo
confirm
that
the
wire
connects
lo
the
proper
terminals
.

Wire
color
codes

"
BLU
.........
.
..
..
...
.
.................
Blue

"
BRN
....:....
.
..
..
...
..
...............
Brown

"
YEL
.........
.
..
..
...................
.Yellow

"
GRN
.........
.
..
..
...
.
................
creen

"
G
RY
.......
.
.
.
..
..
.....................
G
ray

"
ORG
.........
.
..
..
...
.
..............
.Orange

"
RED
......
...
.
.
..
.....................
.Red

"
BLK
.........
.
..
..
...
.
................
Black

"
VIO
..........
.
..
...
..
..
.......
.
.......
Violet

"
WHT
.........
.
.
....
.
...
:..............
White

Table
a
.
Terminal
and
Circuit
Numbers

Number



1
Circuít
description

1



j
Low
voltage
switched
terminal
of
coi¡

4



1
High
voltage
center
termina¡
of
coi¡

+x



Originates
atignition
switch
.
Supplies
powerwhen
the
ignition
switch
is
in
the
PARK,
RUN,
or
START
position

15



Originates
atignition
switch
.
Supplies
powerwhen
ignition
switch
is
in
RUN
or
START
position

30



Battery
positive
(+)
voltage
.
Supplies
power
whenever
battery
is
connected
.
(Not
dependent
on
ignition
switch
position,
unfused)

31



1
Ground,
battery
negative
(-)
terminal

50



Supplies
power
from
battery
to
starter
solenoid
when
ignition
switch
isin
START
position
only

+54



Originates
atignition
switch
.
Supplies
power
when
ignition
switch
isin
the
RUN
position
only

85



1
Ground
side
(-)
ofrelay
coil

86



1
Power-in
side
(+)
ofrelay
coil

87



1
Relay
actuatedcontact

D



Alternator
warning
light
and
field
energizing
circuit

ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM-GENERAL
600-
3

Additional
abbreviations
shown
in
the
wiring
diagrams
are

given
below
.

Abbreviations

"
ABS
........
.
...
.
...
.
..........
antilock
brakes

"
A/C
........
.
...
..
..
.
.........
.airconditioning

"
AST/ASC+T
.......
...
.
.
.......
al¡
season
traction

"
CONV
.......
.
.
...
.................
convertible

"
DME
........
.
.
...
.......
digital
motor
electronics

"
ECM



.......
.
...
..
..
.
..
electronic
control
module

"
EWS/EWS
II
......
...
.
.
coded
driveaway
protection

"
SRS
........
.
supplemental
restraint
system-airbag

"
TCM
........
.
..
....
.
transmission
control
module

"
ZKE
(94-98
models)
..
..
.
...
central
body
electronics

"
ZVM
(92-93
models)
...
.
.
..
.
.......
central
locking

ELECTRICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING

Most
terminals
are
identified
by
numbers
on
the
compo-

nents
and
harness
connectors
.
The
terminal
numbers
for
ma-



Four
things
are
required
for
current
toflow
in
any
electrical

jor
electrical
connections
are
shown
in
the
diagrams
.
Though



circuit
:
a
voltagesource,
wires
or
connections
to
transport
the

many
terminal
numbers
appear
only
once,
severa¡other
num-



voltage,
a
load
or
device
that
uses
the
electricity,
and
a
con-
bers
appear
in
numerous
places
throughout
the
electrical
sys-



nection
to
ground
.
Most
problemscanbefound
using
a
digital

tem
and
identify
certain
types
ofcircuits
.
Some
of
the
most



multimeter
(volt/ohm/amp
meter)to
check
for
voltage
supply,

common
circuit
numbers
are
listed
below
in
Table
a
.



for
breaks
in
the
wiring
(infinite
resistance/no
continuity),
orfor

a
path
to
ground
that
completesthe
circuit
.

Electric
current
is
logical
in
its
flow,
always
moving
from
the

voltage
sourcetoward
ground
.
Electricalfaults
can
usually
be

located
through
a
process
of
elimination
.
When
troubleshoot-

ing
a
complex
circuit,
separate
the
circuit
into
smaller
parts
.

The
general
testsoutlined
below
may
be
helpful
in
finding

electrical
problems
.
The
information
is
most
helpful
when

used
with
the
wiring
diagrams
.

Be
sure
to
analyze
the
problem
.
Use
the
wiring
diagrams
to

determine
the
most
likely
cause
.
Getan
understanding
of
how

the
circuit
works
by
following
the
circuit
from
groundback
to

the
power
source
.

When
making
test
connections
at
connectors
andcompo-

nents,
use
care
to
avoidspreading
or
damaging
the
connec-

tors
or
terminals
.
Some
tests
may
require
jumper
wires
to

bypass
components
or
connections
in
the
wiring
harness
.

When
connecting
jumper
wires,
use
bladeconnectors
at
the

wire
ends
that
match
the
size
of
the
terminal
being
tested
.
The

small
interna¡
contacts
are
easily
spread
apart,
and
this
can

cause
intermittent
or
faultyconnections
that
can
leadto
more

problems
.

ELECTRICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING

600-
4



ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM-GENERAL

Voltage
and
Voltage
Drops

The
wires,
connectors,
and
switches
that
carry
current
are

designed
with
very
low
resistance
so
that
current
flows
with
a

minimum
loss
of
voltage
.
A
voltage
drop
is
caused
by
higher
than
normal
resistance
in
a
circuit
.
This
additional
resistance

actually
decreases
or
stops
the
flow
of
current
.
A
voltage
drop

can
be
noticed
byproblems
ranging
fromdim
headlights
to
sluggish
wipers
.
Some
common
sources
of
voltage
drops
are
corroded
or
dirty
switches,
dirty
or
corroded
connections
or

contacts,
and
loose
or
corroded
ground
wires
and
ground
con-

nections
.

A
voltage
drop
test
is
a
good
test
to
make
if
current
is
flowing
through
the
circuit,
butthe
circuit
is
not
operating
correctly
.
A
voltage
drop
test
will
help
to
pinpoint
a
corroded
ground
strap
or
a
faulty
switch
.
Normally,
there
should
be
less
than
1
volt

drop
across
most
wires
or
closed
switches
.
A
voltage
drop
across
a
connector
or
short
cable
shouldnot
exceed
0
.5
volts
.

Voltage,
measuring

1
.
Connect
digital
multimeternegative
lead
to
a
reliable
ground
point
oncar
.

NOTE-

The
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
is
alwaysa
good
ground
point
.

2
.
Connect
digital
multimeter
positive
lead
to
point
incir-
cuit
you
wish
to
measure
.
See
Fig
.
1
.
If
a
reading
is
ob-
tained,
current
is
flowing
through
circuit
.

NOTE-

The
voltage
reading
shouldnot
deviate
more
than
1
volt
from
the
voltage
at
the
battery
.
If
the
voltage
drop
is
more
than
this,
check
for
acorroded
connector
or
cose
ground
wire
.

ELECTRICAL
TROLIBLESHOOTING

from
Battery

Fig
.
1
.



Digital
multimeterbeing
used
to
test
voltage
.

No
voltage
r_l

-1
Load

LJ

Switch

NOTE-

The
maximum
voltage
drop
in
an
automotive
circuit,
as
recommended
by
the
Society
of
AutomotiveEngineers
(SAE),
is
as
follows
:
0
voltsfor
small
vire
connections
;
0
.1
Volts
for
high
current
connections
;
0
.2
volts
for
high
current
cables
;
and
0
.3volts
for
switch
or
solenoidcon-
tacts
.
On
longer
wires
or
cables,
the
drop
may
be
slight-ly
higher
.
In
any
case,
a
voltage
drop
of
more
than
1.0volt
usually
indicates
a
problem
.

0013238

NOTE-

"
A
voltage
drop
test
is
generally
more
accuratethan
a



Voltage
drop,
testing

simple
resistance
check
because
the
resistances
in-
volvedare
often
too
small
to
measure
with
most
ohm-



Voltage
drop
can
only
be
checked
when
current
is
running
meters
.
For
example,
a
resistance
as
small
as0
.02



through
the
circuit,
suchasby
operating
the
starter
motor
or
ohms
would
results
in
a
3
volt
drop
in
a
typical
150



turning
onthe
headlights
.
A
digital
multimeter
should
beused
amp
starter
circuit
.
(150
amps
x
0
.02
ohms
=3
volts)
.



lo
ensure
accurate
readings
.

"
Keep
in
mind
that
voltage
with
the
key
on
and
voltage
with
the
engine
running
arenotthe
same
.
With
the
ig-



1
.
Connect
digital
multimeter
positive
lead
to
positive
(+)
nition
on
and
the
engine
off
(battery
voltage),
voltage



battery
terminalor
a
positive
power
supply
close
lo
bat
should
be
approximately
12
.6volts
.
With
the
engine



tery
source
.
running
(charging
voltage),
voltage
should
be
approx-
imately
14
.0
volts
.
Measure
voltage
at
the
battery
with



2
.
Connect
digital
multimeter
negativelead
to
other
end
of
the
ignition
on
and
then
with
the
engine
running
to
get



cable
orswitch
being
tested
.
See
Fig
.
2
.
exact
measurements
.

3
.
With
power
on
and
circuit
working,
meter
shows
volt-
age
drop
(difference
between
two
points)
.
This
value
should
not
exceed
1
volt
.

Continuity,
checking
Short
Circuits

from
Battery

CAUTION-

Use
only
a
high
quality
digital
ohmmeter
having
high
input
impedance
when
checking
electronic
componente
.
The
internal
power
source
used
in
most
analog
(swing-need1e)
meterscan
damage
solidstate
components
.

0013239

Fig
.
2
.



Digital
multimeter
being
used
to
check
for
voltage
drop
across
a
switch
.

The
continuity
test
can
beused
to
check
a
circuit
or
switch
.
Because
most
automotive
circuits
are
designed
to
have
little

or
no
resistance,
a
circuit
or
part
of
a
circuit
canbe
easily

checked
for
faults
using
an
ohmmeter
.
An
open
circuit
or
a
cir-

cuit
withhigh
resistance
will
not
allow
current
to
flow
.
A
círcuit
with
little
or
no
resistanceallows
current
to
flow
easily
.

When
checking
continuity,
the
ignition
should
be
off
.
On
cir-
cuits
that
are
powered
at
all
times,
the
battery
should
be
dis-
connected
.
Using
the
appropriate
wiring
diagram,
a
circuit
can
be
easily
tested
for
faulty
connections,
wires,
switches,
relays,
and
engine
sensorsby
checking
forcontinuity
.
For
a
continu-
ity
check
on
a
brake
light
switch,
see
Fig
.
3
..

A
short
circuit
is
exactly
what
the
narre
implies
.
The
circuit
takes
a
shorter
paththan
it
was
designed
to
take
.
The
most

common
short
that
causes
problems
is
a
short
to
ground

where
the
insulation
on
a
positive
(+)
wire
wears
away
and
the

metal
wire
is
exposed
.
When
the
wire
rubs
against
a
metal

partof
thecar
or
other
ground
source,
the
circuit
is
shorted
to
ground
.
If
the
exposed
wire
is
live
(positive
battery
voltage),
a

Puse
will
blow
and
the
circuit
may
possibly
be
damaged
.

ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM
-
GENERAL
600-
5

Brake
light
switch

Brake
pedal
in
rest
position

Q

Brake
pedal
depressed
Brake
light
switch

Fig
.
3
.



Brake
light
switchbeing
tested
for
continuity
.
With
brake
ped-
alin
rest
position
(switch
open)
there
is
no
continuity
(infinite
ohms)
.
With
pedal
depressed
(switch
closed)
there
is
continu-
ity
(zero
ohms)
.

Shorts
to
groundcanbe
located
with
a
digital
multimeter
.
Short
circuits
are
often
difficult
to
locate
and
may
vary
in
na-
ture
.
Short
circuits
can
befound
using
a
logical
approach
based
onthe
current
path
.

CAUTION
-

"
On
circuits
protected
with
high
rating
fuses
(25
amp
and
greater),
the
wires
or
circuit
compo-
nents
may
be
damaged
before
the
fuse
blows
.
Always
check
for
damage
before
replacing
fuses
of
this
rating
.

"
When
replacing
blown
fuses,
use
only
fuses
hav-
ingthe
correct
rating
.
Always
confirm
the
correct
fuse
rating
printed
on
the
fuselrelay
panelcover

DC

ELECTRICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING