Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Ohmmeter


An ohmmeter can be used instead of a self-powered test light. The ohmmeter shows how much resistance there is between two points along a circuit. LO resistance means good continuity.

Circuits which include any solid state control modules, such as the Engine Control Module (ECM), should be tested only with a 10-megohm or higher impedance digital multimeter (J 39200).

When measuring resistance with a Digital Voltmeter (DVM), the vehicle Battery should be disconnected. This will prevent incorrect readings. DVMs apply such a small voltage to measure resistance that the presence of voltages can upset a resistance reading.

Diodes and solid state components in a circuit can cause an ohmmeter to give a false reading. To find out if a component is affecting a measurement, take a reading once, reverse the leads and take a second reading. If the readings differ, the solid state component is affecting the measurement.