Threw $90 down the drain on a cheap coil tester for my '98 Dodge

Bought one of those no-name spark testers off Amazon to check my van's ignition. Worked fine for 5 minutes then just died. Should have just bought a proper multimeter from the start. Anyone got a recommendation for a solid one that won't break the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_patel3d ago

...and now you're stuck with a dead tool and a useless Amazon return. Honestly, for a '98 Dodge you really need something that can handle the old school coil packs. Cheap testers just aren't built for that. You tried checking the ground connection on the tester itself? Sometimes that's the weak spot, not the tester exactly. But yeah, a decent multimeter is the way to go. Don't need anything fancy, just something that reads resistance and AC voltage well.

blair_lewis853d agoMost Upvoted

Jumped right in last year with a cheapo tester from the auto parts store and had the same exact thing happen. Worked okay for a week then just started giving random readings that made no sense. Finally broke down and got a basic Fluke multimeter from a pawn shop for 20 bucks and it's been solid ever since. The ground connection tip is good too I had to clean up where the clip attached on mine.