What is the easiest and fastest way to find a bad ground wire. My door lock and dome light and puddle lights keep unlocking and locking by them selves put all new lock actuators and door jam switches and it still does it. Can anyone help me please I don't want to junk the truck.
Trying to figure it out
- Thread starter jacksonee
- Start date
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Please state year and trim and engine of your vehicle when you post or put in signature.
VOLTAGE DROP TEST is the way to find a bad ground without undoing connections. (digital volt meter needed)
There is a free online service manual for wire diagrams. this is in the sticky section of the general section. link below
https://www.expeditionforum.com/threads/free-online-service-manuals.54136/
Welcome to the forum
bodabdan
Full Access Members
Get to a wire that is supposed to go to ground.
Run a jumper wire from there to ground and check for any change in symptoms with the new good ground.
If you ground something that's already grounded you won't see a change in symptoms.
You'll need a wiring diagram to help find which wires should be grounded and where the ground locations are. As stated above, if you can provide some details about your vehicle it would help.
There's also a post within the last couple days with links to service manuals, it's somewhere on this site.
Run a jumper wire from there to ground and check for any change in symptoms with the new good ground.
If you ground something that's already grounded you won't see a change in symptoms.
You'll need a wiring diagram to help find which wires should be grounded and where the ground locations are. As stated above, if you can provide some details about your vehicle it would help.
There's also a post within the last couple days with links to service manuals, it's somewhere on this site.
My vehicle is a 2004 Ford Expedition (Eddie Bauer ) I believe it is a 6L engine
If you have a 8 cylinder engine that's stock it would be a 4.6 or a 5.4
VOLTAGE DROP TEST is way more accurate and is as easy as touching a bolt. and you don't have to wait to see if it fixed it before you move on to the next connection you know immediately.
Ya, I just posted that with the link attached. right above your post. But I guess you didn't see that.
bodabdan
Full Access Members
A voltage drop test is a great troubleshooting tool for those who are fluent in electrical theory. I have found that keeping it simple avoids confusion when trying to advise others. Rather than getting into series, parallel, voltage vs. current, and ohms law I thought it would be good to just describe the big picture.
Feels kind of ****** to take criticism for trying to help a complete stranger. I'll let you take over from here and I apologize for my service-connected TBI keeping me from remembering every post on this forum.
You can hold your breath while you wait for my next post anywhere on this forum.
Feels kind of ****** to take criticism for trying to help a complete stranger. I'll let you take over from here and I apologize for my service-connected TBI keeping me from remembering every post on this forum.
You can hold your breath while you wait for my next post anywhere on this forum.
You are incorrect,
The voltage drop test checks all connections and wires for voltage drop. You do not need to start vehicle to test.
Voltage Drop Test is testing the connections without having to take them apart and you can work your way right to the problem.
So you have a digital volt meter($15@walmart) and you put the red on the positive battery post and the black on the negative post you will get how many volts your battery is putting out. (12.v)
now that you know your digital volt meter is on and working,
The goal is to read 0 volts.(means all good connections) the more volts you read the worse the connection. (Ex 1.5v it's a little dirty all the way to 11.3v means almost no connection.)
(notice i dont say black and red colors here, that is because it doesnt matter what colors where)
Put one wire on negative post then put the other wire on the clamp that is on the negative post. If you read any volts at all those volts are being lost in the connection from the post to the clamp. (Ex if you read 1.5v you need to clean the battery terminal). put back together and move on to the next connection on the wire and one still on the battery post.
This can be done on both positive and negative sides the exact same way.
No, the link is in the 2nd post.(the post right above your post) but you can go look for it all you want. Super easy to find though since it is a sticky in the general section.
Stating my opinion of a faster and easier way is not criticism. Especially when I posted it before you. You telling them to go look for a post that I had linked in my post, what do you call that?
I am by no means all knowing and can admit when I am wrong.
But you do it your way and go sulk in the corner and don't post.
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