Meters and troubleshootingQuestion 624 of 1506

An electrician checks a wire for a break with the meter in resistance mode. The display shows O.L. What does this tell the electrician?

  1. The wire is good, with a resistance that is near zero.
  2. The wire is shorted to ground at one of its ends.
  3. The meter battery is flat and the test is not valid.
  4. The wire is open, with infinite resistance between the probes.
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Correct answer: The wire is open, with infinite resistance between the probes.

A good wire reads almost zero ohms. An open path reads O.L.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 3.9: Safe Meter Usage

Practice meters and troubleshooting

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026