Topic: Ohm Meter Question

[Johnie]

 I was given this ohm meter to test my spark plug caps to be sure they are 10 ohm. It comes with two black leads and one red lead and no directions. I do not know how to connect this up to the plug cap. I did look at the inside of this meter and there is a good C cell and good 9 V battery in there. I just don’t know where to start. I don’t want to burn the unit up. I don’t know where the right test selector switch is supposed to be or the left ohm dial is supposed to be. Any instructions you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your expertise. PS I did check online, and no owners manual can be found.

[Flyin900]

You don’t show any of the wire inputs to the interior of the unit. Strange that there is no model or information background on it. You cannot burn it out doing ohm measurements as it is not using a voltage input to the device.
Spark plug caps are normally 5K ohm not 10 ohms unless they are very early 50’s or 60’s non resistor styles. Any plug caps from the 70’s plus are resistor styles in most cases and should measure 5K ohms.

[Johnie]

The only wire inputs are shown on the handle. 2 black and 1 red with alligator clips. The plug caps are Nichiwa XD10F for a 76GL1000. No other input jacks on the unit.

[Johnie]

Place is out of business. Maybe one of you guys have this unit.

[bryanj]

Without knowing the exact make and model of the meter to look up instructions, or the original handbook you may as well throw it away, in 40 years i have never seen a meter with 3 attached leads

[Flyin900]

The only wire inputs are shown on the handle. 2 black and 1 red with alligator clips. The plug caps are Nichiwa XD10F for a 76GL1000. No other input jacks on the unit.

Your caps are 5K ohm then not 10 ohm and normally best practice to replace 50 year old ones. The internal resistors inside the caps get sketchy and can cause intermittent issues or other problems. NGK has the equivalent plug caps for not a lot of money and some new wire won’t be a bad idea either.

You get 10K ohm with a resistor plug and resistor cap, yet not the best idea to run two resistor circuits. A resistor cap and a non resistor plug is better if possible.

[Johnie]

I started to putz with it since I can’t burn it out. Think I have it. Red lead and black lead to plug cap, right selector to Rx1000, then adjust left ohm setting to what I want which is 10. Bottom indicator shows pickup output “normal “.

[dave500]

switch it on and use the left zero knob to zero it,the the right knob flick it to rx1000,touch two probes together until the meter needle jumps,to test caps just insert the probes either way around into each end of the cap,if its good the needle will swing to around number 5,times 1000 = 5000,with the right hand knob set to rx100 the needle should jump to 50 on the scale,times 100=5000.

[Johnie]

The caps on this bike are XD10F so you say I should switch to 5…will do. The PO was running D8ES-L with those caps. Maybe with the cap 5 and D8EA it’ll work.

[Johnie]

Thanks for all the input…

[dave500]

if they are 10 ohm caps itll go to 10x1000,zero the unit first

[Don R]

 Touch the leads together, then set the needle at zero. Then check the caps on the 1,000 ohm setting.

[maxheadflow]

To measure Ohms, set to the scale you want. Touch the to leads together and set the needle to 0.  Take the measurement.

[grcamna2]

Johnie,your GL1000 takes NGK #XD05F resistor caps.

[HondaMan]

That's a REAL nice VOM! They are hard to come by now, having been beaten down pricewise by cheap Chinese garbage versions. Those type of units often cost $40-$100 when dollars were worth something, much to be desired.

[Johnie]

I appreciate all the help guys. I will go with the 5 ohm new NGK caps. Hondaman thanks for letting me know this is a nice unit. I got it from a friend who I worked for at the service station. He retired and gave it to me. Lost manual...but with everyones help I will keep it running. Thank you all again!

[Johnie]

Johnie,your GL1000 takes NGK #XD05F resistor caps.

Thanks Bill...the PO had 10's in here. I thought I needed to do the same....live and learn.

[willbird]

Without knowing the exact make and model of the meter to look up instructions, or the original handbook you may as well throw it away, in 40 years i have never seen a meter with 3 attached leads

We are purely guessing but many meters can be put in circuit to measure amps and some have a place to plug in leads so there is a shunt resister included for higher amperage’s. I’d guess that is what the third lead is but again just a guess.

[rotortiller]

switch it on and use the left zero knob to zero it,the the right knob flick it to rx1000,touch two probes together until the meter needle jumps,to test caps just insert the probes either way around into each end of the cap,if its good the needle will swing to around number 5,times 1000 = 5000,with the right hand knob set to rx100 the needle should jump to 50 on the scale,times 100=5000.

Dude, you are as old as I lol. Got any rotary phones hanging about?   (Short probes and adjust meter for accuracy.)

[69cb750]

Kal-Equip Company from September 1955 to November 1979.
411 Washington St. Otsego Michigan

[newday777]

I appreciate all the help guys. I will go with the 5 ohm new NGK caps. Hondaman thanks for letting me know this is a nice unit. I got it from a friend who I worked for at the3 service station. He retired and gave it to me. Lost manual...but with everyones help I will keep it running. Thank you all again!

Cool gift indeed.
When you are not using it, take the batteries out of it so they don't leak and ruin the unit.

[Johnie]

I appreciate all the help guys. I will go with the 5 ohm new NGK caps. Hondaman thanks for letting me know this is a nice unit. I got it from a friend who I worked for at the3 service station. He retired and gave it to me. Lost manual...but with everyones help I will keep it running. Thank you all again!

Cool gift indeed.
When you are not using it, take the batteries out of it so they don't leak and ruin the unit.

Good point Stu. In fact the C battery in the unit had a sell buy date of 2011 on it. A side note to this story...the guy I worked for in the 70's and 80's closed down the DX service station in '92. The meter has been sitting in his garage for a long time. He came down with alzheimer's and gave it to me. This guy was such an honest mechanic and made a real impression on me (a high school kid). I witnessed customers come in for a car problem and wanted a complete tune-up (plugs, points, condenser, rotor, cap, etc). He found only a bad plug or plug wire. He could have sold them a complete new tune up, but was so honest and only did the needed fix. I thought that was the sign of a true business owner and he really inspired me. Needless to say the customers all came back in the future.

[HondaMan]

switch it on and use the left zero knob to zero it,the the right knob flick it to rx1000,touch two probes together until the meter needle jumps,to test caps just insert the probes either way around into each end of the cap,if its good the needle will swing to around number 5,times 1000 = 5000,with the right hand knob set to rx100 the needle should jump to 50 on the scale,times 100=5000.

Dude, you are as old as I lol. Got any rotary phones hanging about?   (Short probes and adjust meter for accuracy.)

I do! Got 1 rotary and 2 old-style (Princess) phones, one dial and one touch.

Need one?
(The PB versions won't work with the current phone lines I have, but the rotary does. I also have genuine DSL internet, yowza!!)

[grcamna2]

I appreciate all the help guys. I will go with the 5 ohm new NGK caps. Hondaman thanks for letting me know this is a nice unit. I got it from a friend who I worked for at the3 service station. He retired and gave it to me. Lost manual...but with everyones help I will keep it running. Thank you all again!

Cool gift indeed.
When you are not using it, take the batteries out of it so they don't leak and ruin the unit.

Good point Stu. In fact the C battery in the unit had a sell buy date of 2011 on it. A side note to this story...the guy I worked for in the 70's and 80's closed down the DX service station in '92. The meter has been sitting in his garage for a long time. He came down with alzheimer's and gave it to me. This guy was such an honest mechanic and made a real impression on me (a high school kid). I witnessed customers come in for a car problem and wanted a complete tune-up (plugs, points, condenser, rotor, cap, etc). He found only a bad plug or plug wire. He could have sold them a complete new tune up, but was so honest and only did the needed fix. I thought that was the sign of a true business owner and he really inspired me. Needless to say the customers all came back in the future.

I enjoy meeting anyone with integrity similar to what you described Johnie;we need to have them in today's society as it seems nobody knows what 'good' looks like.
I liked a person who told me a phrase I won't forget: 'take care of the little things,and the big problems will be less of a problem'. A lot of times we forget/ignore the little things..

[Johnie]

Right on there Bill! I wanted to be like the boss and not cheat the customer. He taught me a lot working there. He had a ton of friends and is almost 85 now. Of course that was the norm back in the "old days."   I was cheated by a dishonest garage last year and will now be changing my own oil.