Hook Probe Circuit Tester
(40 reviews)
Price: $18.16
In Stock
Hook Probe Circuit Tester
Item # PTW2993
Retail:$32.73
Our Price: $18.16
You Save: 45%
In Stock
Thank you! Your comment has been submitted successfully. You should be able to view your question/comment here within a few days.
Error submitting comment. Please try again momentarily.
- All Info
- Reviews (40)
- Q & A (0)
- Videos (2)
- Photos
Performance Tool Electrical Tools - PTW2993
- Testers
- Circuit Tester
- Performance Tool
- Circuit tester easily identifies shorts in 6V, 12V and 24V circuits, fuses, test connections, and wiring harnesses
- Wire-piercing molded hook locks onto wires to free your hands while working
- Extended molded hook allows for testing in confined spaces or with limited access
- High-intensity light bulb
- 4' Long cord is insulated and resistant to oil and heat
W2993 Performance Tool Circuit Tester
Replaces Draw-Tite 3808
California residents: click here
Video of Hook Probe Circuit Tester
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Video Transcript for Performance Tool Hook Probe Circuit Tester Review
Hi there, do-it-yourselfers. Today, we're gonna be taking a look and covering some of the features of Performance Tool's, hook probe circuit tester. A test light's a great object for verifying whether you've got power and ground at a specific location. It's also really useful if you're setting up lights on your vehicle for trailer lighting, so you can test your circuits and get those installed. So real quick, we're just going to show you here, how it works, one end needs to have ground, and the other end needs to have power in order to light the light. So we're gonna take the clip end here, we're gonna put this on the negative side of our battery for brown.
And then if we press in on the plastic sleeve here, that'll expose the probe at the end. We're just gonna touch this to the positive side. You can see there that it lights up our test light. This will also work if you we're to hook it up backwards. So if he's got the clip on power and you we're to use your probe and touch any ground point, it should also light up.
So you can see your ground on the battery or ground over here on anywhere on the vehicle frame or anything like that. Lets see if there's a bolt right down here. Look at that there, we got the power, it's lighting up our test light because that's ground and we've got power coming from the clip side. Our customers typically use these to check their circuits, especially if they're either setting up a four-pole connector on their vehicle, or if they've recently just taken their vehicle and they hooked it up to their trailer and they found, "oh no, the lights aren't working on my trailer." Well now you've got to figure out why the lights don't work and the test light can be a great tool to help you determine that. One of the first things that I would do if I had an issue with my trailer not working properly is I wanna verify is the issue with my trailer, or is it with my vehicle And I'd start here on the vehicle and check this out.
So we've got our four pole tester here which gives us all of our necessary lighting signals, in order to get these to operate without an assistant, we can go ahead and turn on our hazard lights that will operate both the left and the right turn signal. And we can go ahead and turn on our tail lights for our last circuit, the fourth circuit there is your ground and that's the exposed lug there. We went ahead and used the clip to clip it onto the ground side. So now we've got those lights operating. We should get some signals from the first one here next to it's going to be our tail lights.
We should have a constant voltage it should light up our light and look at that, there we go. So we know our taillight signal is working properly on the vehicle. Next is the yellow circuit, which is our left turn signal. And we can see it's flashing, so we know that our left turn signal is working properly. And lastly is the green circuit that's our right turn signal and it's working as well. So we plugged this vehicle into a trailer and the trailer doesn't function, there's some issues on our trailer side, maybe there's a ground missing to the light that's not functioning or maybe there's just an open and the power circuit go into it. But we know, at this point that our vehicle is working properly and we can continue the diagnosis over on that side. And while we we're showing it off on a four-pole here, it's also great for testing out your six and seven-pole connectors as well. You just need to make sure you've got a way to activate the particular circuits to make sure they're working. For example, like your seven way, your auxiliary circuit probably is going to have 12 volts on it at all times, but some of those require the vehicle to be started in order to get that 12 volt output. Likewise, your brake output circuit for your trailer brakes aren't gonna activate unless you've got an assistant inside either pressing the brakes or activating the manual slider. But if you've got somebody to help you out, you can check all those circuits with this as well. So now, since we know that our problem is not with our vehicle, you can go ahead and plug your vehicle out to your trailer, or you could use a test box. We've gone ahead and plugged up and got our tail lights turned on and our light here is not functioning. So let's check our circuits and see if we can figure out the issue. I've gone ahead and clipped the wire there where the ground wire was attached. We could potentially just have an issue with our ground, but we're gonna go ahead and use that and see if we can get a reading here. So here's our two circuits coming from the front, you got a green wire there and a brown one. Brown is your typical color for your taillight circuit. So I'm just gonna push this away from the probe there. Gonna slide it over and then I'm now letting it return. And we're gonna stab into the wire. And with our taillights on, if we've got a good ground here at the back, we should get a reading. Now, even though brown is the most common color, that's not always the case though sometimes it can be another color. So we have nothing here. So we're just gonna go ahead and probe the other wire. 'Cause even though brown is the most common, it doesn't necessarily mean that the manufacturer, followed that particular color coding. So now we are on the other one, we're gonna probe into that one, and we've got nothing on that one either. So that probably leads us to believe that we either have a short from, other than just to believe that we have an open in our circuit here preventing current from getting to the back or that we've potentially got a bad ground here at the back. We're gonna take that clip off the ground circuit, where we had it, where it was getting ground from before. And we're gonna move it to a new spot here on the trailer. 'Cause we should have good ground just about anywhere on the frame, as long as the paint's not too thick. And look at that, we moved it over to the other stud there. We kinda rocked it around to clear up some of the rust on it and we've got power which we now know that from the vehicle all the way back to our circuit here is good. So the only issues that's potentially left is our ground or the bulbs could be burnt out. But since we moved our circuit from where the ground wire is here over to a different spot we got our lights light up. I suspect our issue is more than likely with our ground here. So we're just gonna go ahead and tighten the circuit up, kinda clean up that rust there and see if we can't get this light to come back on. And that's all it took, I just took that bolt loose. I knocked some of the rust off with a wire brush, re-installed it and now our light's functioning. So you can see our test light was able to help us determine that the issue was on the trailer side and also figure out where that issue was. And that completes our look at Performance Tool's, hook probe circuit tester..
Customer Satisfaction Score:
99% were satisfied with this product
1% of customers were not satisfied
- Alternate product found
- Product did not meet expectations
- Did not arrive in time
Customer Reviews
Hook Probe Circuit Tester - PTW2993
Average Customer Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (40 Customer Reviews)
by: Scamper11/09/2022
I bought this prob/circuit tester in order to make some minor electrical repairs to our Scamp 13. I carry it along on all our trips. It has been tremendously helpful isolating shorts that result from vibration and wear and tear. Furthermore, the tutorial videos here on etrailer have been equally helpful.
by: Curt03/26/2024
Simple tester, does what its supposed to do.
by: Linda02/08/2024
Not what worked for me.
by: Randy 04/29/2023
Looks to be well constructed & easy to use. Frees up your hands for other tasks, & has many other circuit tracing applications as well.
by: Joseph07/27/2023
great company to deal with. thanks
by: Thomas05/10/2023
Vary good for my trailer.
by: Harry 07/21/2020
I had a tester like this years ago and I broke the end off.
I really liked the tester as you can hook it over a wire and probe it to see
if you have voltage.
Been looking for one for a long time.
You can find cheap junk ones but this one is just like the good one I had years ago.
Glad I found it and is is very well built.
Should last me a long time.
Was shipped fast also.
Will try and not break this one.
Thanks e trailer.
by: Daniel 04/22/2023
Fast service for the tool I needed.
by: Robert 11/06/2022
I have yet to use it. It looked like something I should have so I ordered one.
by: Kamil09/12/2022
Easy to use and definitely helpful when looking for a specific wire.
by: Terry 03/18/2021
Probe works really good
Terry
3/19/2022
Tester has worked out really well, only used it a few times
by: Ricky 01/25/2021
Ricky C.
1/26/2022
Works Fine
by: Robert 05/10/2024
by: Don 12/02/2021
Nice tool to own!
by: Laura05/03/2022
Works perfect
by: Mike05/06/2022
Looks good, haven't used it yet
by: Elmer 04/03/2020
Very friendly service, thank you Korren. Ordered on Tuesday, received on Thursday.
by: Gregory 02/27/2024
by: Roger 12/31/2021
This will be very handy when working with circuits.
by: Eli 06/13/2023
by: Eugene 01/03/2022
by: Ron@MO02/28/2024
by: Paul 04/23/2023
by: Firman01/23/2024
by: James 03/07/2024
25
40
Show More Reviews
See what our Experts say about this Performance Tool Electrical Tools
- Troubleshooting Trailer Brakes on Trailer Always EngagedDid the issue just start happening? If so I recommend checking the the wiring going from the trailer brakes to the 7-way connector for any damage as it is likely shorting out. If the wiring looks good make sure your break away switch has the pin inserted properly though this would only engage the brakes until the battery of the break away switch died. Next check the connectors for both the trailer and tow vehicle to make sure that there is not corrosion that could be causing power to jump...
view full answer... - Replacing Damaged 7-Way Trailer Connector on 2019 Mercedes-Benz 3500I don't have the color codes, but you should be able to easily determine which wire colors carry which circuits by using a circuit tester like part # PTW2993. Begin with the turn signals and running lights. Have a helper activate the right turn signal while you test each wire, chances are you'll find that the green wire carries the right turn signal. Activate the left turn, which is typically the yellow wire. Testing should confirm this. The brown wire usually carriers the running lights. As...
view full answer...
- Identifying Wire Functions of Rockwood Taillight Wiring for Installing New LightsOnly Rockwood would be able to find the wiring diagram you are looking for, but we might be able to help in a different way. If you use a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 you can probe the wires of the vehicle when various taillight functions are applied. This will allow you to identify all of the circuits and then wire them accordingly to the new lights.
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Driver Side Turn Signal Not Working on 4-Way for 2009 Mazda TributeSince only one function is not working it doesn't sound like it is the converter box. Although there could be a problem with the connectors, there should be no real loss of conductivity over time. It is possible that the # C56329 needs to be replaced, but there are a few things you can check first before going that route. The first thing I would do is double check the connectors. If the connector is not fully seated and came apart over time it could explain why it went out intermittently...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Running Lights Not Working on 2017 Nissan Rogue with Curt 56033 Wiring HarnessI recommend you start by checking the ground wire that you've installed on the Curt T-Connector Wiring Harness # C56033; often times lighting issues are commonly caused by this. You'll want to make sure that the ground of the harness is firmly attached to a paint and rust free part of the vehicle's frame. If that doesn't seem to get everything working, you'll want to use a circuit tester like the # PTW2993 to see if the harness is providing power to the pin that corresponds to the brown...
view full answer... - Mounting A 7-pin And 4-pin Connector To My 2018 Toyota RAV-4We can definitely get you setup for towing. This will be a two step process. You will have to install a 4-way connector first, then you would install the 7-pin connector. My first recommendation is the T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness with 4-Pole Flat Trailer Connector, part # 118578. The nice thing about this wiring harness is that it is plug and play, meaning that you will not have to splice any wires to get this installed. It will just plug into your existing lighting, simplifying some of...
view full answer... - Installing the Roadmaster Universal Brake Monitor on 2013 Subaru Forester with InvisibrakeI can certainly clear all this up for you and I was able to confirm this information with Roadmaster directly in regards to your 2013 Subaru Forester. When tapping into the breakaway wire on the Invisibrake # RM-8700 to complete the installation of the Roadmaster Universal Brake Monitor # RM-9530, you will want to tap into the thick yellow wire you mentioned; you'll just need to cut into the thick covering on the wire and make your connection. When it comes to the blue wire on the # RM-9530,...
view full answer... - Installing A 7-Way Trailer Wiring Harness On A 2018 Chevy Colorado.I found a wire coloring for your 2018 Chevy Colorado on a Chevrolet forum it should be wired as such. Yellow: Left stop/turn signal, Green: Right stop/turn signal, Brown: Tail lamps/parking lamps, Black: Ground, Grey: Back-up lamps, Orange: Battery, Blue: Trailer brake. Even with that info it's a good idea to use a circuit tester like part # PTW2993 to test each wire for function. The trailer wiring code is probably Yellow: Left turn, Green: Right turn, Brown: Taillights, Black: Battery,...
view full answer... - Would Brake Controller Fuse being Blown Cause no Trailer Connection Message on DashYes I would say that would be the issue. The brake controller is what is used to sense if a trailer is connected so if your brake controller was not active it would not be able to perform this test.
view full answer... - Why Would The Wires For My Lippert Ground Control 3.0 Control Module Have Gone Bad?The wires in your Replacement Control Module for Lippert Ground Control 3.0 Electric Leveling System # LC304136 may have gone bad due damage to the wires, or a short somewhere. You can use a circuit tester # PTW2993 to test the functionality of the wires from your control module. If the wires are damaged then I recommend replacing the control module with # LC304136. You might also consider checking the fuses on the control module so ensure they're in proper working order. If the fuses...
view full answer... - Installation of Brake Controller on 2015 Ford Transit T250 With Factory Tow PackageSince you already have the factory tow package in your 2015 Ford Transit T250, I recommend the Tekonsha Voyager # 39510 along with the harness # 20127 to give you your basic controller. This will need to be hardwired as your vehicle doesn't have the dash adapter. I recommend using a circuit tester like # PTW2993 to test wires for function before splicing. If there are no brake controller output wires and 12V power lined under your dash, then to hardwire your controller you will need...
view full answer... - Hardwiring a Trailer Connector on a 1997 Dodge Ram to Power Trailer Lights and BrakesTo hardwire a 4-way you'll need to use a circuit tester, like part # PTW2993, to find the correct wires on your truck by function. One the 4-way you have picture the color code is white for ground, green for right turn and right brake lights, yellow for left turn and left brake lights, and brown for running lights. The brake lights and turn signals are combined. We do carry a plug and play wiring harness for your 1997 Dodge Ram. Part # 118329 plugs into connectors at the rear of the...
view full answer...
- Troubleshooting a Trailer with no Lights Functioning Towed by 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 4-WayThe first thing we need to do is determine if the problem is on the truck or the trailer. The easiest way to determine this is to get a circuit tester like our part # PTW2993 and test the circuits individually as you apply the different tail light functions. Check out the video I attached to see how this is done. If the problem appears to be on the truck you will need to check the wiring of the connector looking for shorts or corrosion. Look for corrosion in the connector especially since...
view full answer... - How To Wire Sealed, Thin Line, LED Stop/Turn/Tail Light, 3-Function Trailer Light # STL69RRXBIt sounds like the old light operated with the brake lights, both turn signals, and running lights. But if you are using this light on just one side of the trailer you would only connect the white ground wire, the red turn signal/brake light wire, and the black running light wire if using it on one side of the trailer. I am not sure what the other wire function is, but you can test it by connecting the trailer and going through the various lighting functions while testing the wires using...
view full answer... - Brake Controller and Trailer Wiring Adapter for a 2010 Ford F150The Tekonsha # 22292 is a plug in wiring adapter that will work with your 2010 Ford F-150, if your truck already has a 4-pole or a 7-way wiring system that can be be used with a brake controller. If your truck currently has a factory installed 7-way then you can plug the # 22292 wiring adapter into the wiring harness located in the dash of your truck and then, after routing the other end of the wiring adapter under the dash, you can plug it into the brake controller. If your truck does...
view full answer... - Fifth Wheel Trailer Brakes Not Braking Enough with Controller Turned Up All the WayIdeally, the trailer brakes would be braking in such as way as you cannot tell they are braking but I do not think that is the issue here. It sounds like there may be some voltage loss somewhere. With the controller output set up correctly and the brakes adjusted, you can check a few other things to determine where the problem is. Start by severing the blue wiring from the back of the controller a few inches. Use a circuit tester like # PTW2993 if needed to test the end coming from the...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Running Lights Not Working On 5TH Wheel Camper When Connected To 2013 Ford F-250First if you are using a connector like the Hopkins Endurance 5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness # 41157, try connecting to the bumper connection to determine if the Connector # A10-7072VP in the bed side is bad. You can also remove the additional harness by connecting the factory harness directly to the rear bumper connection to determine if the harness itself is bad. If those tests fail or you do not have the harness to begin with, you will want to remove the factory connector...
view full answer...
- Recommended Trailer Brake Controller For 2021 Fleetwood Fortis 34MB Built on Ford F-53 ChassisI have an option that may work for you, but after calling Ford, and Fleetwood they were unable to confirm if your 2021 Fleetwood Fortis 34MB has the factory trailer brake controller port for installing a trailer brake controller. With that said you can still install one, but it will need to be hardwired. I recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 # 90195 as it is an extremely reliable controller that has great features like an easy to read LCD screen and built in diagnostics that are easy to...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Trailer Wheel That Locks with Light Brake ApplicationMost likely the trailer brake assembly is out of adjustment. If you jack up that side of the trailer you should be able to turn the wheel by hand and feel a light drag as you do so. It's very possible yours is too tight and needs to be loosened. I have linked you to a video showing how to adjust brake assemblies, click the link and fast forward to the 1:50 mark. If the assemblies are in adjustment it's more than likely you have a mechanical problem on them and you'd have to take the hub...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting No Green Light on Tekonsha Voyager Brake ControllerThe green light on top of your Tekonsha Voyager Trailer Brake Controller # 39510 indicates that a trailer is connected to your vehicle. If this light is not turning on when connected to a trailer there are a couple things, you can check. I first recommend inspecting both the vehicle side and trailer side connectors for any debris or corrosion built-up around the pins that needs to be cleaned out. If the connectors look good, you will next want to test the brake output pin on the vehicle...
view full answer... - Wiring Third Brake Light for Truck Camper ShellThe first thing you want to do is check above the spare tire on your 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 for a wire loom and there may be a light blue wire that is the lead for your third brake light; you do need to verify this with the use of a circuit tester such as # PTW2992 or # PTW2993. If that is not there you will simply need to add the Pacer Performance 3rd Brake Light Logic Module # PP20-702 and tap into the turn signal circuits of your Sierra. This converter will separate your truck's combined...
view full answer...
- Troubleshooting Wiring When Running Lights Are Not Working on New TrailerThe first thing you will need to do is troubleshoot to determine if the problem is with the vehicle or the trailer. To check the wiring, you will need a circuit tester, like part #PTW2993. You would start by checking the vehicle side. If this was installed aftermarket you will have to test the Modulite or converter. Make certain you have a good ground by attaching the ground on the tester to the same place the ground wire on the vehicle side of the converter is attached. Turn the lights...
view full answer... - Curt TriFlex Brake Controller C24VV Does Not Show Red Dot on Display After InstallationThe Curt TriFlex Trailer Brake Controller, part # C24VV, and the matching harness for your 2007 Chevrolet Silverado Classic, part # C51352, will work with your vehicle as long as your 7-way connector on your rear bumper is not the type that includes LED test lights. Such 7-way connectors are not compatible with the Curt TriFlex. It is critical that before installing the controller the negative battery terminal be disconnected to avoid potential damage to the unit. Also, the trailer must...
view full answer... - Troubleshooting Running Lights on a Trailer Not WorkingThis sounds like either a problem with the wiring or a bad ground. First, check the vehicle side connector for functionality. You will be checking for power and for a signal when your vehicle lights are on. You will need a circuit tester like # PTW2993. If you find that the connector is faulty, you will need a new harness. The brown wire is for running lights, the green is for right turn, yellow is left turn, and white is the ground. If you do not find a problem, the issue is most likely...
view full answer...
Do you have a question about this Electrical Tool?
Info for this part was:
Expert Research:
Mike L
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Expert Research:
Adam R
Expert Research:
Rachael H
Edited by:
Tyler C
Video by:
Dustin K
Video by:
Shane H
Installed by:
Cole B
Installed by:
David F
Installed by:
Jacob H
Video Edited:
Chris R
Updated by:
Wilson B
Written by:
Erin H
At etrailer.com we provide the best information available about the products we sell. We take the quality of our information seriously so that you can get the right part the first time. Let us know if anything is missing or if you have any questions.
Product Experts Available Now!
Call 1-800-940-8924
Scamper
11/10/2023
Reliable and useful as ever.