The Ten Step Troubleshooting Process

This lesson focuses on a particular electrical failure that needs to be found and fixed. Rather than the typical "guess and check" 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.

It's been a challenge to keep equipment running, and this morning one of the wheel loaders seems to have decided to call in sick.

When the operator started the loader, the lights flickered and died. The gauge backlights in the operator's console went out, along with the all of the work lights on top of the cab. The entire circuit seems to be dead.

Everything was fine when it was parked here last night; what could have happened?

A Blown Fuse

The sudden and complete failure of a whole circuit sounds like a blown fuse. Sure enough, when you check the fuse box, you find the evidence right away. No wonder this circuit is dead - the fuse has been fried.

It would be easy enough to plug a new fuse in, but wait! Leave the fuse out and don't energize that circuit!

Something, probably a short circuit, caused that fuse to blow, and until you find and fix that problem, you'll only continue to blow more fuses if you try to energize the circuit. It's time for some troubleshooting!