Electrical Test Equipment; Test Light Or Voltmeter; Ammeter; Self-Powered Test Light - Yamaha V star 1100 Owner's Manual

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6. Check all electrical wires where they join with
the individual metal terminals in both the male and
female connectors.
NOTE
Dielectric grease is special grease
that can be used on electrical compo
nents such as connectors and battery
connections. Dielectric grease can be
purchased at automotive part stores.
7. Make sure all electrical terminals within the con-
nectors are clean and free of corrosion. Clean them,
if necessary, and pack the connectors with dielectric
grease.
8. Push the connector halves together. Make sure
they are fully engaged and locked together (Figure
9).
9. Never pull the electrical wires when disconnect-
ing an electrical connector. Only pull the connector
plastic housing.
NOTE
Always consider electrical connec
tors the weak link in the electrical sys
tem. Dirty, loose fitting and corroded
connectors cause numerous electrical
problems, especially on high mileage
vehicles. When troubleshooting an
electrical problem, carefully inspect
the connectors and wiring harness.

ELECTRICAL TEST EQUIPMENT

Test Light or Voltmeter

A test light can be constructed from a 12-volt
light bulb with a pair of test leads carefully soldered
to the bulb. To check for battery voltage in a circuit,
attach one lead to ground and the other lead to vari-
ous points along the circuit. The bulb lights when
battery voltage is present.
A voltmeter is used in the same manner as the test
light to find out if battery voltage is present in any
given circuit. The voltmeter, unlike the test light,
also indicates how much voltage is present at each
test point. When using a voltmeter, attach the posi-
tive test lead to the component or wire to be checked
and the negative test lead to a good ground (Figure
10).
9
Locked
10
Voltmeter

Ammeter

An ammeter measures the flow of current (amps)
in a circuit (Figure 11). When connected in series in
a circuit, the ammeter determines if current is flow-
ing through the circuit and if that current flow is ex-
cessive because of a short in the circuit. Current
flow is often referred to as current draw. Comparing
actual current draw in the circuit or component to
the manufacturer's specified current draw provides
useful diagnostic information.

Self-powered Test Light

A self-powered test light can be constructed from
a 12-volt light bulb, a pair of test leads and a 12-volt
battery. When the test leads are touched together the
light bulb should go on.
Use a self-powered test light as follows:
1. Touch the test leads together to make sure the
light bulb turns on. If it does not, correct the prob-
lem before using the test light in a test procedure.
2. Disconnect the motorcycle's battery or remove
the fuse(s) that protects the circuit to be tested.
CHAPTER TWO