To test an alternator with a multimeter is a simple task and should be performed during maintenance of your vehicle. You will need a multimeter that can read DC voltage. With your vehicle running, set the multimeter on DC 20 volt range.
Take the meter leads and touch the black lead to the negative post on your vehicles battery and touch the red meter lead to the positive post on the battery. The alternator should be putting about 13.8 to 14.4 volts into the battery for optimum performance. If you get a reading of 15 volts or higher at any time that is too much and repairs are needed. Make this check first with nothing turned on in your vehicle and then check it again with everything turned on.
With all lights and A/C on plus any other accessories you may have, check the meter reading again and the alternator should adjust for the added load and maintain the needed voltage to run the extra load while continuing to keep the battery at full charge.
Any type of successful troubleshooting depends on the quality of your testing equipment. There are many different styles, brands and designs of multimeters. Personally, I like Fluke Multimeters. Fluke makes good quality equipment that is dependable and will last for a long time.
There are many ways to wire 3 way switches and they work right and there are also many ways to wire them and they won't work right. Let's examine the most common ways to wire 3 way switches so you can see how yours may be wired or to see a few ways that you can wire your own. Here is a quick glossary of the terms that are used here.
Hot Feed- This is the romex that feeds the circuit and is hot all the time.
Two Conductor Romex- A romex or cable with a black, white and a bare ground wire.
Switch Leg- This is a two conductor romex that goes from the switch up to the light fixture.
3 Conductor Romex- This is a cable that has actually 4 wires in it. A black, white, red and a bare or green ground wire.
3 Way Switch- A switch that has 3 lugs for the wires plus a green screw for the ground wire to attach. Two lugs are on one side of the switch and one lug is by itself on the other side of the switch.
Common Lug- This is the important lug on your 3 way switch. It will be the lug on the 3 way switch that does not have another lug directly across from it on the switch. It will be on the side with two lugs.
Traveler Lugs- These are the two lugs on the 3 way switch that make contact with the common lug depending on which way the switch is flipped. One traveler lug will be by itself on one side of the switch and the other traveler lug will be directly across from it on the other side of the switch.
Common Wire- There are two common wires in a 3 way switching circuit. One common will be the constant hot feed wire and the other common will be the black wire that goes from the switch to the light fixture.
Traveler Wires- These are the two wires that tie the two 3 way switches together. They will be unbroken between the two switches. These could be in a two conductor cable or a 3 conductor cable and usually run directly from switch box to switch box.
Neutral Wire- This is the white wire that originates in the same romex with the hot feed wire that feeds the circuit hot and will go to the light fixture along with the black switch leg wire.
Bare Ground- This is the bare copper or green wire that should be all twisted together at each switch and light box that will tie to the green screw on the switch and the frame of the light fixture. A very important wire for safety purposes.
Here are the three most common ways that 3 way switches are wired.
Hot Feed At One Switch And The Switch Leg At The Other Switch.
This is a very common method for wiring 3 way switches and it has several variations in how they can be wired. A 2 conductor hot feed comes to one switch box with usually a second 2 conductor romex as a hot feed back out of that box. Then a 3 conductor romex runs from this switch box over to the other switch box. Then a 2 conductor romex runs from the second switch box up to the light.
a.The connections in this method would be the two black wires in the hot feed in and back out romex will tie together with a pigtail wire tied in with them that will hook to the common lug on the 3 way switch.
b. The two white wires from the hot feed cables will tie to the white wire in the 3 conductor to feed the neutrals on through and send a neutral over to the other switch box where the switch leg is.
c. The black and the red wires in the 3 conductor romex are your traveler wires and will hook to the two traveler lugs on the switch. It doesn't matter which two goes where on the traveler lugs. Just make sure that the pigtailed black hooks to the common lug on the switch.
d. The switch on the other end will have one 3 conductor and one 2 conductor romex. The black in the 2 conductor switch leg will be your common on that end and will tie to the common lug on the switch.
e. The white wires from both cables will tie together with a wirenut. That leaves the black and the red from the 3 conductor that will tie to the traveler lugs on the 3 way switch.
2. It is possible that this variation could be wired with all 2 conductor cables. If this is the case then there will be no red wires, only blacks and whites. Then it is just a matter of finding the romex that goes to the other switch box and those black and white wires will be the travelers. Everything else will wire the same.
Hot Feed And Switch Leg At The Same Switch Box.
This is the simplest way to wire 3 way switches. In most situations one switch box will have three 2 conductor cables and one 3 conductor cable while the other switch box will have just the one 3 conductor cable in it.
In this variation you will need to determine two things. Which 2 conductor cable is the constant hot feed and which 2 conductor cable is the switch leg. All three of the white wires, one from each 2 conductor cable should be tied together with a wire nut.
Finding the hot feed and the switch leg:
This can be determined with a multimeter set on AC voltage. You will be hunting for the black wire that is the constant hot feed. So with your meter leads you will read, one at a time from the black in each 2 conductor cable to the whites that are tied together until you find the black hot wire.
Once you find the hot wire then mark it accordingly and then you want to find which of the other two blacks is the switch leg going up to the light fixture. With the power on just touch the black wire that you marked to one of the other black wires until the light fixture comes on and that is your switch leg.
. a. The connections for this variation will be the two black wires in the hot feed in and back out will tie to the black in the 3 conductor cable. They will wirenut together and push back into the switch box.
b. The white neutral wires in the two 2 conductor hot feed cables will tie to the white in the switch leg romex and they will wirenut and push in the switch box.
c. This will leave you with a red and a white from your 3 conductor cable which will be your two travelers and the black from the switch leg cable which will be your common and tie to the common lug on the 3 way switch.
d. On the other end you will have a black, a white and a red from the lone 3 conductor cable. The black is the common and hooks to the common lug on the 3 way switch and the red and white are your travelers for the switch.
Hot Feed Pulled To The Light Fixture Box.
This method is another rather simple one to wire. This box will have the two 2 conductor hot feed in and back out cables and then the two 3 conductor cables, one from each 3 way switch box.
a. The two black wires from the 2 conductor hot feed in and back out cables will tie together along with a black from one of the 3 conductor cables. It really doesn't matter which 3 conductor you choose here.
b. The two white wires from the hot feed cables are the neutrals and they will tie together along with the white wire from your light fixture.
c. The two reds from the 3 conductor will tie together and push up into the box. The same goes for the two white wires from the 3 conductor. They will wirenut together and push into the light box.
d. This leaves you with one black wire from the other 3 conductor cable and it will tie to the black wire from your light fixture.
e. Down at the switches, the blacks will be your common and go on the common lugs on your 3 way switches and the reds and whites will tie to the traveler lugs on the 3 way switch.
It is possible that your existing 3 way switches may not be wired like the 3 examples mentioned above. The chances are pretty good though that they are wired like one of these examples anyway.
The main goal in troubleshooting 3 way switch problems is making sure which wires are the commons at your switches and getting those on the common lugs of your switch. If you do that and you have power to the circuit and your bulbs and switches are good, then the 3 ways will work like they are supposed to work.
Just remember that each 3 way switch has to have one common and two travelers to work. The two commons are the constant hot wire and the black that goes up to the light fixture.
Always turn the power off to the circuit you are working on and if you need to check for power then be sure to kill the circuit after you are through testing.
The correct ignition timing on an engine is critical for the engine to run properly. Basically the ignition timing determines when to fire the spark plug for each cylinder at the proper time in combustion engines.
First you will need to locate the #1 cylinder on the engine. This can be found in the shop manual for your particular vehicle and engine. On newer model Chevy engines you must locate and unplug the computer timing advance. Clamp the timing light lead around the #1 plug wire and hook battery power to the timing light.
Locate the timing marks on the harmonic balancer and mark with chalk or a white crayon. Start engine and point the timing light at the mark. The mark should align with the timing pointer. If it doesn’t then shut off the engine and loosen the distributor hold down clamp. Start the engine and move the distributor until the timing mark aligns with the timing pointer.
It is rather easy to build an outdoor fireplace for your yard by using the drums out of a clothes washer and dryer. The washer drum will hold the wood to burn and the dryer drum sits right on top of the washer drum to help contain the fire.
It is best to remove the grass where you plan to set the outdoor fireplace and put some gravel down. You can also use bricks so the washer drum isn’t sitting right on the ground. The holes in the washer drum feed air to the fire while containing the fire at the same time. The lip around the top of the washer drum fits the bottom of the dryer drum nicely to hold it in place.
It is a good idea to mount or weld some handles on the dryer drum for easy handling. After each use just dump out the ashes from the washer drum and it is ready for the next time you need an outdoor fire pit.
Setting the desired temperature for your hot water is a simple task. It is a good idea to turn the circuit breaker off to the water heater before removing the access panels.
You will notice these two covers on the side of the water heater that are held with two screws. After removing the covers you may have to adjust the insulation some to access the temperature settings.
Just turn the little dial with a screwdriver to the desired temperature setting for each element and replace the covers and turn the breaker back on to the water heater.
