The Super Relay Buddy by Electronic Specialties uses an automated test sequence and voltage drop measurement to accurately test relays. TechShop looks at the features and tries it out in this video.
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Read the full script below:
Hi, this is Eric with TechShop and another edition of Tool Showcase.
How many of you have tested hundreds and hundreds of relays over the course of your career as an auto technician?
And how did you do it? Did you look at the wiring schematic to know which terminals were which? And did you dig through that old box of specialty jumper wires and electrical connectors so you could put something together to energize the relay?
And then did you grab your multimeter to check continuity between the terminals? That’s what I did for many years, and here’s what I think of it now.
No matter how you did it, you can throw that out the window.
Why, because this is TechShop’s Tool Showcase, and that means I’ve got something to show you. Check this out. This is the model 194 Super Relay Buddy by Electronic Specialties.
The Super Relay Buddy will test seven different 12-volt relays. The main panel features five different relay pin configurations, and since some four and five pin relays share the same configuration, there’s a switch to select 4 or 5 pin, allowing the tool to test seven different relays with only 5 relay receptacles.
By pressing and releasing this button, it starts an automatic test sequence, and this is my favorite part. We’ve all learned that continuity doesn’t always indicate a healthy circuit and voltage drop is a superior method of testing because it tests the circuit while under load.
The Super Relay Buddy incorporates a full seven-amp load into the automated test sequence, creating the normal operating conditions of the relay and exposing failures caused by heat and load. It uses voltage drop to determine the health of the circuit and displays green for good, red for bad and also yellow for caution when a significant voltage drop is present, but still within the operating range of the relay.
In addition, the Super Relay Buddy cycles the relay multiple times during each test cycle and looks for consistent performance every time. I’m dying to try it out, so let’s do it!
It uses the car’s 12-volt battery for its power source, so you just hook up the alligator clips to positive and negative, plug in a relay, and press the test button. You can hear it working as it goes through the test sequence and within seconds, I get the green light telling me I have a good relay. If it’s bad, you get a red light.
Well, that was easy. And I know that I am getting reliable results every time! You can bet I’ll never go back to the old way. I also like the size of the unit and it has a soft rubber-type of coating that protects the unit itself, as well as any vehicle surface it may come in contact with.
The 194 Super Relay Buddy comes with a storage pouch, but it’s also available in the 195 Super Relay Buddy Pro Kit, which includes three adapters for shielded, or skirted relays. The design of shielded relays like this one here doesn’t allow them to plug into a flat surface, and the adapters make this possible, plus the Pro Kit comes with a plastic case and a cut foam insert to neatly and safely store all of the components.
If you’d like to know more about the Super Relay Buddy or any of Electronic Specialties many other tools, visit esitest.com.
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