Haynes Practical Electrical Systems

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Oscar
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Haynes Practical Electrical Systems

Post by Oscar »

I picked this book up from the library yesterday and I've been engrossed ever since. It's a really good intro to car electrical systems - (mostly) well-written and easy to follow. Suffers a little from the usual Haynes editing issues, but I'm actually quite impressed.

Has anyone else read this? Or can anyone recommend books for the novice car electrician?

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Post by Toddman »

Fortunately the BX is quite simple so in terms of electrical knowledge you only really need basic D.C. principles such as Ohms Law Volts = Amps x Resistance (V = IxR).
Relays are just switches that are "switched" by a voltage rather than the button etc etc.
The fuel injection system is the only clever bit of electrics and if you want to crack that I recommend "Bosch Fuel Injection and Management" by Probst.
I am sure Vanny can name some names book wise all my text books are about 18 years old now and a bit too indepth for most people the basic stuff was all learnt at O and A level physics but I think it is a great subject to get into.
Is there any particualr problem you want to address or just sharpening up in general?

Hope that helps a little
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Oscar
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Post by Oscar »

Luke wrote: Fortunately the BX is quite simple so in terms of electrical knowledge you only really need basic D.C. principles such as Ohms Law Volts = Amps x Resistance (V = IxR).

Luke, simplicity is a relative term :D . My definition of Ohm's Law was "you go Ohm when you're told". And until yesterday I never knew what a relay was.

No particular problems, I just knew that it was a gap that needed to be filled.
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Post by Stewart (oily!) »

For some reason I have a total mental block when I look at the diagrams in the BOL, I generally end up finding a suitable live/earth and then making up the bit of wiring I need. It wasnt always like this????
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Post by Toddman »

Oscar wrote:Luke wrote: Fortunately the BX is quite simple so in terms of electrical knowledge you only really need basic D.C. principles such as Ohms Law Volts = Amps x Resistance (V = IxR).

Luke, simplicity is a relative term :D . My definition of Ohm's Law was "you go Ohm when you're told". And until yesterday I never knew what a relay was.

No particular problems, I just knew that it was a gap that needed to be filled.
hehe I like that :D
And of course you are right everything is relative and I am fortunate to be loosely "in the trade" so to speak.
I suppose it would be interesting to write a first priciples type document for people wanting to get handy with electrical systems in the BX.
Don't want to sound big headed but IF I can help anyone with electrical issues then I will always do my best.
Good thing is that the systems are connected to the battery so you can treat them as a flow and return system i.e. if the supply cannot return to earth then whatever is in the system will not function correct - so basically the part in question needs a supplu (+12v) and a return (0v or earth) if you have both of these the issue must be the part.
An optimistic view of things but should work - I will take the clip round the ear if I am wrong :D

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Post by jeremy »

Its a fact of life that car electrics confuse just about everyone. I'm not talking about modern complicated things like BX's but even things like 50's and 60's series Land Rovers which are extremely simple. I've known otherwise excellent mechanics steer clear of them and judging by the standards of work of many even those that do are very uncertain of what they are doing.

I speak as one who actually enjoys sorting out electrical problems but I think if you took a poll on here you would find that few did.

If the Haynes Manual encourages more to learn the basics and get involved it will have done an excellent job. Did the Haynes Baby Manual have this effect?

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Post by Stinkwheel »

I will admit to being an electonics(and meachnical) technician by trade.

I work for a very well know international tool manufacturer/distributor and i work on all sorts of diagnostic equipment from circuit testers to diagnostics systems.

Electronics and electrics is easy in principle, in practice can make you mad.

The one thing i have seen again and again are the electrical repairs that 'vehicle technicians' try to make to their own equpiment, scary, and these guys are working on your car?? Be afraid.
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Post by Toddman »

^^ After spending nearly 4 years as a TV,video and satellite repairman the things some alleged "engineers" do to equipment is scary, we were based near a RAF camp and those guys scared me! Fuses wrapped in tin foil VCRs oiled to stop sqeaking drive mechs I can quote on American guy from the camp"We had it into our techs and now it won't work" the "techs" had oiled it not a good move for a VCR.

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Post by jeremy »

What's wrong with oiling VCR's - put a couple of drops of multigrade on the capstan drive of mine about 11 years ago as it was noisy and its still going (and I haven't done anything to it since!)

Not to be recommended!

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Post by Vanny »

jeremy wrote:and I haven't done anything to it since!
so how do you know it works? :D


I find electrics easy, there's nothing to the sort of things i do, its only once you get into power systems and all that fourier and laplace rubbish that it starts to get a bit evil! Its all about the river and which way you point the boat!

I know that feeling about mechs and techs being scared of electricity, i get called almost every other day to fix this electrical problem or that electrical problem, most are quite easy really.


Books? Hmmm, electronic and electrical engineering by Lionel Warnes is quite good, easy to read (though a bit bland) but does require some prior knowledge. It covers quite a lot of stuff like relays, motors etc but at a higher than basic level!

I would personally recommend Mr Brian Thompson of Calday Grange Grammar School and his 'basic water principles of electronics', that guy could make astrophysics seem really stupidly easy!

Somewhere online is a website that teaches basic electronics (AC and DC) and makes it VERY easy to understand!
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Post by Toddman »

jeremy wrote:What's wrong with oiling VCR's - put a couple of drops of multigrade on the capstan drive of mine about 11 years ago as it was noisy and its still going (and I haven't done anything to it since!)

Not to be recommended!

jeremy
I am sure you are a very able engineer proficient in all aspects of technical servicing.
However I think you will find oil is slightly different to grease :D
You can of course apply minute amounts of oil to spindles etc but really not to be recommended and oil in close proximity to rubber drive mechs is not so sensible.

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Post by Gareth Wales »

I'd just be happy to be able to read and understand a simple guide to using a multimeter.
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Post by Stinkwheel »

I'd just be happy to be able to read and understand a simple guide to using a multimeter.
What do you need to know?

They are quite simple, although cheap ones are that, cheap and usually nasty.
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meters

Post by Toddman »

I used to dream of owning my own Avo but technology moved on so quickly the big heavy bakerlite beasts were superseeded by the time I left college :P
Still old fashioned though and use a moving coil meter for my car electrics when possible.

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Post by Stinkwheel »

i like a moving coil meter myself but for quick basic jobs i just use a fluke 77 these days, nice compact full function meter.

We still have some of the old avo's at work, dont use any of them anymore though, they just gather dust.
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