Open Circuit Troubleshooting
Objective
This module will walk through the steps of efficient troubleshooting to find and fix an open circuit fault.
The Ten Step Troubleshooting Process
This lesson focuses on a particular electrical failure that needs to be found and fixed. Rather than a typical Guess and Check, (sometimes known as Hit Or Miss) method, we will apply the Ten Step Troubleshooting Process, or TSTP.
The TSTP is a logical series of steps that can be adapted to nearly any troubleshooting problem, and followed for an efficient and effective equipment fix.
The Problem
As a technician for a small gravel extraction company, you're pretty busy keeping the fleet of machinery running, and today is no exception. The operator of a front end loader has complained that the forward-facing headlamps on top of the loader cab are not illuminating when the light switch is toggled. All of the other headlights and marker lights come on, and the gauge cluster illuminates too.
The loader is not road-legal without the headlamps, and it is dangerous for the operator to work without sufficient light. It has been brought into your shop and you have locked out and tagged out the machine. It's troubleshooting time!
Step 1
Define the Problem
Electrical problems present in one of three ways.
No Go
E.g. The lamps do not light. At all.Erratic Operation
E.g. The lamps work sometimes, but they are not reliable.Incorrect Value
E.g. The lights work, but they are dimmer than they should be.Our loader problem seems like a clear-cut case of a "No Go" problem.
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