How to trace a wire with a multimeter (three-step guide)
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This could be a home wiring project, or tracing a wire in your car; in any situation, without proper technique and execution, you can get lost.
We can easily trace the wires in your home electrical system or your car's circuits with a simple continuity test. For this process, we need a digital multimeter. Use a multimeter to determine the continuity of a particular circuit.
What is a continuity test?
Here is a simple explanation for those who are not familiar with the term continuity in electricity.
The continuity is the full path of the current thread. In other words, with a continuity test, we can check whether a particular circuit is closed or open. A circuit that remains on has continuity, which means that electricity travels the full path through that circuit.
There are many benefits to using continuity tests. Here are some of them.
- You can check the condition of the fuse; good or blown.
- Can check if the switches work or not
- Possibility to check conductors; open or shorted
- Can check the circuit; clear or not.
This post will use a continuity test to check the path of a circuit. Then we can easily trace the wires.
How to set up a multimeter to test the continuity of the circuit?
First, set the multimeter to the ohm (ohm) setting. Turn on the beep. If you follow the steps correctly, OL will be displayed on the screen. Your multimeter is now ready for a continuity test.
Tip: OL stands for open loop. The multimeter will read above zero if the test circuit has continuity. Otherwise, OL will be displayed.
Purpose of the Continuity Test
Usually your car includes many circuits. With the right wiring, these circuits carry signals and power to every component in the car. However, these electrical wires can be damaged over time due to accidents, misuse, or component failure. Such malfunctions can lead to an open circuit and a short circuit.
Open circuit: This is a discontinuous circuit and the current flow is zero. Usually shows high resistance between two points.
Closed Circuit: There should be no resistance in a closed circuit. Therefore, the current will flow easily.
We hope to identify open and closed circuit situations using a continuity test using the following process.
How to Use a Continuity Test to Identify Wrong Wires in Your Car
For this testing process, we will look at how to trace wires with a multimeter in a car. This can be very handy for identifying some serious problems in your vehicle.
Necessary tools for routing wires in a circuit
- Digital multimeter
- wrench
- small mirror
- flashlight
Before starting the process, you need to collect all of the above tools. Now follow these steps correctly to trace the wires.
Step 1 - Turn off the power
First, turn off the power to the test section of your vehicle. You must not ignore this step; the best way to do this is to disconnect the battery cable. Use a wrench to remove the battery cable. Also, unplug the specific electrical device you plan to test from the power source.
Step 2 - Check all connections
First, identify the electrical wires you need to test in this process. Make sure all of these wires are accessible so you can easily test them with a multimeter. Also, pull on these wires to test the strength of the connection points. After that, check the length of the wires you are testing. Also check for broken wires.
However, sometimes you won't be able to reach every point. So use a small mirror and a flashlight to get to these positions. Also, you may notice a few black dots on the insulation; this could be a sign of overheating. In this case, wires that work with insulation may be damaged. (1)
Step 3 - Tracking
Having checked everything, you can now trace the wires. Locate the wire connector and remove it for better inspection. Now you can inspect the damaged wires. Then install a multimeter to test for continuity.
Now place one of the multimeter leads on the metal post that secures the wires to the connector.
Then place another wire on any part of the wire. Shake the wire if you need to identify an incorrect connection. If you follow the process correctly, you will now have one lead on the metal terminal and the other on the wire.
The multimeter should show zero. However, if it shows some resistance, it is an open circuit. This means that a single wire is not working properly and should be replaced as soon as possible. Also apply the same method to the end of the wire. Do this for all remaining wires. Finally, observe the result and identify broken wires.
How to use the continuity test in your home?
This can be easily done if you need to trace wires during a home DIY project. Follow these steps.
Required Tools: Digital multimeter, long wire, some lever nuts.
Step 1: Imagine that you want to test the connection from one outlet to another (consider points A and B). We can't tell which wire it is by looking at it. So, we pull out the wires that need to be checked. For example, you should wire points A and B.
Step 2: Connect the long wire to one of the socket wires (point A). Use a lever nut to secure the wires. Then connect the other end of the long wire to the multimeter's black wire.
Step 3: Now go to point B. There you can see a lot of different wires. Set the multimeter to test for continuity. Then place a red wire on each of those wires. The wire that shows resistance on the multimeter during the test is connected to point A. If the other wires show no resistance, those wires have no connections from points A to B.
Summing up
Today we discussed tracing a wire with a multimeter in different situations. We use a continuity test to track wires in both situations. We hope you understand how to track wires with a multimeter in all conditions. (2)
Below are other how-to guides for multimeters that you can review and review later. Until our next article!
- How to test a capacitor with a multimeter
- How to check battery discharge with a multimeter
- How to check fuses with a multimeter
Recommendations
(1) mirror - https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/
physics/concepts/mirror
(2) environment - https://www.britannica.com/science/environment
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