Originally posted by projectSHO89:
Originally posted by striker2:
btw

you should have no more than about a .2V drop at any one connector or .5V for the whole circuit



You're way too generous with those drops in a low-current circuit.

Steve



Those are reasonable numbers for the starter with it's high draw, but it would be too much for a low draw current like a stereo system (unless you have a killer stereo).

There is an easier way to measure voltage drop that is far more accurate than just reading the total voltage. Set the voltmeter to 2 volts. That's right 2 volts. Not 20 volts, not 200 volts, not .2 volts. 2 volts. Don't try to take readings with one probe on the hot wire and the other one on ground. Instead, two different points on the same hot circuit. For example on a starter circuit, one probe on the battery positive terminal and the other on the starter hot post and take the reading under load (starter cranking). That will give you a very accurate starter voltage drop. You can (and should) do the same thing on the return circuit (ground). Place one probe on the battery negative terminal and the other on the starter housing and take the reading while cranking. You would be surprised how often the problem is in the ground side.

For a low current circuit you don't want anything above .2 volts voltage drop, and actually even that is liberal. You should try to get it as close to 0 as possible and you usually can.

Jim Johnson 98 SVT 03 Escape Limited