Knowing how to troubleshoot snowmobile hand warmer that is not functioning well is very important.
This will save you from spending to replace a snowmobile hand warmer that is still good.
To troubleshoot a snowmobile hand warmer, you have to measure the hand warmer resistance, measure the source voltage and also check the hand warmer voltage contact point when you discover that your hand warmer is malfunctioning.
After you might have finished the troubleshooting process, you will have adequate information to determine if you should replace the hand warmer or not.
This is because in some of the cases, a hand warmer malfunctions due to reasons like inadequate voltage from the source.
But if you do not troubleshoot, you may discard a good hand warmer and still have the same issues because the hand warmer was not at fault.
That is why knowing how to test snowmobile hand warmer is very important before replacement.
How To Troubleshoot Snowmobile Hand Warmer
1) Check The Voltage Source
Anytime you want to test snowmobile hand warmer when it is not working, one of the most important places to look at is the voltage source.
This is because the effective performance of a snowmobile hand warmer really depends on the voltage it receives.
If the voltage is up to 12 volts, a good hand warmer will function well.
This is common in snowmobiles that makes use of a battery.
The battery in the snowmobile helps in steadily outputting 12 volts to the hand warmer.
But when it comes to a snowmobile that just uses a pull start without a battery, the voltage is not always constant.
When a snowmobile does not have a battery, the voltage produced will not be constant.
It varies depending on the acceleration of the snowmobile.
When the snowmobile is idle, the voltage produced will be low.
But when the snowmobile is accelerating, this is when the snowmobile is able to produce up to 12 volts.
This will affect the performance of the hand warmer when the snowmobile does not constantly produce 12 volts.
That is why you have to make sure that you check the voltage source for your snowmobile hand warmer well.
If the voltage is lower than 12 volts even when you are using a battery in your snowmobile, then your battery may be bad.
This is because a good snowmobile battery should be able to constantly maintain a voltage up to 12.8 volts for optimal performance of the starter and hand warmer.
If the voltage produced is less than 12 volts, you might need to replace the battery.
But if you are making use of a snowmobile with a pull start, the hand warmer not working well may always be experienced.
This is due to the unstable voltage supply from the snowmobile when it does not make use of a battery.
2) Measure The Hand Warmer Resistance
For the hand warmer to function well, the resistance in the hand warmer has to be adequate.
When you test snowmobile hand warmer, the resistance in the hand warmer is one of the things you have to check.
Every snowmobile hand warmer has a certain value of resistance.
This can be easily seen in the circuit diagram of the snowmobile hand warmer.
This is one of the things that will help the hand warmer produce the needed heat.
But if the resistance is poor, the hand warmer will not be able to function well.
That is why you have to make sure that when you are troubleshooting snowmobile hand warmer, you have to make sure that you measure the resistance.
3) Inspect The Hand Warmer Cable
When storing your snowmobile, it is always very important to keep it in a safe place.
There are a lot of reasons for this.
Apart from keeping the mechanical parts safe, storing a snowmobile well will also keep the electrical parts of the snowmobile safe.
This includes parts like the snowmobile hand warmer that makes use of a wire.
To achieve this, you have to store the snowmobile in a place that is free from rodents.
Rodents are known to easily eat electrical wire rubber coverings.
This can expose the wire to damages like rusting.
In worse cases, the rodents might eat off the wire at a point.
This causes a disconnection which will not allow the hand warmer to function well again.
That is why you have to look at the physical condition of the snowmobile hand warmer wires when it is not functioning well.
4) Inspect Hand Warmer To Voltage Source Contact Point
When making use of a hand warmer in the snowmobile, it has to be connected to a voltage source.
This does not mean that the cable of the hand warmer will be permanently connected to the voltage source.
There is always a point at which the hand warmer is connected to the voltage source.
This is to allow for an easy detach of the hand warmer when it gets bad.
But sometimes, this contact point can cause the snowmobile hand warmer not to function well.
This is when the hand warmer has issues like loose contact, burnt contact or corroded contact.
This damage at the contact point will inhibit the effective functionality of the hand warmer in the snowmobile.
That is why you have to make sure that you check the contact point of the hand warmer and the battery to make sure that it is not damaged.
This is one of the effective steps on how to troubleshoot snowmobile hand warmer correctly.
5) Inspect Hand Warmer Regulator
Sometimes when people are looking for reasons why their snowmobile hand warmer is not functioning, the answer is never too far.
This has to do with the hand warmer regulator in your snowmobile.
If you want your hand warmer to perform differently, it has to be adjusted with the help of the hand warmer regulator.
It you want to turn it off, you use the regulator to switch it off.
If you want to set it to a medium warmness or to a higher degree of temperature, this is done with the help of the hand warmer controller too.
Benefits Of Knowing How To Test Snowmobile Hand Warmer
1) It Helps Detect Snowmobile Hand Warmer Damage Source
Most of the times during a repair, some technicians waste time with guess work.
What you think might be at fault may end up not being the one.
That is why a thorough inspection is always necessary to be done before a conclusion is drawn on a damaged part.
This is why it is very important to troubleshoot snowmobile hand warmer when it is not functioning well.
The results outcome will help you determine the next line of action to take so as to correct the damage.
2) It Helps Avoid Wastage Of Funds
When a snowmobile hand warmer is not functioning well, some people usually make the mistake of throwing away the former one thinking that it was totally bad.
In some of the cases, this is not always true.
A hand warmer in the snowmobile that is not functioning well does not mean that the hand warmer is totally bad.
In some of the cases, it might be a bad contact point between the hand warmer and the battery.
This occurs when debris clogs the contact point.
But if you do not test snowmobile hand warmer, you will not be able to see this.
Once this is discovered, it can be easily fixed to make the hand warmer perform well again instead of spending more money to buy a new one.
That is why you have to make sure that you troubleshoot snowmobile hand warmer well when it is faulty.
This will help show what is damaged and will help fix it quickly.
Further Reading
Best Way To Keep Hands Warm When You Snowmobile