how to make a $5 short circut locator

[Lucky]

I have gotten 3 emails this week from people who need advice finding short circuts.  here is a very simple tester that will help you locate short circuts.

if you have a fuse that keeps blowing, make a "short tester" using a 12V automotive flasher unit and a 12V buzzer from radio shack. wire the flasher in series with the buzzer, and place it where the fuze normaly goes. turn the power on and if you have a short, you will hear "beep-beep-beep..."
start unpluging components until the beeping stops, that will be the component that is shorted.  

sometimes the short will be in the wiring harness and not in a component, in which case you can unplug everything and it will still beep.  in this caseleave the tester hooked up and go thru the wiring harness, wiggling it as you go. if it is shorted because a wire "rubbed thru" the insulation, you will usually hear it stop beeping when you wiggle it.

if you have a "hard" short, that is, wires have melted and fused together,you will have to seperate them and replace them.  these are a little easier to find since there will be actuall damage to spot.

hope this comes in handy,
--Lucky