Power Probe 3
What can I say, I’m a guy….I like tools. Errrr I love tools. I love cool tools that most people don’t know about. One of those tools is a little guy called a Power Probe (3). This is a fantastic, versatile, circuit tester that makes diagnosing electrical systems a much easier process. As you might guess, there has been a PP1, PP2, and now a third generation PP3. What is neat about the tool is that you can plug it into your cigarette lighter, or directly to your car’s battery when trouble shooting an electrical problem. When you connect the PP3 to the battery, it instantly displays the battery’s voltage on the screen. The power cable is probably a good 20-30 feet long, which makes diagnosing the opposite end of the car, trailer, boat, whatever easy. Have a fan motor problem? Don’t know if it is the fuse, motor, or switch. With the PP, you quickly diagnose the motor by touching the end to the positive side of the motor. If she spins, the motor is good and you can test the switch or fuse. If it doesn’t, you have likely found your problem. Want to test a bulb? Again, apply the negative lead and the positive tip of the tool and you instantly know if it works or not. The tool will also check the ground circuit, so you can tell if you have a bad ground wire. Test voltage, polarity, continuity quickly and easy.
Want to test your trailer lights, but don’t want to hook up your vehicle to the trailer?. Apply the PP to the trailer’s electrical connector individual pins and watch the corresponding light activate. Pretty cool!
A quick test: And please ignore my messy workbench, lol.
The power probe 3:
A simple light bulb test: Touch the ground wire to the bulb, touch the power tip to the bulb and push the button.
Let there be light!
A new PP3 will run about $100, and well worth the money if you are dealing with a weird electrical problem. A used PP1 or PP2 can be had on ebay for around $70.00