Chapter 10

Chassis Electrical Circuits

Objectives (1 of 2)
Describe how a light bulb functions.
Explain the operating principles of halogen and
high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps.
Describe the function of the reflector and lens in a
headlamp assembly.
Aim truck headlights.
Troubleshoot lighting circuit malfunctions.
Describe the operation of typical truck auxiliary
equipment.
Explain how a trailer electrical plug and connector
are connected.

Objectives (2 of 2)
Outline the operating principles of truck instrument cluster
components.
Diagnose and repair some typical truck instrument cluster
failures.
Explain the function and operation of warning and shutdown
systems.
Identify the types of circuit protection used in truck electrical
systems including fuses and cycling and non-cycling circuit
breakers.
Describe the procedure and material required to solder a pair of
copper wires.
Outline the procedure required to quickly check out a truck
electrical system.

Lighting Systems (1 of 2)

Lighting Systems (2 of 2)

Light bulb operation

Fluorescent lights
Halogen lamps
Halogen infrared (HIR) headlamps
Xenon headlamps
HID optics
Managed headlamp voltage

HID and Halogen

Luminosity and Efficiency
See Table 10-1 on page 252 of the textbook.

Light-emitting Diodes (LEDS)

Caution
When replacing
halogen bulbs, take
care not to contact the
bulb with fingers
because this can cause
a rapid failure. When
installing a bulb, handle
it by the base only.

Shop Talk
Some manufacturers recommend coating the
prongs and base of the new sealed beam
with terminal grease for corrosion protection.
Use an electrical terminal protective
approved by the manufacturer.

Night Vision Systems

Although a typical truck operates only 30 percent of its
operational life at night, more than half of truck accidents occur
when it is dark.
This has led to the emergence of infrared thermal imaging
systems such as the Bendix Xvision system.
XVision consists of a front-mounted infrared camera that
senses heat from the environment and processes the signal
electronically to produce a virtual display as an output on the
vehicle dash.
The driver display consists of a black-and-white image. Warmer
objects such as people, animals, and headlights appear in
shades of white, while cooler objects such as guardrails, trees,
and abutments appear in shades of gray and black.

Shop Talk
Lights should be turned off when cranking the
engine to avoid transient voltage spikes.
As the engine is cranked, 650 to 1,200 amps
are drawn through the system.
At the precise moment when the starter is
disengaged, electricity may surge into any
closed electrical circuits.
This random surge can shorten the life of the
lights, causing them to burn out prematurely.

Headlight Dimmer Switch

The headlight dimmer switch, or courtesy
switch, can either be mounted on the floor or
it can be a part of the turn signal assembly.

Stalk Switch
Trucks today may use either electromechanical
switches or smart switches.
The procedures you use for diagnosing and
repairing switches differ vastly so make sure you
know what you are working on before attempting
any repairs.
The stalk switch or turn light switch may be either
smart or electromechanical.
A smart stalk switch is designed to send nothing
more than signals to a module.
The module then converts the signals into outputs.

Turn Signal Switch Diagnosis

Before replacing the turn signal switch, ensure that
the trouble is in the switch and not elsewhere in the
circuit.
Check that the circuit breaker and fuse are
functional, and inspect the signal light bulbs for
broken filaments.
Also, check the flasher relay, and replace it if
necessary.
If the turn signal switch must be replaced, make
sure the key is off and the battery negative cable is
disconnected.

Auxiliary Electrical Equipment

Trailer circuit connector
Instrument panels and gauges
Dash design

Dash components

Thermistor Resistance Check

To check thermistor-type
temperature sensors, the
approximate temperature of
the component being
checked must be known to
determine the resistance
that should be read at the
cluster harness connector.
Consult a chart such as this:

See Table 10-3 on

page 263 of the
textbook.

Caution
Static electricity can cause permanent
damage to the cluster.
Before working on the cluster, be sure to
remove all static electricity from your body by
touching grounded metal.
Do not touch pin connectors during removal
and installation of gauges.

Fuel Gauge
The fuel level sensor used is
a float/rheostat type.
When a sending unit sensor
is shorted to ground, the
gauge should read empty.
Locate the fuel sensor
gauge input in the cluster
harness.
If resistance for the fuel
tank level matches OEM
spec and the gauge
reading does not
correspond, replace the
fuel gauge.

See Table 10-4 on

page 264 of the
textbook.

Shop Talk
Before checking the fuel gauge, be sure the
cab interior is warmed up (during cold
weather), and that the vehicle has been
sitting still long enough to allow the fuel to
settle.

Circuit-protection Devices
Fuses
Circuit breakers
Cycling circuit breakers
Non-cycling circuit breakers

Relays

Terminal Assignments
Terminal Designation
Old Number
Coil circuit
coil circuit (Control Pos)
86
coil circuit (Control Neg)
85
Switched circuit
common (supply current or B+ )
30
normally closed (NC)
87a
normally open (NO)
87

New Number
1
2
3
4
5

Standard SAE
Relay Terminal Assignments

Circuit Analysis

Rapid Checking of
a Truck Electrical Circuit
General voltmeter test

Battery voltage
Cranking voltage
Charging voltage
Voltage-drop test

These tests are used to determine the general

condition of a vehicle electrical system.
The idea is to produce a report card on the battery,
the cranking circuit, and the charging circuit.
In fact, the test is so fast and easy to perform, it
should become part of routine service procedure.

Battery Voltage
Battery voltage can only be accurately measured
when there is no surface charge.
The voltmeter readings produced at 70F may be
interpreted as follows:
12.6V or higher
100 percent charged
12.4V
75 percent charged
12.2V
50 percent charged
12.0V
25 percent charged
11.9V or lower
fully discharged

Cranking Voltage
Ensure the engine is not capable of starting by nofueling the engine.
Connect the voltmeter leads across the cranking
motor terminals.
Crank the engine for 15 continuous seconds. The
voltmeter reading should read above 9.6V for the
full 15 seconds.
If the reading falls below 9.6V, a problem with one
of the following is indicated:
Defective or corroded battery cables or terminals
Defective or discharged batteries
Defective cranking motor, solenoid, or relay

Charging Voltage
Start the engine and run at 75 percent of
rated speed with no load.
Now turn on all the electrical accessories on
the vehicle.
Use the voltmeter to test battery voltage. It
should read between 13.5V and 14.5V.

Summary (1 of 6)
Truck and trailer lighting systems can be broadly
divided into interior and exterior.
Circuit wiring usually proceeds from a power source
to a circuit breaker, to a switch, to a junction block,
and then finishing at the load.
The circuit is completed by grounding it at or close to
the load.

Headlamp assemblies consist of either a pair (a

single lamp on either side of the chassis) or double
units (two lamps on either side of the chassis).

Summary (2 of 6)
Truck chassis lighting systems use
incandescent, gaseous-discharge, or LED
operating principles.
Halogen headlamps use a tungsten filament
within a gas envelope.

Summary (3 of 6)
Xenon or HID headlamps are becoming
popular due to longer service life and a
brighter, whiter light characteristic.
LED light units are increasingly being used
on truck chassis marker and taillight
assemblies because they last longer and
illuminate faster.
Faster illumination makes them ideal as brake
lights.

Summary (4 of 6)
The wiring output junction block for the trailer
is usually located inside the tractor cab, often
directly behind the driver seat.
Most current trucks use computer-managed
instrument clusters that are networked with
the chassis data bus.
For this reason, the OEM service literature
should be consulted before attempting
troubleshooting.

Summary (5 of 6)
Relays are a means of using a low-current
control circuit to switch a high-current circuit.
Standard SAE relays use standard numeric
coding to indicate the terminal assignments.
Fuses and cycling and non-cycling circuit
breakers are all circuit-protection devices.
Fuses fail when overloaded. Circuit breakers
trip when overloaded, opening the circuit; they
reset either automatically or when the circuit is
switched open.

Summary (6 of 6)
SAE Type 1 circuit breakers are cycling and
automatically reset.
SAE Type 2 circuit breakers are non-cycling and
the circuit must be switched open to allow them to
cool after tripping.
Voltage-drop testing is a key to diagnosing truck
chassis electrical systems.
Note the procedures for performing a fast electrical
system assessment on a truck in this chapter, and
study voltage-drop testing with a DMM in the next.