What happens when you have a bad electrical ground?
A bad electrical ground may affect one or more electrical systems because it forces current to search for other easy paths back to battery ground. This may cause all kinds of trouble for lights, sensors, modules and other electrical and electronic components. Often, bad grounds are relatively easy to diagnose and fix, usually in minutes.
What are the symptoms of a bad ECM power relay?
A bad relay may cause the vehicle to crank, but not start, or sometimes not even crank at all. 3. Battery drain or dead battery. A failed ECM power relay can also cause a battery drain or dead battery. If the relay shorts it can leave power on to the computer, even when the vehicle is turned off.
Why is the battery draining on my 98 GC?
Same problem, but another forum suggested that the key in their 98 GC can be removed one click past the OFF position, in the ACC on position. Sure enough, I checked mine and found the battery drain was due to the key switch being left in ACC and then being removed. The key shouldn’t come out there but it does.
How can I find out if my engine ground circuit is bad?
There’s some unwanted resistance in the ground circuit. To locate the problem, continue with the next steps. Move your meter’s red lead to the main ground terminal, engine end side. Have your assistant crank the engine while you take a voltage drop reading.
A bad electrical ground may affect one or more electrical systems because it forces current to search for other easy paths back to battery ground. This may cause all kinds of trouble for lights, sensors, modules and other electrical and electronic components. Often, bad grounds are relatively easy to diagnose and fix, usually in minutes.
What causes electrical current to stop flowing in RV?
And these vibrations will, at times, shake electrical connections loose, in addition to the wear and tear that wires and appliances go through in normal use. If a wire has its insulation rubbed off, or something inside an appliance shakes loose or burns out, then current can stop flowing in your 12-volt or 115-volt system.
There’s some unwanted resistance in the ground circuit. To locate the problem, continue with the next steps. Move your meter’s red lead to the main ground terminal, engine end side. Have your assistant crank the engine while you take a voltage drop reading.
How to troubleshoot and repair RV electrical problems?
Troubleshooting often begins, and may well end, with resetting a breaker, replacing a fuse, or resetting a Ground Fault Indicator, and then seeing what happens. Older RVs tend to have fuses; newer ones, breakers. The fuses and breakers were placed in the system for two major reasons:
What causes bad ground connections on a car?
When checking ground connections, make sure the terminals attach to a non-painted surface. You want to connect to bare metal. Paint, corrosion, greasy surfaces, frayed or broken wires, and loose connections are the main cause of bad automotive grounds.
What should the voltage drop be on a ground axle?
Check voltage drop between the transmission case and battery negative post. Voltage drop should be 0.2 volts or lower. Check individual chassis grounds by taking a voltage drop across each ground strap on the transmission. Voltage drop should be 0.2 volts or lower. Clean, repair or replace transmission grounds as necessary.
What happens if the engine ground is bad?
The engine ground provides an electrical return path for the starter motor. A bad engine ground is a common problem leading to hard-starting and no-starting conditions. The following test takes a voltage drop reading to locate unwanted resistance in the engine ground path.