electrical question???

trc313

March 17, 2007 15:16

I need to test the continuity of a wire. In other words I need to know if there is a short anywhere in the middle of this wire. How would I go about testing it?
thanks

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  GuvamintCheese

  March 17, 2007 15:18

  touch it on your tongue.

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  dcon12

  March 17, 2007 15:19

  quote:Originally posted by cartod
  touch it on your tongue.
  
  
  That would do it. Don

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  Tailgunner1954

  March 17, 2007 15:25

  Continuity means that it will conduct from end to end. IE a broken wire / "open" wire
  Short means that it is bypassing the load, normally by being in contact with another conductor or ground path.
  
  If you have access to both ends, and both ends are disconnected from power/load, use a ohmmeter. From end to end it should read 0 to 1 ohm, than measure to the other conductors in the bundle, and to ground, the ohmmeter should read infinite.
  Note that your skin will conduct electricity, normally in the 1-5 Meg-ohm (million ohms) range.

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  kristov

  March 17, 2007 15:30

  There is a specific device called (you'll never guess) a continuity tester. In most cases these are battery powered, look like pen-lights and have a length of wire with an alligator clip attached to the lead and a probe on the other end. You use this only...ONLY...ONLY with the current turned off to determine whether a particular electrical component is carrying electricity so that you can locate the cause of a problem. To use a continuity tester you unplug the appliance (remember that) and then tear it down far enough to get at the component you want to test. Fasten the clip of the tester to one wire of the component and touch the probe to the other wire or connection. If the component is receiving electricity the tester will light or buzz to show the circuit is continuous. If the tester doesn't do anything or itdoes not show much life then the component is bad.

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  renneck

  March 17, 2007 15:42

  i disconnect them from the load and twist them together go back to the line side and ohm them out with my meter, most meters beep, if the have no resistance you have a break in the wire.

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  dongizmo

  March 17, 2007 15:59

  What kind of wire is it?
  Don

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  trc313

  March 17, 2007 17:55

  It is on a motorcycle.I think one of the wires has rubbed a bare spot.In the manual it says to test the continuity of the white w/black wire at the coil and at the plug under the seat.The lowest resistance setting on the meter that I have here is 20 with increments of 100.

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  Mossbergboogie

  March 17, 2007 17:57

  ohms to many and shes shot.

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  Tailgunner1954

  March 18, 2007 04:26

  Set your meter on 20, hold the 2 leads apart that is what a open looks like. Touch the 2 leads together, that is what continuity looks like. The higher ranges are for measuring things that are supposed to have more resistance than a wire (like resisters, heating elements etc).
  
  Now place 1 lead at each end of the wire, and look at the meter.
  Now place one lead on a bare spot on the frame, and the other on each end of the wire.

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  Horse Plains Drifter

  March 18, 2007 04:29

  Tailgunner nailed it for you.

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