Last week, I stepped through the basics of automotive electrical circuits, explained how electrical current needs to flow ...

A multimeter and its test leads allow electrical workers to reach into an energized panel, touch live circuit components with the end of the test leads, and capture electrical readings like voltage, ...

When working on electrical projects around the home—whether that’s troubleshooting an issue with your HVAC system, repairing an appliance, or testing a car battery—a multimeter is essential. These ...

We have all had difficulty testing diodes in-circuit. Most DMM’s have a diode Vf function that measures forward drop, but what is the normal voltage drop? Analog VOM’s attempt to measure resistance of ...

Modern digital multimeters (DMMs) are user-friendly, accurate, and safe — when used correctly! Reading voltage is simple, but measurements must be properly interpreted. With a clamp-on DMM, accurate ...

While using a digital multimeter to diagnose electrical problems on customers’ equipment, I frequently hear the comment, “I’ve got one of those multimeter things, but I never learned how to use it.” ...

A multimeter is an easy prospect, right? Back in the day you could make one fairly easily with a decent panel meter and a set of precision resistors, and now a digital one can be had for throwaway ...

Multimeters are indispensable tools when working on electronics. It’s almost impossible to build any but the most basic of circuits without one to test and troubleshoot potential issues, and they make ...

Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or ...

In-circuit test (ICT) has been instrumental in identifying manufacturing process defects and component defects on countless varieties of populated printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies for more than ...

When your car doesn’t start, often a low or dead battery is the culprit. Unfortunately, most vehicle owners do not check their battery until it fails. As preventative maintenance, the suggested best ...