Inducing Intermittent Fault Conditions

INDUCING INTERMITTENT FAULT CONDITIONS

TOOLS REQUIRED
J 25070 Heat Gun

Many intermittent open or shorted circuits are affected by harness/connector movement that is caused by vibration, engine torque, bumps/rough pavement, etc. In order to duplicate the customer's concern, it may be necessary to manipulate the wiring harness if the malfunction appears to be vibration related. Manipulation of a circuit can consist of a wide variety of actions, including:
- Wiggling the harness
- Disconnecting a connector and reconnecting
- Stressing the mechanical connection of a connector
- Pulling on the harness or wire in order to identify a separation/break inside the insulation
- Relocating a harness or wires

All these actions should be performed with some goal in mind. For instance, with a scan tool connected, wiggling the wires may uncover a faulty input to the control module. The snapshot option would be appropriate here. Refer to Scan Tool Snapshot Procedure. Another option is, with the component commanded ON and OFF by the scan tool, move related connectors and wiring and observe the component operation. With the engine running, move related connectors and wiring while monitoring engine operation. If harness or connector movement affects the data displayed, component/system operation, or engine operation, inspect and repair the harness/connections as necessary.

You may need to load the vehicle in order to duplicate the concern. This may require the use of weights, floorjacks, jackstands, frame machines, etc. In these cases you are attempting to duplicate the concern by manipulating the suspension or frame. This method is useful in finding harnesses that are too short and their connectors pull apart enough to cause a poor connection. A DMM set to Peak Min/Max mode and connected to the suspect circuit while testing can yield desirable results. Refer to Testing for Electrical Intermittents.

Certainly, using the senses of sight, smell, and hearing while manipulating the circuit can provide good results as well.

There may be instances where circuit manipulation alone will not meet the required criteria for the fault condition to appear. In such cases it may be necessary to expose the suspect circuit to other conditions while manipulating the harness. Such conditions would include high moisture conditions, along with exceptionally high or low temperatures. The following discusses how to expose the circuit to these kinds of conditions.

SALT WATER SPRAY
Some compounds possess the ability to conduct electricity when dissolved in water such as ordinary salt. By mixing table salt with water in sufficient quantities, you can enhance the conductive properties of water so that any circuit which may be sensitive to moisture will more readily fail when liberally sprayed with this mixture.

Mixing 0.35L (12 oz) of water with approximately 1 tablespoon of salt will yield a salt solution of 5 percent. Fill a normal spray bottle with this mixture. This mixture is sufficient to enhance the water's own conductivity. This may cause the circuit to fail more easily when sprayed. Once the mixture is completed, spray the suspect area liberally with the solution. Then, while monitoring either a scan tool or DMM, manipulate the harness as discussed previously.

HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS
If the complaint tends to be heat related, you can simulate the condition using the J 25070.

Using the heat gun, you can heat up the suspected area or component. Manipulate the harnesses under high temperature conditions while monitoring the scan tool or DMM to locate the fault condition.

The high temperature condition may be achieved simply by test driving the vehicle at normal operating temperature. If a heat gun is unavailable, consider this option to enhance your diagnosis. This option does not allow for the same control, however.

LOW TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS
Depending on the nature of the fault condition, placing a fan in front of the vehicle while the vehicle is in the shade can have the desired effect.

If this is unsuccessful, use local cooling treatments such as ice or a venturi type nozzle (one that provides hot or cold air). This type of tool is capable of producing air stream temperatures down to -18°C (0°F) from one end and +71°C (160°F) from the other. This is ideally suited for localized cooling needs.

Once the vehicle, component, or harness has been sufficiently cooled, manipulate the harness or components in an effort to duplicate the concern.

DUPLICATING FAILURE CONDITIONS
- If none of the previous tests are successful, attempt to duplicate and/or capture the failure conditions.
- Freeze Frame/Failure Records data, where applicable, contains the conditions that were present when the DTC set.
1. Review and record Freeze Frame/Failure Records data.
2. Clear the DTCs using the scan tool.
3. Turn the key to OFF and wait 15 seconds.
4. Operate the vehicle under the same conditions that were noted in Freeze Frame/Failure Records data, as closely as possible. The vehicle must also be operating within the Conditions for Running the DTC. Refer to Conditions for Running the DTC in the supporting text if a DTC is being diagnosed.
5. Monitor DTC Status for the DTC being tested. The scan tool will indicate Ran, when the enabling conditions have been satisfied long enough for the DTC to run. The scan tool will also indicate whether the DTC passed or failed.
- An alternate method is to drive the vehicle with the DMM connected to a suspected circuit. An abnormal reading on the DMM when the concern occurs, may help you locate the concern.