Buy a meter before you buy a stator. Wait on treating the 10-amp current jack as a voltage port. The first three tools, including this one, are listed on the CB garage guide.
What the meter is for
| Check | Use | Skip | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery and running voltage | DC volts, compared with the manual | A stator ordered because the light looks dim | View Battery and running voltage (affiliate) |
| Grounds and open connectors | Continuity, then grease on a clean terminal | Grease smeared over a dirty bullet connector | View Grounds and open connectors (affiliate) |
| Current through a wire | The 10-amp jack, in series, leads moved back after | Leaving the red lead in the amp jack for a voltage check | View Current through a wire (affiliate) |
Affiliate Link • Earns Commission
What a first meter has to do
A classic CB is a 12-volt system with a charging circuit that either keeps the battery up or does not. The useful tests are ordinary: voltage at the battery with the key off, voltage at the battery with the engine running, and continuity from a suspect ground back to the battery negative. The shop manual for that year says what "running" should read. A dim headlight is a symptom, not a part number.
This meter is rated CAT III 600V. The bike will never ask it for 600 volts. The rating matters when the same meter later sees household wiring. On the bike, the mistake that kills the meter is smaller: the red lead left in the 10-amp jack while you go looking for voltage.
The meter
Clean the connector before the grease. The tube, and the anti-seize that is a different chemical, live on the garage guide. Rounded case screws are a socket problem. Fasteners the manual lists at 20 ft-lb and up are the torque wrench.