Solenoid Troubleshooting Guide
Manual 36541
18
Woodward
Solenoid Voltage Check
Improper voltage affects the solenoid’s work output. Low voltage reduces the work
output. When the voltage is excessive, it overheats the solenoid and destroys the
insulation on the coil and burns out the solenoid. Use Table 6 to check if the
solenoid is getting proper voltage.
The solenoid must remain in-circuit (connected to the wiring harness) when
checking the voltage. For externally switched solenoids, you can make a jumper
harness with mating connectors (as shown in Figure 8) to check the voltage while
keeping the solenoid connected to the wiring harness. For internally switched
solenoids, use the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals to check the voltage.
For externally switched solenoids, the typical wiring scheme is as follows:
Solenoid Wire Marking
Solenoid Wire Color
Hold
Red
Pull
White
Common
Black
NOTE
Some specially manufactured solenoid units may not follow
the general wire color scheme presented above.
Figure 8. Jumper Harness
