Learn about automotive troubleshooting manuals and the two golden rules that professional mechanics follow when diagnosing complex car problems.
Mark here with some advice on finding and reading repair diagrams. The first challenge you’ll face is finding the right diagnostic chart for the vehicle you’re working on.
Of course, we make that easier by offering auto repair and shop manuals for just about any car on the planet. Once you find the correct procedure or tree chart then you’ll have to read it, analyze it and then fully understand it to use it efficiently.
In fact, although your not actually turning wrenches, this process of understanding the system you’re working on is a great use of time. All to often Diy auto mechanics jump right in and try to figure things out as they go along.
Not only could this extend the repair time, but it leaves the technician vulnerable to misdiagnosis and replacing parts that aren’t needed. Now that we understand, that reading the service manual isn’t wasting time, but instead becomes an important first step, let’s discover how to do it right.
Using Auto Repair Manuals Rule One
The first step is to sit down and read the diagram until you fully understand how the circuits work. This may take a little while, but will pay big dividends during the diagnosis of your specific car problem.
Don’t be concerned with how long this first step takes. It’s not a sign of weakness or lack of intelligence, in fact, it’s just the opposite.
If you take some time to understand the circuit and the flow of the repair diagram you’ll be able to pick out the malfunction much quicker. Spend some time now and save more time later.
Most auto and truck service manuals are laid out or drawn as a straight line, better known as a ladder repair diagram. Just about every troubleshooting manual uses this standardized approach. This allows you to apply logic and proceed in an organized fashion.
Another tip that I’ve found helpful to get my brain going is to grab a piece of scrap paper and draw the repair diagram by hand. By doing this it is easier for your mind to absorb and truly understand how the circuit operates and flows.
Another advantage of doing this is that you can make notes on your sketch of the circuit so you don’t ruin the service manual graphic. Experts believe that when you take a pen to paper it helps your mind rap around the operation of even complex circuits. Trust me, this is much easier than if you just stare at a picture of the repair diagram.
This is just my opinion and everybody is different in how they learn things and retain information. However, give this one a try as many experience a breakthrough on how they can absorb complex information.
Rule Number Two for Troubleshooting
When you are tracing electrical circuits using an automotive wire diagram you always want to work from the load back to the battery.
Find the load component first for example light, horn, coil, solenoid or actuator, then find its ground, and then find the battery. Trying to read a schematic from positive to negative doesn’t work well.
Always try to work from your load back toward the battery. This rule is important, because it gives you a correct direction of diagnosis. When you’re studying a schematic, you’ll notice that there is usually only one load component per circuit.
This simple fact creates a straightforward diagnosis with better results. If you’re looking at a large repair diagram, and you see more than one load, example starter, light bulb, backup alarm. You will know that each of these items or loads are on separate circuits and usually run to separate fuses.
In most cases you will pinpoint electrical failures in one isolated circuit. If you find yourself jumping around into multiple circuits for diagnosis, it’s time to take a step back and return to rule number one. And go back to study the diagram more thoroughly.
Just like most things in life, the more you use a service manual the easier the repair and diagnosis becomes. This is most definitely one case of practice makes perfect.
Understanding electrical schematics and learning how to use troubleshooting manuals is an extremely valuable skill. Not just for use in the automotive world, but also construction, equipment repairs, plumbing, and computer system diagnosis. They all use a standardized diagram.
More Information about Troubleshooting Manuals
I decided to take the last golden rule a little further. For site visitors I put together a screen capture video that shows you how I diagnose car electrical problems using automobile wiring diagrams. We also have more information on do it yourself auto repair success.
This next link will take you the main page for DIY auto repair tips. I have been using auto repair manuals for more then 20 years. The invention of the online based and downloadable PDF service manuals has helped me more than any tool I own. If you have a Ford take a look at these shop manuals for Ford car and trucks.
The about us page includes details of why I built this automotive website. The next link takes you to the auto facts.org homepage where you can review the most important areas of this site.