There are many ways and methods to measure electrical current. One method most commonly used is running current through a known resistor. Voltage drop over this resistor is determined by the current and the resistor value. Many clamp-on multimeters and clamp-on current measuring adapters that can measure AC current are built in this way.
Some clamp-on multimeters can also measure DC currents. But instead of trying to describe how they work believe me they do and if you want a fast reading on how much amperage is flowing through one of your vehicle’s components then this is a perfect match for a fast look. Gone are the days when you hook this wire here and that wire there and then all of a sudden there was a crackling sound with smoke coming up and you had a burned up multimeter.
Of course with traditional clamp-on current meters, measurements can only be made on single conductors. If you need to measure current in multipair cables this usually needs covers to be moved to gain access to individual wires. But now there are some new special clamp on multimeters that can measure current in multi-core cables and power cords without the need to split them.
A low cost AC/DC clamp meter will usually do most of the simple light duty jobs that you may encounter in your repair work but, of course, if you are a professional then you need the best and latest technology available. There are many clamp on meters to choose from so do yourself a favor and decide what is best for your needs.
