inhiber

14:08 Sep 4, 2009 

@ Tony
Please do not mix the leakage search (stop engine) with this routine operation (engine running), and the 'zero-current' with 'minimum current' condition. The context is not sufficient, but the procedure is well known for years. 'We don't know enough' is not correct: others may know more than enough

08:07 Sep 4, 2009 

@ atche
We just don't know enough about what is going on here, so shouldn't make any assumptions beyond what we know from the source text.

If the writer has used 'inhiber', there may be a very specific reason for this — and it may be because they mean more than simply switching off.

In my own experience, for example, it has sometimes been important to measure the 'leakage' when there is no load — the magnitude of this can indicate a fault in the alternator/regulator combination.

02:08 Sep 4, 2009 

Because of the common industrial tolerance (2.5%).
The points are more than one, but far from the selected direction.
The description of regulator check reflects the procedure of a 'minimum load' condition: the battery is still charged, and 'no-load' condition is unachievable.
Just for information of linguist colleagues, disconnecting the battery while the engine is running may destroy the regulator or the alternator, or both.
Therefore, the zero-load (zero-current) is out of question, and some current to the battery is present. The point is whether or not a fluctuation of 2-3% of this current will affect the test results.
It is good to remind that ALL constantly switched devices are these with extremely low consumption (clock, LED). In contrary, if

11:50 Sep 3, 2009 

...seems to be to ensure a hefty bill for the poor car owner (that will keep the garage owner happy, anyway) or else to discourage you completely if you're doing this yourself (removing 30-odd fuses is daunting, not to mention putting them all back afterwards in the right places).

08:26 Sep 3, 2009 

...and the reason why the writer chose to use this less common word: for testing purposes (checking for leakage, or commonly, checking the regulator), it is important to disable all electrical devices, specifically including those that may not have an actual on/off switch — one common example is the dashboard clock, which often has to be disabled by removing its fuse!

So it is certainly more than simply 'switching off'.

02:57 Sep 3, 2009 

all other answers imply disconnecting the electrical connections, a complicated operation not applied as superfluous in such a routine check (performed on cars in ready condition with engine running)

11:25 Sep 1, 2009 

Please post the original French text around this "inhiber"