SAFARI BSVI - SERVICE MANUAL

ELECTRICAL 4 2. GENERAL PRECAUTIONS A. SERVICING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1. Before Troubleshooting:  Always disconnect negative terminal of battery.  Check the fuses in fuse box.  Check the battery for damage, state of electrolyte level charge, and clean and tight connections.  Check the alternator belt tension. ! CAUTION:  Do not quick-charge a battery unless the battery ground cable has been connected, you will damage the alternator diodes.  Do not attempt to crank the engine with the battery ground cable connected incompletely. 2.Switch off ignition prior to making any connection or disconnection in the system as electrical surge caused by disconnecting ’live’ connections can damage electronic components. 3. Ensure hands and work surfaces are clean and free of grease, scarf, etc. as grease collects dirt which can cause tracking or high-resistance contacts. When handling printed circuit boards, treat them as you handle a disc - hold by the edges only, because some of the electronic components are susceptible to body static. 4. Secure the wiring harness by using clamps so that there is no slack. However, for any harness which passes to the engine or other vibrating parts of the vehicle, allow some slack within a range that does not allow the engine vibrations to cause the harness to come into contact with any of the surrounding parts, and then secure the harness by using a clamp. 5 . Don’t damage the insulation when connecting a wire. Do not use wires or harnesses with a broken insulation. Repair by wrapping with protective tape or replace with new ones if necessary. 6. If any section of a wiring harness interferes with the edge of a part or a corner, replace the part of harness or wrap the section of the harness with core tube. 7. To prevent damage to the electrical/ electronic parts ( especially computers or semi conductors ) or to prevent fire: a. Always disconnect the battery. Ensure that battery leads are routed correctly and are not close to any potential chafing points. Never reverse connect the vehicle battery and always observe the correct polarity when connecting test equipment. b. When disconnecting the battery terminals, be sure for the following  Turn off the ignition switch and all other switches.  Disconnect the negative (-) terminal wire  Disconnect the positive (+) terminal wire.  Connect the wires in the reverse order of disconnecting. c. When replacing any fuse, make sure to use the specified capacity fuse. Using a fuse with a larger capacity can cause damage to the electrical parts or a fire. d. Do not handle electrical/electronic parts ( ECU, relay, etc) roughly or drop them. e. Do not expose electrical/electronic parts to high temperature ( approximately 80°C (170°F) or higher ) or water. f. For open back connectors be sure to insert the tester probe in to the back side ( wiring harness side ) of the connector for inspection. For sealed back connectors apply the tester probe to the terminal as gently as possible not to damage or deform the terminal. Make sure to use probe with tapered tip.