1. Have Fun Teaching Electrical
Jim Halderman

2. Introduction Former flat-rate technician
Former automotive college instructor
Author of many automotive textbooks
Still plays with cars
Lives in Dayton, Ohio

3. Topics to be Discussed Meter usage made fun Wire repair-meter fuse
Project-based learning
LED test light
Memory saver
Speaker tester
Theft deterrent
Logic probe

4. Why do students take Automotive?
Not to do math problems
Not to learn a lot of theory
They attend to learn how things work
They want hands-on activities

5. Where do I start? Touching a battery
Many in the class would not touch the terminals
Gives them the “hands-on” knowledge of:
Battery voltage (low)
Body resistance (high)

6. You can’t see or feel electricity
They have to measure electricity
Voltage is the most commonly used measurement specified Measure voltage on their vehicles

7. CAT III Meters and Leads

8. Voltage Testing DC Volts is the most commonly used
A “V” with a straight line above it.
AC volts is a V with a wavy line on top

9. Series Demonstration
A typical nine-volt battery contains six 1.5 volt AAAA batteries connected in series.
The voltage adds would connected in series (1.5 X 6= 9 Volts)
Students will never forget this

10. Dry Cell Battery Drop Test
Good battery- stays up or bounces once
Discharged battery-bounces several times
Does not always work
Use a voltmeter

11. Measure body resistance
Gets students to use the meter
Should them the Ohms symbol
Show them where to place the test leads
How much is normal?

12. Need to measure k-Ohms Normal body resistance is 200k to 400k Ohms
If lower means dehydrated
Can be over one million so they will measure 1.1 Meg Ohms which really confuses them

13. Meter Settings

14. Meter scales

15. What the meter reading means
Think of MONEY!
1.00 = a dollar 0.50= fifty cents or a half dollar
0.25 = quarter
0.01 = a penny
Milliamps I compare to thousandth of an inch such as bearing clearance.
0.020 amp is like 20 thousandth of an inch

16. Ammeter

17. Test Lead Connections

18. Protect the meter Fuse the meter lead
Saves money because the expensive internal fuse will be protected.
Use a 10 A. Fuse
Tie a knot in the leads-keeps them from getting tangled

19. Project Based Learning
The first week, students get a meter.
We use the meter every day starting with checking their body resistance.
Asked to purchase some low cost electrical parts that they can use to build projects for their project grade

20. Speaker Tester Uses a 1.5 volt battery
Connect to the speaker terminals
If positive (+) is to the positive terminal, the speaker cone moves away from2020 the coil

21. Air Bag Diagnostic Tool
Use a 2Ω ½ watt resistor as “load tool” to replace a module
Most modules measure 1.5 to 3.5 Ohms

22. Shorting Bars
When an air bag module is disconnected, spring-loaded shorting bars short the two terminals together
Use stir straw to cover one of the shorting bars

23. Lighter Plug Tester Uses a double banana plug
Terminals are ¾ inch apart-the same for all meters
Lighter plug
Some wire

24. Lighter Plug Tester Usage
Domestic vehicles- Lighter (power)plug is “hot” at all times Import brands- Controlled through the ignition

25. Using the lighter Plug-#1
Battery Testing-
Connect and watch voltmeter and turn on high beam headlights.
Watch voltage drop
After it stabilizes, turn off the lights
Watch how fast the voltage increases
The final voltage is the SOC.

26. Using the lighter Plug-#2
Cranking voltage-
Crank the engine
Observe the battery voltage
Should be above 9.6 Volts during cranking

27. Using the lighter Plug-#3
Charging Voltage-
Start the engine and observe the voltmeter
Should be Volts

28. Using the lighter Plug-#4
AC Ripple Voltage-
Start the engine
Turn on the headlights to provide an electrical load
Switch meter to read AC volts
Should be less than 0.5 Volt

29. Diodes
I do not wait to get to the electronics part of the course to teach diodes
Most students can easily understand a diode

30. LEDs Red Green Blue Anode (+) Cathode (-)
“A” comes before “C” so the anode is the positive and the cathode is the negative

31. LED Test Light One LED One 470Ω ½ W resistor A clicker style pen
Some wire etc.

32. Memory Saver Very popular Can be used with a 9-Volt battery
Can be connected to a jump box

33. OBD II DLC Memory Saver
Use OBD II male connector…Pin #4(-) and #16(+) to lighter plug and to a jump box

34. Theft Deterrent Very popular
Many students build this and install on their own vehicle
Easy to build
How does it work?

35. Logic Probe Use to check for power and ground
A test light can only detect power (unless connected to power)

36. Parts List PROJECT #1 (Air Bag load tool) 2 ohm resistor and label
One stir stick straw
PROJECT #2 (Speaker tester)
Battery holder
PROJECT #3 (Lighter plug test tool)
Double banana plug
Lighter plug (male end with wire) – need to cut and strip wire
Two black cable ties
Pocket screwdriver
PROJECT #4 (LED test light)
LED
470 ohm resistor-1/2 Watt
Two stripped wires
1 wire nut
PROJECT #5 (Logic probe)
One red LED
One green LED
Two-470 ohm resistors
Three stripped wires
3 wire nuts

37. Parts and Prices

38. Parts and Prices #2

39. Electrical parts suppliers that I use
(Mendelsons)

40. Summary Students love hands-on activities
I try to get their hands on meters as soon as possible
I give them projects that they can make using low-cost parts.
Projects that are useful
Have fun teaching electrical

41. Contact Information
For a copy of this presentation go to:
Click on “Jim’s Stuff”
Click on “Conference Power Points”