[ghostvet]

Hello,

I am gonna ask the unasked stupid question, and I feel pretty damned stupid asking it...

Several times while trying to track down a wire or circuit, I find myself saying quite out loud, "What the f...?"

I often find both leads of a switch or component BOTH leading to ground, or to hot. This has been happening to energized and non-energized circuits.

How in the hell can I check for shorts or trace circuits?

Thanx

 

[ghostvet]

True ... I have a *VERY* basic understanding of electricity - DC moreso than AC maybe.

Regardless, I should be able to see which side of a single filiment bulb socket goes to ground, or how much DC voltage it is getting. This happens on both bikes.

When I put a multimeter to a simple circuit, I cannot easily determine ground via continuity. Usually, I get continuity to ground on both sides, which would normally indicate a short. Yet, the circuit functions perfectly. This is with every simple circuit I have tested so far.

And when testing DCV, the meter fluctuates wildly, as if I were testing an AC circuit in DC mode.

I tried different multimeters with the same results. I cannot possibly isolate circuits- especially if I am checking live voltage or simply trying to determine which wire is ground.

What is making the circuits act like that?

Anybody?

PS- I have never seen this in automotive circuits before- admittedly it has been maybe 20 years ago. Could it be the on board computers, etc?

 

[ghostvet]

I have an old 12VDC test light around here somewhere... I will have to try to find it.

But, that will only show a live circuit, not the voltage amount, nor tell me which is ground.

If I rig up a simple continuity tester, you think that might work?

And yet, how do I test the voltage amount? Admittedly all my meters are digital. Should I get an analog meter?

Thanx!

 

[ghostvet]

Multiple different circuits, on two different bikes.