Watching a guy in a Toledo shop fix a 6.7 Powerstroke with just a multimeter changed my whole approach

I was helping a buddy at his shop last month when this old timer came in with a no-start on his Ford. The shop foreman was ready to start swapping sensors, but the old guy just grabbed a multimeter and started checking voltage drop at the FICM connector. He found a bad ground in under ten minutes, something we would have missed for hours. I used to think you needed a fancy scan tool for everything, but now I always do the basic electrical checks FIRST. What's the simplest diagnostic trick that's saved you the most time?

3 comments

3 Comments

morgan9152mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that multimeter story sounds great but most modern stuff needs a scan tool to even talk to the modules.

johnrivera2mo ago

Nah, you can still fix a ton with just the basics.

adams.harper1mo ago

Do you think that's mostly for engine or transmission stuff though? Like @johnrivera said, basics can still get you pretty far with old sensors and actuators. I mean, I remember fixing a power window issue on a mid-2000s car with just a multimeter and a wiring diagram, it wasn't that bad.