Eric Frisbee wrote:
>
> If anyone has any thoughts as to what is causing this or if it might be
> wired incorrectly? T
Eric, you may have multiple problems. A missing ground, a short in a
switch, shorted harness, or a combination. But you are going to have
to take this one step at a time. You'll need to check the heater and
the switch and whatever else isn't working, then the harness. Don't
just use a test light to see what is hot - disconnect the item and do
continuity checks on all of its terminals. You want to see where
current CAN travel, not just where juice is when you are hooked up. You
also want to verify were 12v appears when the device (heater, switch,
etc.) is connected AND when it is disconnected. I'd start with that
switch, and then the heater. You will save a lot of frustration if you
keep a notepad handy and do diagrams and notes as you go. "Let's see,
was that hot when the switch was on? Or was it not?" You'll get
yourself lost if you don't document what you do. Doing basic checks
like this first may save you a lot of time - you may hit an obvious
problem right away. Take it in an organized, step by step fashion and
you'll be less likely to waste time going around in circles.
If you don't have a DMM (digital multi meter), get one. If you can
afford something better than bottom of the line, get one that will give
you an audible continuity test. That's a real time saver. This is a
feature that will beep if you have continuity between two points. You
don't need a high end, expensive meter with 17 digit accuracy - you're
only working with 12 volts, not sophisticated electronics. But get a
decent one, not a Radio Trash $10 special. Cheap tools are just too
expensive in terms of frustration.
Don't underestimate the strange things a missing (or poor) ground can
do. That current has to go somewhere, and it can find some interesting
paths to take if you force it to find its own way.
Mark van der Hoek
Sal Lake City
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