Back probing
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From: iowa
Bob, I am not going to aurgue with you on it, I have replaced to many wires that were tested by other mechanics that a year down the road corroded in half, if you never have the problem great glad to hear it hope it works out that way for you forever but after chasing down wires for an hour just to find one with a hole in it were someone tested it and finding that was the problem it won't be done on my vehicles.
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From: Durham, NC
Originally Posted by monsterbaby
Bob, I am not going to aurgue with you on it, I have replaced to many wires that were tested by other mechanics that a year down the road corroded in half, if you never have the problem great glad to hear it hope it works out that way for you forever but after chasing down wires for an hour just to find one with a hole in it were someone tested it and finding that was the problem it won't be done on my vehicles.
done, doing measurements through the insulation is not a problem.
You can have your opinion, I can have mine.....
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An hour long experiment is one thing, years of experience is another. You can poke holes in wiring in your customers cars/trucks in your shop, but not in mine. Question, do you know a guy who uses the name Durhamranger??????????
jd
jd
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From: Southern KS
I would have to say probing the wire is a last resort. I have some old course strand 10 gauge wire that I cut and peel a single strand from and then use it to poke into the back side of the connector alongside the wire. I have been doing this for years and never had a problem and have yet been forced to poke the wire to do testing. Also, I think the copper gives me better readings than using a steel needle or pin. Just my 2 cents. The thing about wire corrosion is that it will migrate along the copper under the insulation due to vibration and heating and cooling. That could cause a problem later that would be darn near impossible to find.
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Originally Posted by jimdandy
An hour long experiment is one thing, years of experience is another. You can poke holes in wiring in your customers cars/trucks in your shop, but not in mine. Question, do you know a guy who uses the name Durhamranger?????????? jd
jd
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From: Connecticut
Originally Posted by jimdandy
Question, do you know a guy who uses the name Durhamranger??????????
It should be kept in mind that not everyone has access to factory wiring diagrams which might offer a clue as to where one might find a particular electrical connector that one might find accessible enough to backprobe without disturbing the insulation on a particular wire. More often than not the average layperson doesn't have that kind of insight, and therefore he or she must proceed, armed with the knowledge that at least they know enough about auto electronics to be testing the right circuit in the first place.
Voltage drop testing, for example, can be made particularly difficult if one is limited to simply backprobing connectors.
Last edited by Rockledge; Aug 6, 2006 at 01:03 AM.
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It should be kept in mind that not everyone has access to factory wiring diagrams which might offer a clue as to where one might find a particular electrical connector that one might find accessible enough to backprobe without disturbing the insulation on a particular wire. More often than not the average layperson doesn't have that kind of insight, and therefore he or she must proceed, armed with the knowledge that at least they know enough about auto electronics to be testing the right circuit in the first place.
Voltage drop testing, for example, can be made particularly difficult if one is limited to simply backprobing connectors.
Voltage drop testing, for example, can be made particularly difficult if one is limited to simply backprobing connectors.
jd
Last edited by monsterbaby; Aug 6, 2006 at 09:06 AM.
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From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
Most insulation is thin pvc and does not self seal.
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Originally Posted by RangerPilot
So some of us seal it ourselves!
When the insulation is fractured, a chemical reaction begins that turns the wiring black. If the wiring continues to be subjected to foriegn elements, the blackening of the wires will creep.
In older vehicles, it ruins the wiring harness and it has to be replaced. Those vehicles that used rubber under cloth for wiring insulation are rendered usless. If you peel off the insulation, you have a completely black wire. I don't even try saving wiring from these vehicles.
While sealing a fracture with a sealant seems like a good idea, over time engine vibration, chemicals, gasses can still work their way into the fracture. In many cases I have seen the insulation become rock hard from contaminants, and will easily crack if bent.
jd
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Originally Posted by RangerPilot
I use a silicone sealant wrapped with electrical tape, never had problems with it.
jd
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From: Durham, NC
Originally Posted by jimdandy
I am aware of all this, and am speaking of those components vital to engine operation. If you want to stick a probe in the taillight wire, go ahead, it won't cause other problems, but it opens the wire to the elements. Most insulation is thin pvc and does not self seal. jd
jdhttp://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/464178/3287
http://www.electronicplus.com/conten...=wa&subcat=wal
http://www.drivewerks.com/catalog/Sh...AT443_pg19.htm
http://www.pomona.cc/PressReleases/PE1080eng.html
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The subject is beat to death with polls and other crap. What wire did you use for the experiment? How do you know it sealed, by just looking? Did you do a cross section to determine the extent of the damage?
Few people will purchase a new meter for the purpose of probing wires. They are going to use what is handy. Real world is sometimes hard to swallow.
I do what my experience tells me, and what I have seen with wiring, not something someone does in a backyard experiment that has absolutely no hands on experience with the subject matter.
Your right Bull Durham, poking holes in wire insulation is fine, and there are no consequences.
Happy now????????
jd
Few people will purchase a new meter for the purpose of probing wires. They are going to use what is handy. Real world is sometimes hard to swallow.
I do what my experience tells me, and what I have seen with wiring, not something someone does in a backyard experiment that has absolutely no hands on experience with the subject matter.
Your right Bull Durham, poking holes in wire insulation is fine, and there are no consequences.
Happy now???????? jd
Last edited by jimdandy; Aug 7, 2006 at 09:46 AM.
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From: Durham, NC
Originally Posted by jimdandy
The subject is beat to death with polls and other crap. What wire did you use for the experiment? How do you know it sealed, by just looking? Did you do a cross section to determine the extent of the damage?
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Durham, NC
Originally Posted by jimdandy
Few people will purchase a new meter for the purpose of probing wires. They are going to use what is handy. Real world is sometimes hard to swallow.