Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Ohmmeter

An ohmmeter can be used instead of a self-powered test lamp. 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 Electronic Control Module (ECM), should be tested only with a 10-megohm or higher impedance digital multimeter (J 34029-A, J 39200, or equivalent).

When measuring resistance with a digital multimeter, the vehicle battery should be disconnected. This will prevent incorrect readings.

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, then take a second reading. If the readings differ, the solid state component is affecting the measurement.