Diagnostic Strategies

Troubleshooting Procedures
A flow chart is designed to be used from start to final repair. It's like a map showing you the shortest distance. But beware; if you go off the "map" anywhere but a "Stop" symbol, you can easily get lost.

[START] (bold type) Describes the conditions or situation to start a troubleshooting flow chart.

Asks you to do something; perform a test, set up a condition, etc.
Asks you about the result of an action by giving an "answer" and asking did you get the same answer: Yes or No.

[STOP] The end of a series of actions and decisions, describes a final repair action and sometimes directs you to an earlier part of the flow to confirm your repair.

NOTE:
- The term "Intermittent Failure" is used several times in these charts. It simply means a system may have had a failure, but it checks out OK through all your tests. You may need to road test the car to reproduce the failure or if the problem was a loose connection, you may have unknowingly solved it while doing the tests.
- "Open" and "Short" are common electrical terms. An open is a break in wire or at a connection. A short is an accidental connection of a wire to ground. In simple electronics, this usually means something won't work at all. In complex electronics (like electronic control units), this can sometimes mean something works, but not the way it's supposed to.
- If the electrical readings are not as specified when using the system checker harness, check the checker harness connections before proceeding.