I have been to a lot of car audio shops that use test lights, and not as many that use digital multimeters. Is one really “better” than the other for finding power sources?
Absolutely! A test light looks like a screwdriver with a sharp pointed end, and consist of a small bulb and a grounding wire or cable. It works by grounding the bulb, and once it comes in contact with a power source, it will complete the circuit and light the bulb. This is the easiest way to test power because the bulb either lights up for power or doesn’t if their isn’t any power.
The problem with using this type of testing on todays vehicles is the complexity of some of the circuits inside the dash. When you complete the test light circuit on a “hot” wire, you essentially create a small “arc” of electricity that can short some of the more sensitive equipment such as an air bag sensor or relay. I have actually seen one installer blow the airbags out of a new BMW M3 by testing wires with a test light. In most cases, it won’t cause any harm, but when it does the cost can be very high.
I highly recommend using a digital multimeter to...
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