ECT3000

ELECTRONIC USER’S MANUAL

CIRCUIT Diagnose Electrical Circuits Fast
TRACER • Locate Shorts
• Locate Opens
• Test Intermittent Problems

www.powerprobe.com
 Contents
Congratulations ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Parts ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
The SMART Transmitter ....................................................................................................................... 6
Characteristics of the Short/Grounded Circuit Signal ............................................................................... 8
Characteristics of the Open Circuit Signal ....................................................................................... 9&10
The SMART Receiver ........................................................................................................................... 11
Battery Installation .................................................................................................................................. 12
Testing the SMART Receiver ................................................................................................................. 12
Pulse Mode .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Locking /Setting the Sensitivity of Short/Grounded Circuit Signal ....................................................... 14
Locking /Setting the Sensitivity of Open Circuits ................................................................................. 14
Direction to Short .................................................................................................................................... 15
How to Use the ECT3000 in Diagnosing Circuits .............................................................................. 16

2
How to Trace Out a Short Circuit to Chassis Ground ............................................................................. 17
Contents
Isolate your Circuit .................................................................................................................................. 18
Verify the Short Circuit to Ground .......................................................................................................... 18
Short Circuit inside a Wire Harness ........................................................................................................ 19
Reception Distance and What that Means .............................................................................................. 20
Tracing Circuits that are Shielded ........................................................................................................... 21
Open Circuit Signal vs. Grounded Circuit Signal ................................................................................... 22
How to Trace an Open Circuit ................................................................................................................ 23
Verify an Open Circuit............................................................................................................................. 23
Bench Tracing a Wire Harness ................................................................................................................ 24
Tracing Out a Battery Drain or Current Draw ........................................................................................ 25
Circuit Wiggle and Flex Test ................................................................................................................... 26
Index ........................................................................................................................................................ 27

3
Congratulations
Thank you for choosing the Power Probe “ECT3000” (Electronic Circuit Tracer- 3000)

The ECT3000 helps quickly locate wiring shorts and opens. The ECT3000 operates just like the trusted Power Probe ECT3000 now with many
improvements in functions and features to increase circuit testing accuracy and speed. This instruction booklet will give you some valuable
diagnosing tips gathered from the field and from our testing lab. This instruction booklet has convenient references that will take you to appro-
priate pages that provide more information and clarification. Taking the time to read this instruction booklet carefully will give you valuable
insight to these detailed techniques in tracing automotive circuits.

We designed the ECT3000 as a quick solution to your automotive circuit problems. The ECT3000 consists of 2 main components. An Intelli-
gent transmitter and a Intelligent receiver along with a set of connection adapters that will help you:

• Locate short circuits without unnecessarily removing plastic panels, molding, and carpet.
• Trace wires to see where they lead
• Find open circuits, switches or breaks in wires
• Trace and locate the cause of a severe battery drain
• Test and find intermittent conditions
• Check continuity with the assistance of the Power Probe III, IV, or Hook

These features are extremely handy for the professional technician. An appropriate schematic or wiring diagram is always useful and many
times necessary when tracing circuits. The better you understand your circuit, the better the ECT3000 can assist you.

4
 Parts
#PNECT3000T #PNECT3000R
Transmitter Receiver

#PPPP01 - Piercing Probe

#20014 - Universal Wire Adapter*

Included in the Kit:

#AA4 #AA6 #AA1 #AA2 #AA3 1-Transmitter
1-Receiver
1-Blade Probe**
1-Back Probe**
3-Light Bulb Adapters**
1-Piercing Probe
Blade Back Light Bulb Adapters 1-Alligator Clip Adapter
Probe Probe 1- Battery Hook-up Clip Set
#PNECT057 1-Universal Wire Adapter*:
Alligator Clip Adapter (You can solder to any connection
for custom use.)
*Extra universal wire adapters can
#PN3046 be purchased. (Sold in packs of 5,
Battery Hook Up Part #PNECT050)
Clip Set All banana jacks/plugs are standard
4mm making other test leads or
adapters usable with this product.
**See pg. 16 for application
5
The Transmitter
The transmitter is designed to generate Grounded Circuit signals and Open Circuit signals. The grounded and the open circuit signals are very
different from each other, so it is very important to understand the differences in each signal type. (see “Characteristics of the Short/Grounded
Circuit Signal” pg. 8 and Characteristics of the Open Circuit Signal” pg. 9)

Power Lead
The 20 ft. power lead of the Intelligent transmitter supplies power by connecting directly to
the vehicles battery and the long length provides easy access to circuits throughout the vehi-
cle. The RED clip connects to the positive side of the battery and the BLACK clip connects
to the negative. It can be connected to a power source from 12 to 24 volts.

Signal Lead
The signal lead with the green banana jack, plugs into the assortment of adapters, probes,
and clips that are provided for you in the ECT3000 kit. These accessories simplify connect-
ing to your circuit.

Moveable Hanger / Stand

Provides multiple convenient mounting options when testing.

Circuit Status LED indicators

Indicates current circuit staus - Short / Open.Tone On/Off - Toggle Tone
“Tone On/Off” button toggles the tone of the transmitter’s speaker on or off.
The toggle tone feature of the Intelligent transmitter gives you the ability to detect changes
in the circuit to detect intermittent problems. (See “Circuit Wiggle and Flex Test” pg. 26)
Speaker
Provides Audible circuit status indication.

6
After connecting the transmitter’s 20 ft. power lead to the vehicle’s battery, a signal is generated through the green signal wire and banana plug.
This is connected to the circuit you want to trace. The signal will radiate along the circuit, which you can detect by using the receiver. There are
two types of circuit signals that the transmitter generates. They are the Grounded Circuit SIGNAL and the OPEN CIRCUIT SIGNAL.

It is very important to familiarize yourself with both of these signals and how they work in your circuit. The “Grounded Circuit signal” and the
“open circuit signal” are different from each other, which you should understand. (See: “Characteristics of the Short/Grounded Circuit Signal”
pg.. 8 and “Characteristics of the Open Circuit Signal” pg. 9&10)

The 2 main features of the ECT3000 is that it transmits a signal into a circuit with the transmitter and then you trace it with the receiver . The
easiest way to insure that you are following the problem circuit is to isolate it from other parallel circuits.

Complete Circuit Signal

Open Circuit Signal

7
Characteristics of the Short/Grounded Circuit Signal: Path of Least Resistance

1. Strongest when flowing exclusively through one wire Major portion of signal goes
When the signal is conducting through only one wire, the signal into short (ground)
strength is at its maximum because 100% of the signal is travel-
ing through that wire exclusively to return back to the negative
side of the battery. If the signal branches out to parallel circuits,
its strength divides and of course is weaker in each branch of
the divided circuit. But when the signal recollects through the
single negative cable to return to the battery, the signal strength Lights have resistance
is at its maximum again because 100% of the signal is concen- and limit signal flow
trated through the single negative battery cable. (see “Isolate the
Circuit You are Tracing” pg. 18)
2. Travels the path of least resistance
In case of a short circuit that blows its fuse reliably, you can
sometimes get away with not having to isolate the circuit. The
Very small traces of signal
majority of the signal will follow the path of least resistance
branch into parallel circuits
through the short and then back to the battery. In fig.1, you can
see the majority of the signal travels right to the short circuit.
You can also see only a small portion of the signal running
through parallel wires.
3. A 4 KHz Polarized Signal
The fact that the Grounded Circuit signal is a 4 KHz polarized signal provides directional information for the receiver to pick up. This capabili-
ty to indicate the direction to the short or ground takes the guesswork out of tracing grounded circuits. (See “Direction to the Short” pg. 15)
4. Carries a current of only 100 mA.
When generating a Short/Grounded Circuit signal, a maximum of 100 milliamp flows from the signal lead. This keeps you safe from damaging
sensitive computer circuits.

8
Characteristics of the Open Circuit Signal are:
Open signal passes
1. Transmits through NON Conductive Materials through dry non
The signal that the ECT transmits when tracing open circuits, radiates -conductive material
what is called an E-field. We will refer to an E-field in this manual as an
“Open Circuit Signal”.
The open circuit signal radiates from wires and passes through non con- DryCarpet
Dry Carpet/ Plastic
/ PlasticPanels
Panelsand
& Molding
Mouldings
ductive material such as dry carpet, plastic panels or plastic molding. The
receiver is used to detect these signals so you can trace and locate the
open or break in the circuit.
(See “Locking the Sensitivity” pg. 14)

2. Easily Shielded by Conductive Materials

The open circuit signal is however easily shielded by conductive mate-
rials such as metal, wet carpet, neighboring wires in a harness and even
Holding the receiver
Holding the receiverby
bythis
thiscorner,
corner
your hand. This means that if conductive materials are between the trans- prevents your hand from shielding
mitting wire and the receiver, the open circuit signal will not penetrate prevents
the your
openhand from
circuit sheilding
signal.
through and therefore not be detected by the receiver. So it is necessary the
to be aware of possible shielding issues and try to avoid them as much as open circuit signal.
possible.

A great alternative to the receiver in detecting open circuit signals is to WetCarpet/

Wet Carpet /Metal/
Metal/Shielding
ShieldingWire
WireHarness
Harness

use the Power Probe III, IV, or Hook by direct contact.

(see “Verify an Open Circuit” pg. 23)

9
3. Signal Capacitive Coupling to Parallel Floating Circuits
Another characteristic of the open circuit signal is that it will capacitive couple to parallel floating circuits.
(See: “Bench Tracing a Wire Harness” pg. 24)

4. Travels to ALL Open Ends

In Fig. 1 we are injecting an open circuit signal into a
parallel circuit that has three wires. Two of those wires lead to
open switches and the other leads to the open/break. As you
can see the open circuit signal travels to all open ends. This
Signals are all Problem circuit
Problem notnot isolated
circuit
makes it necessary to isolate the problem circuit away from the Signals
over the are all
place, isolated
others. because the
over the
problem circuit
place, because
5. Can only be present in a circuit when there is a resis- has
the not been
problem
circuitisolated
has not
tance greater than 100 ohms been
(See: Open Circuit Signal vs Grounded Circuit Signal” pg. 22)
isolated
Fig. 1
6. Has NO Polarity
The open circuit signal does not have a polarity therefore the
ECT receiver gives no direction indication as to a break in
the wire. You will need to logically reason the direction of the
break in the circuit and then continue to trace it.

7. 8 Volt amplitude and 4 kilo-Hertz signal

The 4 Kilo-Hertz signal of the open circuit signal can be de-
tected by the receiver. (See: “Locking the Sensitivity for Open
Circuits” pg. 14) You can also use the Power Probe III, or Power probe IV for open circuit signal detection by direct contact.
(See: “Verify an Open Circuit” pg. 23)

10
The Receiver
The receiver is designed to detect the “Grounded Circuit signals” and the open circuit signals from the transmitter.

Auto shut-off feature

The receiver will automatically shut-off The “Wire Harness Probe” is for probing
within 10 minutes when it is NOT receiv- a harness to detect the open circuit signal.
ing a signal. (See “Tracing Circuits that are Shielded”
pg.21 )
The “Open & Short Pick-Up” The “Direction to Short/ Ground” indica-
located on the side of the receiver housing tors point you in the direction to the short
is to sense and detect complete and open or ground of the complete circuit. (See “Di-
circuit signals. rection to the Short Circuit” pg. 15)

The “Power On/Off / Sense High Button

performs three functions: The “Open Circuit” LED on the housing
1. It turns the receiver ON and enters “pulse indicates when it is receiving an open circuit
mode” (see “Pulse Mode” pg. 12) signal.
2. It increases the receiver signal sensitivity.
(greater distance range)
3. Turns off the receiver

The “Sense Lock / Sense Low Button

performs two functions:
1. It locks the receiver to the Open or Shorted
circuit signal.
2. It turns receiver signal sensitivity down.
(tighter distance range)
11
Battery Installation
1. To install the batteries, carefully remove two battery covers screws, remove the battery cover on the bottom of the
receiver housing and insert (2) AAA batteries into the battery compartment. Be sure the polarity of the batteries are correct
then replace the battery cover.

Testing the SMART Receiver

To test the ECT receiver, connect the ECT transmitter to the vehicle’s battery, turn on the receiver by pressing the “Power
On/Off / Sense High” button. Place the “Open & Short Pick-Up” of the receiver on top of the green signal lead. The receiv-
er should detect the open circuit signal and indicate this by the open circuit LED indicator flashing and pulsing a beeping
tone.
To test the receiver for the “Short/Grounded Circuit signal”
connect the green signal lead to the negative post of the bat-
tery. Then you can test the Grounded Circuit signal by
placing the ”Open & Short Pick-Up” of the receiver parallel to
the green signal lead. The receiver should detect the
“Grounded Circuit signal” and show the direction to ground by
the “Direction to Short or Ground” indicators.

Pulse Mode
When you first turn on the receiver it enters into “Pulse Mode”.
“Pulse Mode” is great for the initial detection of the transmit-
ting signal. You can also get a feel for the strength of
the transmitting signal.
As you place the “Open and Short Pick-Up” near a transmit-
ting signal, an LED indicator will blink repeatedly along with
an audible beep.

No signal zone Weak signal zone Strong signal zone

12 (no pulse) (slow pulse) (rapid pulse)
When the Receiver is in “pulse mode”:
1. It detects both “grounded” and “open” circuit signals.
2. It picks up and determines strong from weak signals by the pulse frequency rate.
3. The sensitivity is ready to be locked in, by pressing the “Sense Lock / Sense Low” button.
4. It detects and displays the direction to ground or a short circuit.
While in “pulse mode” and then pressing the “Sense Lock / Sense Low” button, the receiver’s sensitivity will now be locked and no longer be
in “Pulse Mode”.

The Receiver’s Reception Sensitivity:

When the receiver is in “pulse mode” you can lower it progressively closer to the transmitting signal and hear the increase in the pulse frequen-
cy as it passes each of the 8 sensitivity levels. The fastest pulse frequency is when you are nearest to the transmitting signal. Once you press
the “Sense Lock / Sense Low” button the reception sensitivity is locked into that distance (plus/minus a couple of inches) from the transmitting
circuit.

In order to lock the reception sensitivity of the receiver, two conditions must be met.
1. The receiver must be in “Pulse Mode”.
2. The receiver must be receiving a signal
When these two conditions are met, you can now press the “Sense Lock / Sense Low” button to lock the dis-
tance of the receiver and reception sensitivity.

Adjusting the receiver’s sensitivity:

Pressing either the “Sense High’ or “Sense Low” buttons on the receiver will either increase or decrease the receiver’s sensitivity distance. The
“Sense Level” LED bar graph display indicates the set sensitivity range. Eight LEDs lit means the most signal range and will pickup signals up
to approx. 8 inches. One LED lit means the least signal range, approx. 1 inch. This can be changed at any time after the intitial signal lock, and
can be used to approximate the distance from the receiver that the problem wire is. This feature can also be used to increase and decrease the
signal tolerance as you trace a circuit through a vehicle. You may have to increase range to read through a larger obstacle, while a tighter range
will allow you to follow individual wires or circuits more accurately.

13
Locking the Sensitivity for Short/Grounded Circuits
Fig. A
To lock the receiver’s sensitivity for short/grounded circuits, it must be turned on
and in “pulse mode”. Hold the “Open & Short Pick-Up” of the receiver parallel and
as near to the wire as you can while achieving the most rapid pulse rate. (See: Fig.
A) Now press the “Sense Lock/Sense Low button”. The receiver is now locked into
the strong “Grounded Circuit signal” and will ignore weaker parallel circuit sig-
nals. If you need to readjust the receiver’s sensitivity so that it will pick up weaker
circuit signals and be more sensitive, press the “Power On/Off / Sense High” button
to return to increase sensitivity.
Close distance for
Locking the Sensitivity for Open Circuits
Short/Complete
To adjust the receiver so that it is at its most sensitive setting in open circuit trac- circuits.
ing. First turn on the receiver. It is now in “pulse mode”. Hold it as close to the
open circuit as you can while receiving the most rapid pulse frequency.
Now lift the receiver about 4 inches away from the circuit and press the “Sense
Fig. B
Lock/Sense Low” button. (See: Fig. B) At this level you should be able to pick
up the open circuit signal in that circuit and eliminate other signals that could be
capacitive coupling into neighboring floating circuits and causing you problems.
If you need to adjust the receiver so that the reception sensitivity is more sensitive,
press the “Power On/Off / Sense High” button or the “Sense Lock/Sense Low”
button to adjust sensitivity up or down. Adjust until you achieve the proper setting
for your application.

6” to 10” from the wire

for open circuits.

14
Direction to the Short
Direction indicators
Direction indicator shows
show
The Short/Grounded Circuit signal is polar-
ized. This gives the receiver the information direction to ground orshort
direction to ground or
it needs to show you the direction to the short short.
or the direction to ground. When you place the
receiver’s
“Open & Short Pick-Up” parallel to the wire
of the Grounded Circuit signal, “Direction to
Short/Ground” indicator will point you in the
direction to ground. If you were to flip the
receiver in the opposite direction it will detect
the polarity change, the “Direction to Short/
Ground” indicator will flip, and it will still point
you in the direction to ground. Keep in mind
that the receiver’s “Open & Short Pick-Up”
must be held parallel to the circuit for the “Di-
rection to Short/Ground” to indicate. No No reception
reception when
when
NOT held parallel to the
The ECT3000 works equally well with either circuit.
positive chassis ground or negative chassis NOT held parallel
ground. The only thing you need to keep to circuit.
in mind is, when tracing short circuits the
receiver always points you towards the minus of Direction indicators show
the battery so if you have a short between your wiring and the chas- direction to ground or short
sis is a positive ground system, you just need to trace in the opposite
direction the LED is pointing!

15
How to Use the in Diagnosing Circuits
Connection Accessories:
#PPPP02 - Piercing Probe
Included in the ECT3000 are the following connection accessories.
• Alligator Clip: for connecting onto any conductor such as a wire or a terminal.
• Blade Probe: for tapping into fuse socket terminals and connectors. #20014 - Universal Wire Adapter*

• Back Probe: for back probing connectors.

• Piercing Probe: for tapping into wires by piercing through the insulation. #AA4 #AA3 #AA2
#AA1
#AA6
• Light Bulb Socket Adapters: 3 common types for connecting easily to light bulb socket Blade
Back Probe
terminals. There are times when the short or open tail or brake light circuit is located nearer to the Probe

bulb socket. It is here where you may find it much easier to diagnose the circuit by injecting a signal
into the light socket directly. Light Bulb Adapters

• Universal Wire Adapter: for making your own custom connector.

#PNECT057
Using

Blade
Probe Fig.1 There are times when a short or open circuit is located
in fuse
closer to the tail light or brake light circuit. It is here where you
All igator may find it much easier to diagnose the circuit by injecting a
terminal
Cli p to signal into the light socket directly. The bulb socket adapters
inj ect
sigthe provide a quick and easy way to connect to bulb socket termi-
nal nals.

Fig.2 Other times it maybe necessary to inject the signal at the

fuse panel using the flat blade adapter.

Fig.3 Using the alligator clip adapter on an already exposed

wire or the piercing probe are other options.
16
How to Trace Out a Short Circuit to Chassis Ground

A direct short to chassis ground that blows a fuse, is one of the simplest circuits to trace for one simple reason. The majority of the “Grounded
Circuit Signal” travels THROUGH THE SHORT CIRCUIT TO CHASSIS GROUND making it easy to trace. This sometimes eliminates the
need for isolating the circuit.

1. Remove the blown fuse

2. Connect the transmitter’s “power lead” to the vehicles battery
3. Connect the “signal lead” to the shorted terminal of the fuse panel using the Blade probe.
4. Turn on the receiver. It will be in “pulse mode”.
5. Place the “Open & Short Pick-Up” about 2” from the wire harness and parallel to the shorted wire until the “Direction to Short or
Ground” indicator beeps rapidly.
6. Press the “Sense Lock/Sense Low” button.
7. Trace the circuit in the direction of the indicator until you loose the signal.
8. If you reach an obstacle remove it or work through it. Remember to ISOLATE THE CIRCUIT YOU ARE TRACING. Inspect the
circuit and verify the short. (See: “Verify a short circuit to ground” pg. 18)
9. Isolate the short circuit you are tracing and reconnect the “signal lead directly to the new found part of the shorted wire. (See: “Isolate
the Circuit you are Tracing” pg. 18)
10. Continue to follow the signal until you loose it.
11. Inspect the circuit and verify the short.
12. Repeat steps 7 through 10 until you find the cause of the short circuit.
13. Once you fix the short, reconnect all the sections of the circuit you had disconnected earlier.

17
Isolate the Circuit You are Tracing Signals are all
Signals are Problem circuit
Problem circuit not
not isolated
Isolating the circuit you want to trace is absolutely necessary when using “Open isolated
over the place,
because the
Circuit Signals”. It is always good to disconnect the circuit you are tracing problem circuit
all over
has not been
away from other parallel circuits. Once you isolate the troubled circuit, you can the place,
isolated
because the
then connect the transmitter’s signal lead exclusively to your selected circuit. problem
Connecting exclusively to your ISOLATED circuit insures that the SIGNAL circuit has not
been isolated
is confined in just that one single circuit. The signal strength remains constant Fig. 1
throughout the isolated circuit. This makes the circuit easier to trace. You also
eliminate confusion of the signal branching off to other areas that will lead you
astray. When you are finished diagnosing, don’t forget to reconnect the isolated Signal injected
direct into problem
circuit. circuit

Isolating a short/grounded circuit is best done by removing the loads in the cir-
Disconnected from circuit
cuit. This accomplishes two things: 1. It assures that 100% of the signal is being
transmitted down the wire you are tracing, 2. if the circuit goes intermittent, the
transmitter will alert you. (See: “Circuit Wiggle & Flex Test” pg. 26 These circuits are no longer a
problem because they are discon-
nected from the problem circuit.

Verify a Short Circuit to Ground

One of the best tools for verifying a short circuit to ground is the Power Probe 1,
2, or 3. To verify a short circuit connect the Power Probe to the circuit and press
the power switch forward. If the Power Probe’s circuit breaker trips, you have
verified the short.

IMPORTANT
Be careful not to power up circuits that are connected to the vehicles onboard
computer. You may have to unplug the computer or electronic modules when
performing short circuit verification on electronic systems.

18
Short Circuit Inside a Wire Harness
A common occurrence inside of wiring harnesses is that there are two wires running close and parallel to each other. One wire is the positive
wire that flows one way and the ground wire that flows back the opposite direction. When the signal source runs closely parallel to the signal
return, as in this case, they cancel each other and the signal strength is considerably reduced.
You can pull one wire at a time away from the other wires, creating some distance between them. As you hold the wire away from the other
wires, the signal canceling effect is removed in that area and the signal strength will increase in the wire. You can now get a reading off of the
wire with the receiver by holding it parallel to the receiver’s pick-up area. Take note of the directional indicator of the receiver. Check for the
other wire that indicates the opposite direction. You can now assume that both wires are in the same circuit. Trace both wires as a pair along
the harness until you find the problem. (see illustration)

19
Reception Distance and What that Means.

When tracing parallel circuits, you can determine if a one wire has a stronger “Ground-
ed Circuit signal” present over another wire. The wire that has a stronger signal carries a
larger current. This means the circuit that has the stronger signal also has a lower resistance
compared to the other parallel branch. Just knowing this information can come in handy
when determining the fault of a circuit.
Once the receiver is locked into the Short/Grounded Circuit signal, (see “Locking the sen-
sitivity of short/grounded circuits”) note the distance of the pick-up area to the wire as you
slowly lower it down near to the wire. For exam-
ple, you will notice the receiver’s indicator comes
on about 2 inches with one wire and 3 inches with
the other wire. The wire that makes the receiver
come on 3 inches away is transmitting a stronger
signal than the circuit that makes the receiver come
on only 2 inches away.
That’s important to know so you can understand
and determine which wire has a stronger signal.
This is why it is always recommended to isolate
your troubled circuit. Isolating your circuit insures
that you are following the correct circuit and it
avoids confusion with other parallel wires or
circuits.
(See “Isolating the Circuit”pg. 18)

20
 Other wires can shield Wet carpet, metal, even
Open circuit signals your own hand can shield
Open circuit signals.

Break / Open

Plastic Harness Cover

Wire harness probe lets you
probe between the wires.

Tracing Circuits that are Shielded:

Quite often you will need to trace circuits in areas that are shielded from the
receiver. This doesn’t have to be an impossible feat. Sometimes just a little
logic and planning can overcome many obstacles. If your circuit enters a
shielded area, consider if it may have an exit point as well. If you receive a
signal going into a shielded area and a signal going out, you can consider the
problem not in the shielded area. Since you found the exit point of the circuit
exposing the wire is unnecessary. If you find that the signal does not exit the
shielded area, then you might need to remove the shield and probe further.
(See: “Verify an Open Circuit” pg. 23)

21
Open Circuit Signal vs Grounded Circuit Signal

Open circuit signals can only be present in a circuit

when there is a resistance of about 100 ohms or great-
er. (Figure A)
If a switch was to close in this circuit, (Figure B) the
open circuit signals would cease to emit and the short/
Grounded Circuit signal would replace it. The trans-
mitter will also sound a tone that tells you that the
circuit has just made contact with ground. (Tip: Wig-
gling and pulling wires that have an open circuit signal
on them can lead you to the problem. This is done by
the transmitter alerting you if the circuit you are pull-
ing on makes contact to a grounded circuit.)
(See: “Circuit Wiggle & Flex Test” pg. 26)
The point here is that Short/Grounded Circuit signals
take priority over open circuit signals. So be sure your
open circuit that you are tracing does not have any
kind of continuity to ground present.

22
How to Trace out an Open Circuit:
An open circuit does not complete a path to ground. The cause for an open circuit can vary from an open switch, unplugged connector, bad con-
nections and breaks in wires.
1. Connect the transmitter’s power lead to the vehicle’s battery.
2. Connect the SMART transmitter’s signal lead to the open circuit.
3. Turn on the receiver. It will be in “pulse mode”.
4. Place the “Open & Short Pick-Up” near and parallel to the open wire until the “Open Circuit” LED indicator blinks and beeps. (be careful to
hold the receiver from the outer edge to prevent your hand from shielding the signal)
5. Lift receiver away from the open circuit so that the pulse of the “Open Circuit” indicator slows down but doesn’t stop completely.
6. Press the “Sense Lock/Sense Low” button.
7. Hold the receiver near to the open circuit and while the “Open Circuit” indicator is ON steady, follow the path of the circuit or wire until you
lose the signal.
8. If you reach an obstacle, remove it or work through it. Remember to ISOLATE THE CIRCUIT YOU ARE TRACING. Inspect the circuit
and verify the open circuit. (See” “Verify an Open Circuit” below.)
9. Continue Steps 7-8 until you find the open or break in the circuit.

Verify an Open Circuit:

One of the best methods for verifying an open circuit is using a Power Probe circuit
tester together with the transmitter. Since the transmitter’s open circuit signal delivers
8 volts and a 4 kHz signal, it can be easily detected by directly contacting the Power
Probe III or IVto the wire of the transmitting circuit.
Contact the probe of the Power Probe III or IV to the open circuit with the open circuit
signal applied to it. You should hear the 4 kHz tone from the Power Probe III speaker.
If you don’t hear the 4 kHz tone, inspect the circuit closer to determine why. If you
hear the 4 kHz tone, you are on the correct circuit.Testing the open circuit with trans-
mitter together with the Power Probe III has advantages over just a continuity test.
This is because the transmitter’s toggle tone feature will alert you if the open circuit
makes contact with an intermittent grounded circuit.
(See: “Circuit Wiggle & Flex Test” pg. 26) 23
Bench Tracing a Wire Harness
+Voltage Not connected
Not Notconnected
Not
connected connected
There are cases where you may have a wire
harness removed from the vehicle, sitting on Open Circuit Signal
the bench, and tracing an open circuit. Wire
harnesses that are removed from the vehicle’s
electrical system have only floating wires in
Fig.AA.Top
Fig. Topand
andbottom
bottomwires
wiresare
arefloating
floating because
them. The open connectors of the harness are
they are open. As you can see there are signals
connected neither to positive nor negative becauseinto
coupling theythem
are open.
from As
theyou can see
original there
circuit are
with
therefore all of the harness’s circuits are open signals coupling into them from the original cir-
the open circuit signal injected into it.
and floating. It is important to be aware that cuit with the open circuit signal injected into it.
the open circuit signal will capacitive couple
into floating circuits that run parallel and next
to the transmitting signal wire. (See Figure A). Connecte
Connected
Floating circuits that couple the open circuit +Voltage d
Connecte
Connected
signal also transmit the signal too and will even Open Circuit Signal d
couple back to the wire you want to trace. This
prevents the receiver from locating the break in
the wire because all the wires are transmitting Fig.
Fig.BB.Top
Topand
andbottom
bottom wires
wires areare
nownow tied
tied to to
signals. You can be easily led down the wrong positive or negative and there is no capacitive
circuit if you are not aware of this. positive or negative and there is no capacitive
coupling. The open circuit signal now stops at
To correct this problem, you need to tie all coupling. The open circuit signal now stops at
the break in the wire.
parallel floating open circuits to either ground the break in the wire.
or a positive voltage (see Figure B).
All neighboring wires and circuits must have
some potential of ground or positive on them to
prevent capacitive coupling from occurring. It is recommended to trace OPEN circuits while the IGNITION is turned ON. This will supply a positive
voltage on certain circuits that can potentially capacitive couple. It is also a good idea to keep all of the
vehicle’s electrical loads (light bulbs, relays, motors, etc.) CONNECTED while tracing OPEN circuits.
24
This keeps certain neighboring circuits grounded, which also prevents them from capacitive coupling.
Tracing out Battery Drains or Current Draw

When you have a battery or current draw that is drawing enough

current to drain the battery over night or a couple of days, you have
a condition that the ECT3000 can assist you in. In cases like this you
can inject a signal into the main positive battery cable after removing
it from the positive battery post. Now you can follow the signal along
its path and look for the possible cause of the battery drain.
Tracing battery drains are a little different than tracing a short or open
circuit. When you are tracing battery drains you are not looking for a
loss of signal, you are simply following the circuit path and unplug-
ging wires and components along the way to give you clues to the
problem.
To trace battery drains and get nearer to the location of the current
draw:
1. Disconnect the positive terminal from the vehicle’s battery. (You
will need to consult your vehicle’s owner manual for proper battery
disconnecting instruction. Some vehicles require that voltage poten-
tial be maintained at all times on certain components for instance,
radios, onboard computers, memory, CPUs, etc.)
2. Connect the transmitter’s 20ft power lead to the positive and nega-
tive post of the battery.
3. Connect the signal lead to the disconnected positive terminal.
Trace the circuit that is transmitting the strong signal with the receiv-
er. (The directional indicators only show you the direction to ground.
It will not stop at the fault.)
4. Disconnect the wire and components along the circuit path to
narrow down the cause of the current draw.

25
Circuit Wiggle & Flex Test

At times it’s necessary to check for intermittent connection

problems. The circuit wiggle test allows you to wiggle, twist, pull,
push and flex wires or connectors and observe a circuit change. Wiggle, flex & pull the wire to
The transmitter monitors the condition of the circuit and alerts you Wiggle, flex & pull the wire to
to a change. test for intermittent contacts
test for intermittent contacts.

For instance, if you are injecting an open circuit signal into an

open circuit and you wiggle the wires, it might make contact
inside of a broken wire or a loose connector. The transmitter will
sound off at the instant the open circuit makes contact with a con-
nection or ground. At this point you can keep flexing and wiggling
the wire to locate the problem.
Intermittent
Intermittent connectors.
If you are injecting an isolated Grounded Circuit and the wires connectors
you wiggle causes it to loose contact, it will instantly sound-off,
alerting you to the fact that the circuit has lost its connection to
ground.

As the transmitter is sounding, you can press the “Tone On/Off”

button and the tone will toggle off. When you toggle it off, as it is
alerting you to an open circuit, it now silently monitors the open
circuit until it makes contact with ground again.
Wiggle, flex &&pull
Wiggle, flex pullthe
thewire
wiretoto
test for intermittent contacts.
test for intermittent contacts

26
 page page

Index
4 KHz polarized signal ................................ 8 power lead .................................................... 6
accessories ................................................. 16 power/sensitivity lock ................................ 11
adapters ...................................................... 16 pulse mode ................................................. 12
applications of adapters ............................. 16 receiver ....................................................... 11
battery drains ............................................. 25 reception distance ...................................... 20
battery draws .............................................. 25 reception sensitivity ................................... 13
battery replacement .................................... 11 self test ......................................................... 6
complete circuit signal .......................... 7 & 8 sensitivity locking ...................................... 14
current draws ............................................. 25 shielding ....................................................... 9
direction to short/ground indicator ............ 11 shielding ..................................................... 21
direction to short/ground indicator ........... 15 short circuit inside harness ........................ 19
divided circuit ............................................ 20 signal cancelling ........................................ 19
e-field ........................................................... 9 signal lead .................................................... 6
flex test ....................................................... 26 testing the receiver ..................................... 12
floating circuits .......................................... 24 tone on/off .................................................... 6
hook-up ........................................................ 6 tracing a short circuit ................................. 17
intermittent circuit ..................................... 26 tracing an open circuit ............................... 23
isolate the circuit ........................................ 18 transmitter .................................................... 5
least resistance ............................................. 8 transmitter current ........................................ 8
lock reception condition ............................ 13 transmitter frequency ................................... 8
open & short pick-up ................................. 11 transmitter frequency ................................. 10
open circuit indicator LED ........................ 11 transmitter voltage ..................................... 10
open circuit signal ........................... 7, 9 & 10 verify a short .............................................. 18
open vs complete signal ............................. 22 verify an open circuit ................................. 23
parallel circuits ........................................... 10 wiggle test .................................................. 26
parts .............................................................. 5 wire harness probe ..................................... 11
27
 ECT3000 Manual (English)
Version 1.10

Power Probe Tek, LLC 800.655.3585 toll free

890 Mariner St. 714.990.9443 local
Brea, CA 92821 www.powerprobe.com 714.990.9478 fax
 This manual has been provided courtesy of
My RV Works, Inc.
www.myrvworks.com

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be careful and follow proper safety practices when attempting to repair
your own RV.
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DARREN KOEPP - OWNER, MY RV WORKS, INC.

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