I've usually found that a great deal of problems in checking sensors, etc. is actually trying to do the probing. What works for you guys?

I've done some 'backprobing' -- a term I hate, but take to mean finding some sort of a probe to fit into the back of a connector. I've done paper clips and even just the meter probes, but I find the connections relatively unreliable.

I've never tried the piercing. Manufacturers will tell you that the wires don't truly heal -- even if you use a sealant afterwards. It would also seem to make for shaky connections.

I wish that you could get short test cables that had test points built in. ( A short cable to plug in between the cable and the sensor or whatever). They'd be easy enough to make, but the connectors don't seem to be available. I've seen pigtails that you could use to replace cable ends, but I've never seen the equivalent of the connector on the sensor itself.

Did find something for the millions of little relays you see these days. It was essentially an extension. You inserted these bare pins into a relay socket and the other end into the relay. Looked like a great way to short stuff out ( if I used them !). Also, I think they wanted a couple hundred bucks for the darn things.

Thanks,

ford2go

 

If I can't get into the rear of the connector to 'backprobe', I use a thin sewing pin to pierce thru the insulation, I push it thru at an angle and try to go between the strands of the wire inside. I usually ***** myself with the pin! After removing the pin, I roll the wire between my thumb and finger to close the hole in the insulation. I would only be reluctant to do this if the wire is constantly in a wet location, most of the time it isn't going to case a problem. One more thing, make up a set of test leads with alligator clamps instead of the test probes, it sure makes life easier.
...Terry

 

I second the second set of leads with alligator clips!! Those connectors they use for speaker connections it is a little smaller then a 1/8 inch are good for backprobing connectors they are usually gold plated(check the shack) Use Rtv to fix the hole from piercing wires. I use safety pins it is safer to keep them in your tool box and a lot easier to handle and stick the point of the tester lead in the hole of the pin. Even Dielectric is better than nothing it will not peel off if you get in the hole you made.

 

Most plugs, regardless of their shape, have fairly standard pins in them. You could make up a set of your own extension test leads with spade and bullet connectors-

 

Fluke makes a set of test leads with probes that pierce cables. Also have a combination set with changeable probe tips.

 

Go to a fabric store, or a home crafts store that caters to the female gender, and get a box of T-pins.
At the connectors for the sensors, I have had good luck sliding the pin point alongside the wire from the back side of the connector until it contacts the metal terminal end. Carefully done, the rubber on the connector moves out of the way, and returns back when the pin is removed.
An alligator clip will connect to the top of the T-pin.

 

the t pins are what i use. thats what they taught us at school.usually works pretty smooth but ive bent a couple tryin to get em in.

 

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1TC26
These work great! Of you have banana leads on yur meter, these will work.

 

I use really small brass safety pins and push them right into the insulation, then clip the meter's leads on to the safety pins. I don't push them all the way in, just enough to make a reliable contact with the wire inside. If the safety pins are a small enough diameter modern automotive wiring insulation will heal just fine.

It's the garbage they called "wire" in the 70's and earlier that you couldn't do this with as it was so brittle it would usually split like a banana or flake off or something.

Since I've done a lot of EFI work over the years, I found having more than one meter to be very useful. I generally buy the cheapest digital folding meter that Radio Shack sells, simply because when they're on sale they're aout $10-12 each. I hack off the probes and solder on mini insulated alligator clips for the safety pins. Then I can have multiple meters going while I'm tuning, testing, or troubleshooting. I have four of these plus my larger, main meter which has removable probes, which use banana plugs to join to the meter. So I have probes as well as alligator clips for that one also.

If you're really into vehicle electronics, you may consider other types of meters as well. I've found a frequency counter to be incredibly helpful at times, especially when troubleshooting pulse-based sensors like speed sensors and MAF's. A voltmeter would be useless in this case.

Probably the most useful tool is an oscilloscope which if you're not familiar with is a "volt meter over time". You set the timebase to a specific time window (typically fractions of a second) and the voltage over that time is displayed on a cathode tube or LCD display, as a waveform. You can use this as a visual voltmeter, but what it's really designed for is analyzing signals such as what comes out of your dizzy and TFI module, as well as other variable voltage, pulsing types of things.

Both a Freq counter and o'scope can be purchased used to save dollars, as the new prices might scare you.