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Topic: Short or Not, That is the Question ! (Read 1284 times) previous topic - next topic

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Ok, my TC is apart, engine on the stand waiting for insertion. So there I was taking out the seats so that I may put in the racing seats and discovered I needed to move the "electric" driver seat forward, hmmmm. I proceeded to connect the battery from the floor with my trickle charger to the car. Nothing happened, so I took out my ohm meter and discovered that if grounded one probe and touched the other to the battery side of the solenoid it zeroed out ? Short???
There where 4 wires on that side, so I probed each individually and found it to be the wire that essentially connects to the alternator thru a fusible link and into the firewall(also a bunch of other heavy gauge yellow wires too).
I couldnt see any damaged wires and the car ran before with no noticable electrical issue. Also didnt really change anything electrically yet.

Is this normal? If not where should I look and how else can I test it ?
1985 Thunderbird TC
2.3l .03 over,Ported and polished Head and E6 Manifold, LA3, T3/T4 Hybrid Turbo, Stinger FMIC, Forge BOV, Full 3" Exhaust, Essy Timing Gears & UDP's, BBK 255lph Fuel Pump, Kirban AFPR, Kirban Short Shifter, K&N Cone, Forced4 VC Vent Kit, PA Performance 3g Alternator, Energy Suspension Bushings throughout, CHE LCA's, SFC's [/LEFT]

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Reply #1 –
I'm trying to picture how you connected power. You say you used your trickle charger to connect the battery on the floor? How did you do that?

Also, when you connected the ohmmeter was the battery connected? If so you would get a false reading (and would probably fry the meter)
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Reply #2 –
You could be measuring the resistance of a light bulb. This can be misleading. The current through a bulb is limited by the small size of the element and not by its resistance.

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Reply #3 –
What I got from this is that he used a Batt charger to move the seat.  I have done it with a small R/c car battery pack atleast, I've  rolled up the windows that way. Other than that I'm lost  on this thread.
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Reply #4 –
Yeah, basically thats what I did was move the seat with a battery charger and now I realize that measuring resistance is not the same as the current.

I should have had no reason to even use the Ohm meter . Sorry for the confusion....too many beers on a hot day.
1985 Thunderbird TC
2.3l .03 over,Ported and polished Head and E6 Manifold, LA3, T3/T4 Hybrid Turbo, Stinger FMIC, Forge BOV, Full 3" Exhaust, Essy Timing Gears & UDP's, BBK 255lph Fuel Pump, Kirban AFPR, Kirban Short Shifter, K&N Cone, Forced4 VC Vent Kit, PA Performance 3g Alternator, Energy Suspension Bushings throughout, CHE LCA's, SFC's [/LEFT]

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Reply #5 –
How powerful is your trickle charger? Power seat motors can take upwards of 30 amps if there's any load (like somebody sitting in the seat). A one or two amp charger likely wouldn't be able to move one, even unloaded.
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣
 

Short or Not, That is the Question !

Reply #6 –
this thread reminds me of the time i was troubleshooting an old 1982 ge microwave.  It wasnt heating up food but all other things worked.

I wanted to see if the big a@@ capacitor was charging and feeding the magnetron on top. 

Bad idea,, my ole fluke 77 didnt like that much.  That spark jumped a full inch when my red lead approached the + side of the cap.

however,, my youngest boy was watching and he heard the sound of an arc welder happening,, "dad, that was sooo coooool,, can you make it do that again"

:mad: