[VAC] Re: Testing the plug connection

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer]

The modern Bargman connector generally has conductor only on one face of
the pin hole. The face towards the middle of the plug. There could be a
problem between the frame ground and the shell ground or lighting
ground. >You need to make that frame test ground to bare metal, aluminum
paint won't conduct electricity. I've found that its faster to change
the plug (for about $8 from Walmart) than to try to clean 30 years of
corrosion off the contacts.

You might want to include some current limiting in your test setup. the
fully charged 12 volt battery could supply over 1000 amps to a short
should you find the ground pin in the plug and then may burn that ground
open and burn your hand holding the test wire and burn your lungs with
the fumes of burning wire insulation (which probably will include some
hydrochloric acid fumes). It would be best to include something like a
50 watt 12 volt lamp in series with the test wire to keep the current
down to 4 amps when shorted. Walmart carries the 50 watt 12 volt lamps
in their RV department. Its edison base just like a standard light bulb.
You may need to use an ice pick or similar as the test prod to be able
to get through corrosion.

Gerald J.



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