If you hook the meter up in voltage mode just like the testlight, that is not a good test. With radio memories or anything like that, you will always get a substantial voltage reading. That is because the meter takes very little current to operate. The very small normal current for the computers and radio memories is enough to give a high reading on the meter. The more expensive the meter, the more voltage you will read.

The conventional lightbulb in the testlight takes a lot of current to glow bright. That is why it works. If you have enough current to glow the testlight, then you have too much and it will drain the battery. If the testlight had a LED in it, it would not work, a LED takes very little current also to burn. But the old timey testlight works just perfect for this test.

The testlight is also the best tester to use when troubleshooting lighting circuits in vehicles. If you have a poor connection in the wiring, the factory bulb on the truck will usually be dim or not work at all. Pull the bulb out and put a good quality meter on the socket terminals, most likely you will get 12v. So you put the bulb back in but it doesn't work. The bulb draws more load through the circuit, which drops too much voltage through the wiring trouble area. The sensitive meter does not draw hardly any current, so it reads 12v through the problem area. A testlight is almost like the bulb you took out, and when the testlight is used to probe the socket, the testlight will not burn. So sometimes it's the better troubleshooting tool.

 

Good news to hear a meter is not the tool to use.
Normally I use a test light just to lazy to dig it out.

Bad news is I have nothing hooked up other than to run / start motor and dash gauges, less fuel as I have nothing in the tanks.

Till I get farther along on the project I will keep pulling a cable when it sits.
Dave - - - -

 

It is sufficiently tight because I start torqueing the nut and the light turns on once there is finger loose contact, torque a while and the light comes off, torque a little more and the light is back on until it is no longer safe to torque more and I back it up until the light comes off. I agree, this doesn't seem correct. When I got the regulator installed and tested it did test as charging. I also tested it after I a day later at home and its 14.4 volts while trucks running (no lights, stereo or ac on), 12.4 while off. I'm almost at the point of getting it to the alignment shop to get the axles bent but now I've got a flooding issue. If it's been sitting, it'll fire right up no problems. After I've driven it around a few miles and go into store or whatever when I get back it doesn't want to start and I have to pump the gas over and over and over and finally I get it started. Then go another few miles to another location and same thing with starting it and then another few miles to another location and try to start it again and have to wait 30 min to an hour to get it started. That issue is probably left for another post though.

 

Yes start another post on that so we can help.
Make sure you list the year and size of the motor so we know what we are working on.

BTW if you have to pump it gas a bunch to fire it up after its been running it's not flooding.
Dave - - - -