How to Hook Up a Sears Engine Analyzer
by Justen Everage
Cars rely on a basic electrical system to start and run. This system is powered by a 12-volt battery and an alternator. If a battery or alternator begins to fail, diagnostic testing may need to be performed on the car. The Sears engine analyzer is designed to test a car's electrical system and diagnose problems with the battery or alternator.
Step 1
Turn the vehicle off and open the hood. Place the Sears engine analyzer under the vehicle's hood on a flat surface. Set the engine analyzer meter to zero using the manual settings knob.
Step 2
Connect the color-coded test leads to the engine analyzer. Clamp the positive test lead to the positive terminal of the car's battery. The positive lead is red and marked with a plus (+) sign. Connect the negative test lead to a ground on the vehicle. If the vehicle doesn't have a dedicated grounding bolt, you can use any bare metal that connects to the frame.
Step 3
Clamp the labeled induction lead to a spark plug wire coming from the distributor. Choose a location on the plug wire near the distributor cap to ensure that voltage transfer loss is not an issue. Locate the output terminal on the car's alternator and clamp the lead labeled "ammeter" onto it. The engine analyzer is now hooked up and ready to perform diagnostic tests on the battery and alternator.
Tips
- To test the starter of a vehicle with the Sears engine analyzer, connect the ground lead to the battery as usual. The positive test lead should be moved to the positive starter solenoid terminal, however. The other test leads are not required for starter diagnostics.
Warnings
- Make sure the test lead cables are not draping over any fan blades or moving parts during testing.
Writer Bio
Justen Everage is a computer and mechanical engineer. Specializing in the fields of computer science, mechanics and information technology, he writes technical manuals for several online publications, administers websites and repairs electronics. Everage is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in business information systems from Ashford University.
