sounds that way to me. you need to replace your power wire. I would not put any more amps in there until that is fixed. You might also beg borrow or steal another meter to verify your findings. If you have to go to Wal-mart and buy a meter and use it and take it back..I would do that just to get a second opinion. Your circuit should be wide open with respect to ground. there should be no continuity between ground and your power cable.

 

take it to a local car audio shop and have them verify it for you

 

i can get a digital one very easily...
but your saying that the meter should not respond or move at all when i touch the power wire with positive lead and a ground with the negative lead?

 

YES !!

Your power needs to be 100% isolated from your ground to get clean power. It does not matter if you get another analog meter. I just would like a second opinion before the power wire ripping begins.

 

ok.. well the ground wire was kind close to the power wire, but know where near touching it..
so you want me to take it to an audio shop and test it also?

 

im still not completely sure why the meter should be unresponsive when i touch the appropriate things, i would think that when it moves that it means its getting a current.. which is correct.

 

You have a problem with your wiring, from what you are telling me. It is a very simple test. I would take it somewhere and see what they say. OR get digital meter and I will walk you through it.

 

aright buddy, ill go pick one up. i need one anyways

 

By unhooking the power wire from the amp and unhooking it from the battery there is no applied power on the line. That is the only way to get a good reading on continuity. You cannot test a line for continuity with voltage on the line.

Get another meter and do the same thing.

 

oh, well im a dumbass.. lol i never unhooked it from the battery.. i dont remember you stating that i needed too.. let me go get another meter, unhook the BATTERY and do it again..

 

using ohms or checking continuity is resistance of a circuit, when u touch leads together its a short, meter pegs means alot of resistance, meaning infinity or 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000, a good circuit is 0 or .01,.2,.3 very low resistance, a grounded wire causes alot of resistance.

 

wouldnt the meter leads need to be touching each end of the wire, so technically u need to string another wire from end to end so u can have a complete path, tie ends together at battery[not hooked to battery] then take meter leads and put one on other end of each wire. thats the only way i have ever rang out wires or ever heard of u have to have a complete circuit.

 

alright, new meter.. now when i touch the leads together, i get nothing.. which has got me really confused.. i havent tested on the truck yet because i dont understand why it is stable when the leads are touched.. the meter is set to 2000 ohm range and the resolution for that is 1 ohm..

 

check instructions on meter

 

i did.. im doing what it says... i know how to use these... im checking for resistance... so i put the selector switch to ohms, plug the black lead into the COM input jack, then plug the red into the V[ohms] mA input jack.. then when i touch the leads together it is unresponsive. when the meter is in idle it reads 1. im very confused..