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How to Troubleshoot a Circuit With Low Voltage Output

Troubleshooting an electric circuit is the process of examining an electric circuit and its components to locate a problem when the circuit is not operating properly. A common example of this is replacing a lamp light bulb. if you turn on the lamp and the light does not come on, then the first thought is check the light bulb. If a circuit has a low-voltage output, then there are two choices: you can start at the beginning of the circuit and work your way towards the output stage of the circuit; or you can start at the end of the circuit and work your way back to the power source at the beginning of the circuit. In this article, an automobile fan circuit will be examined.

Things You'll Need

  • 12-volt battery
  • Red electrical wire
  • Black electrical wire
  • Wire cutters
  • Wire strippers
  • 12-volt switch
  • 12-volt DC motor
  • Voltage meter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut one 12-inch piece of red wire and two 12-inch pieces of black wire. Strip 1/2-inch of insulation off of both ends of each wire. Connect one end of the red wire to the positive terminal of the battery and connect the other end to the positive terminal of the motor. Then connect one end of the first black wire to the negative terminal of the battery and connect the other end to one of the two switch terminals.

    • 2

      Take the second black wire and connect one end to the motor negative terminal and connect the other end to the second switch terminal. Turn the switch to the "ON" position and the fan should run.

    • 3

      Turn the fan off. Clip the red volt meter probe onto the positive terminal of the battery. Touch the black probe on the negative terminal of the battery. The voltage meter should indicate full battery voltage. Now move the black probe to the switch terminal closest to the battery. That terminal should also be reading full battery voltage.

    • 4

      Move the black probe to the second switch terminal. That terminal should be reading zero voltage since the switch is off. if the switch was on and there was no voltage at this terminal, the switch would have to be replaced. This type of circuit can be used for an automobile cooling system by simply replacing the manual switch with a thermal switch. Thermal switches are designed to turn on when a preset temperature is reached.


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