VOM's and their uses.
 

Jaguar electrics are a well known challenge. Well, there are others as well!


I have three VOM's. Volts and ohms. And somewhere in my stuff, an ammeter. the latter to measure amperes/


1. Analog meter. Does all tasks well, especially small variations. Least used by me.


2. Digital. Most universal in use. I measure ? dry cell AA, AAA, C and D batteries. Less than 1.5 and they go to recycle. My Jeep failed to fire!!
Usually very dependable. Out with the digital meter. Volts 10+! good enough for a sluggish crank, but not enough for ignition and fuel injection.


Bad, dirty cable to battery connections? First diagnostic in this situation.
Old tech, clean and try ! Could work !


Newer with VOM. Measured volts + to - post with VOM. 10+. Again, with VOM, cable to cable. Same !!! Conclusion, connections OK!!


Connected Smart charger, long and slow. Up to 90%. More today! Later.


Next, is the battery done for? Old, but maybe not! Held 90 % over night?


Or, short trips only and OK?


Or, alternator out, or down in output? Some time ago, I made a "patch cord" for my VOM to connect it to the car via the cigar lighter outlet.
I'll plug it in and read volts in real time under various RPM's and loads. Can the alternator handle ??



3. Inductance meter. Seems as more for household 120 V. or so,
Experience by me to come.


I've come a way from just grounding a "hot" to see if it sparked to test
lights and to meters!!!


Carl

My Step father gave me a DVM as a very young man....it was a pricey piece in it's day with typical functions, sturdy leads, a temperature probe and it beeped with full continuity. Both features I found useful. It was well used and is long gone now. I wish I still had it and was more careful with it.

These days...China, wto and free trade have made junky but sufficient ones ubiquitous...thus Harbor Freight sells one that is useful for basic tasks for 5$ or less including the battery and sometimes free. There is no reason not to have one at hand. I've got about 5...one in the garage, one in the work truck, one in the house tool box and one in the kitchen for the kids to use(usually for testing batteries)...and one floating around here and there.

When one perishes (battery dies) I usually get another sometimes free with a coupon and relegate the failed unit to wheel chock duty.

I better stock up on some before "The Donald" puts the kai-bosh on free trade. If that happens I'll have to buy a good one and take care of it and then go back to using wood blocks as chocks. Oh the humanity!:icon_nut:

Wow, a bunch of them. slick.


Wheel chocks. I"ve several, but each of the wood variety.


1. 4x4, sawn corner to corner forming wedges.


2. 4x 4 with worn corners. Used more often than not. When , I forgot,
a minor/major issue resulted. I choose not to recall it details and travails.


3. My chipper/shredder tended to wander. I made a pair of chocks from chunks of a Lumquat branch and linked them together with a bit of spare chain.


In a bit, I'll check volts on the Jeep battery. If at 90 % there is hope,


And, if it cranks, I'll plug in the VOM to the cigar outlet and see if the
alternator is doing it's thing? If not, shop for another and check on replacement instructions. It has a "semi serpentine belt...


Carl

Did my VOM to Jeep test. I cranked and it fired almost immediately!!! good news as I ceased charging it at 90%.


Read volts via the cigar lighter. 12.0. fair. craned the engine., 13.5 & a bit more on revving.


Dash meter reads just a shade under center mark of 13 v's.


Conclusions.


1. Too many shirt trips and no regular ones. sits dormant for days.


2. While sorting old paper for dumping a lot, the Jeep folder revealed the battery at about six years. Just about it's wend.


2. The alternator is fine. As best as I can tell from a full history that came with it, original. 94 Jeep about 22 years old and shows a bit over 215,000.


3. I misplaced the instruction pamphlet for the VOM!!!


Neighbor and his gardner and I took down the branch that split and was hung up on our phone wires. My little electric saw, some chain from my shop, an orchard ladder and big lopers and it came and clean. In my yard for chopping up for the recycle cans.


Thought of the larger parts for fire wood. Nope, it is a "Buck Locust". A volunteer tree. but, with thorns!!! Not good. Chop to can size and away with it. I may tie it to the Jeep and pull it into my drive for convenient "sawyering"!!!


Rain forecast for tonite, our way. Mild though, short of storm class.


Carl

Doesnt have to be the end. Since the battery is at 12v this suggest all the cell are working properly. As battery age, the sulfation process occurs. The battery can be electronically desulafated and last many many more years.

BatteryMINDer Charger/Maintainer/Desulfator System — Model# 1500 | Battery Maintainers| Northern Tool + Equipment

I used the above device to recondition a 3 year old BMW 750il battery that would no longer start the car after sitting a few days. Even when the battery was fresh off the charger it would struggle a bit when starting and the electrics would go wonky from the voltage drop creating transmission failure messages even though the trans is fine. It was a car that I acquired used and the PO told me the car always needed to be jumped to start. It would have cost 250$ to replace the battery because its a specialty battery. It's a large sealed battery that is flatter than most so it will fit under the rear seat. I was a bit skepical but for 50$ I figured the charger/desulfator was worth a try and if it didn't work at least I'd have another charger around.

It worked! Now...the car cranks over like a turbine on a cold day even after sitting for a week. The down side is the desulfating process takes a long time. I put the battery on the desulfator for 4 weeks inside a spare room. There is a audible high pitched tone while its in desulfating mode that I was able to hear...I have good hearing...no one else could hear it. I researched it and the tone is cause by a frequency current introduced in to the battery that breaks up the sulfur crystals. It's these crystals that effect the batteries performance.

Since its a spare car we didnt need to drive it worked out for me, saving me big bucks. Next time one of my other vehicles needs a battery...It's going on the desulfator for awhile.

While reading on line, some people have reported doing this to 10 year old batteries that have sat for years and returning them to service.

It's a responsible thing to recycle a battery locally...it saves money and all the other resources associated with the traditional replacement and recycling. I've also noticed on craigslist quite a few people people selling "reconditioned" batteries for 1/2 the price of new...I bet they are using desulfators.

Yes with all this on board computer stuff and the sensors they need/use, its more important now than ever,.. to have a strong alternator/battery system and good clean connections and grounds. I am grateful that my new 350 V8 has 1 CS 130 Delco meant for charging and maintaining the battery at low RPMs But I have more "electrics" to provide smooth steady voltage to,.. electric fans, bass amp, etc. and do a lot of short drives.

I also have a lump with a CS130. For those who dont know it's a GM alternator and its an Amazing design, very small with super tight tolerances for excellent overall performance. On my HP optimized lump... It Charges perfectly at 600 RPM with an under drive pulley. I'm using a serpentine pulley system from a 1984 corvette...that car never came with a CS130...none-the-less the wizards of smart at GM designed the CS130, and its big brother the CS140, with the same bolt dimensions as other older legacy GM alternators so it bolts in fine.

Good points, gentlemen. Thanks.

Yeah, one can get "reconditioned" batteries around here for 30 or 40 bucks + core. decent new ones at 30 +.

Warranted 30days???

Carl