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Cordless Circuit Tester
Performance Tool

Cordless Circuit Tester

Part Number: PTW2979
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$19.25
Retail:$37.85
You Save: 49%
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  • Reviews (14)
  • Q & A (0)
  • Videos (1)
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Performance Tool Electrical Tools - PTW2979

  • Testers
  • Circuit Tester
  • Performance Tool


  • Performance Tool cordless circuit tester detects voltage from 3v to 28v
  • Ground wire or clip is not required
  • Safe with ECMs, sensors, transducers, and the like
  • 2 Type "N" long-life batteries included
  • Buzzes and lights up if power is detected when the tester is grounded
  • Overall length: 6"

W2979 Cordless Circuit Tester




California residents: click here


Video of Cordless Circuit Tester

Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.




Video Transcript for Cordless Circuit Tester: The Breakdown

Today we'll be taking a look at the Performance Tools Cordless Circuit Tester, part number PTW2979. Now this is going to be your Performance Tool Circuit Tester. It's going to be a handy little thing that's only about 6 inches long. It detects voltage from 3 volts all the way up to 28 volts. The nice thing about this is it's going to be cordless. It's going to use you as the ground so you're not going to need a wire or a clip with it.

It's going to be safe to use on ECMs, sensors, and transducers as well. It comes with 2 end type long term, long life batteries. Now here we'll go ahead and test it out. It does come with your probe as well, so if you like to just press that on to your wires and then probe your wires you can. If you have a four-pole like we do here, you can just remove that cover, hold it on the chrome or shiny part here. Then you're just going to touch the ground.

This is going to use you as a ground, so if we don't touch the ground, we're not going to get anything out of it. If we touch the ground with our finger with our freehand, you'll hear the audible beep as well as see the light flash. Now, if we let off that ground . So you'll know right away if you have a bad ground. That will do it for our review of the Performance Tools Cordless Circuit Tester, part number PTW2979..

Customer Satisfaction Score:

Ratings & Reviews

4.6

14 reviews

by:

Not sure. Tried testing a 12v wire, had to go back to tried and true tester with pigtail & clamp, which gave me the result I was looking for. Maybe not doing something right, or I'm not enough negative polarity to give it a ground source. Inexpensive enough, I'll try again

Katrina B. profile picture
Etrailer Expert

Katrina B.

7/25/2022

The best suggestions that I can give you is to test it out on some different wiring. Once I know whether or not its working on some different wiring, then I can better assist you.



by:

I lost a $75 Snap-On circuit tester and bought this one to replace it. Not only is this tester easier to use but the cost is less than a third of the Snap-On version.



by:

Everything was as advertised, and thank you Kaylyn R for your wonderful customer service. It took awhile to get everything installed, because of crazy events in the past year, but it all works great!



by:

I wasn't sure how this would work but I was pleasantly surprised. Handy tool to have.



by:

Still using it on occasion. Have to watch the batteries.



by:

OK



by:

Seems to work well, and my order was processed extremely fast. Great service!



by:

Delivery was as said and product as described.

Thanks



by:

Great products and great people to deal with.



by:

Works good as stated! Delivery was longer than expected.



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14
14

See what our Experts say about this Performance Tool Electrical Tools

  • Testing for Proper Voltage on the Brake Output Circuit
    There are many things that can affect the voltage on the brake output wire from your brake controller to your trailer brakes such as the power setting on your brake controller, how you are testing the wire and if you are testing it with the brakes or manual override activated. Using a multimeter to test the voltage on the brake output wire at your trailer connector will not always give the proper reading because it does not provide a load on the circuit like brake magnets from a trailer...
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  • How to Wire Reverse Lights on a Trailer with a 4-Way Trailer Connector
    We do have a solution for you, however, you will not be able to power reverse lights on a trailer with a 4-pin trailer connector. The reverse lights on a trailer must receive power from the reverse lights on the tow vehicle. To do this, you will want to install a 5-pin connector on the trailer and on the tow vehicle. There are many options, but I recommend installing the Hopkins Endurance 5-way Flat Wiring Kit, # HM47890, for a uniform look. You can simply cut off the 4 pin connectors...
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  • What is AX Auxiliary Pin on Hopkins 7-Way Trailer Connector
    The AX (Auxiliary) location on the Hopkins 48505 connector that you reference, which is the same one used on the Hopkins # H20046, is typically used for 12V power. If you take a circuit tester like part # PTW2979 or # C73NR you should see that the corresponding pin on your 2012 GMC Sierra 7-Way (in the 1 o'clock position) has constant 12V of power running to it. What you would connect this to on your trailer are things like your batteries, a trailer jack, or anything that would need to...
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  • Trailer Brakes Lock Up When Connected to Truck
    There are a few things that can cause the brakes to lock up on a trailer. First, disconnect the trailer from the vehicle. Then use a circuit tester like # PTW2979 if needed to test the connector on the vehicle. Have someone sit in the truck and run through the various functions to make sure everything is working. If any of them are showing a constant 12 volts, and the matching pin on the trailer side goes to the brakes, that would be why the brakes lock up. This is especially an issue...
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  • Connecting Ignition Switched Power From 2015 Toyota Prius v to Enclosed Trailer
    You will need to use a circuit tester like # PTW2979 to find a wire in your 2015 Toyota Prius v that is hot only when you use your key (ignition switched power). When you do that you can simply wire in the Battery Isolation Solenoid # PK5231201, which should be wired like in the accompanying diagram with 10 gauge wire # 10-1-1. I have added a link to a video review of the solenoid for you to check out.
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  • Both Trailer Turn Signals Blink at the Same Time
    This is normally related to a bad ground connection somewhere. Make sure the main trailer connector ground and the grounds for each of the lights are all connected to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces. Also make sure that the vehicle side and trailer side connectors are clean and free of corrosion. If you are using a 4-Way harness then these are the most common issues. If you have a 4-Way but it has 5 wires coming out then this is a wishbone harness and it will have the running...
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  • Can You Get Third Brake Light and 12 Volt Power For Camper Shell From 7-Way Trailer Connector
    On a 7-Way trailer connector, the brake lights and turn signals are combined on the same circuit so you cannot tap into the wiring there for a third brake light. If you did, the third brake light would blink with the turn signal. Normally if you follow the wiring harness back (towards the front of the vehicle) you may find additional wires that you can test with a circuit tester like # PTW2979 if needed to see if there is a third brake light wire there. You can also use the stop light...
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  • Trailer Taillights Do Not Work When Connected to 2001 Ford Van 6-Way Connector
    The white ground wire should attach to the pin on the vehicle 6-way connector that is located at the 2-oclock position. Please take a look at the photo provided; this is labelled to show to which pin the ground wire should attach. Since you have two white ground wires, it sounds like a second ground jumper wire has been added to provide a better ground connection. A ground jumper wire should connect on one end to the same spot on the frame as the main ground wire and the other end to another...
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  • Trailer Wiring Connection Needed for 2006 Lexus GX 470 with Connection Under Bumper
    Thank you for the picture! It actually looks like you already have a 7-Way socket installed on your 2006 Lexus GX 470. If you check out the attached photo of the Hopkins Endurance Multi-Tow Twist-Mount 7-Way RV and 4-Way Flat Trailer Connector # HM40920 you can see how they are similar. My guess is that someone install the 7-Way at a weird angle either to try keeping your Lexus looking factory or because they didn't have a choice. You'll want to verify that the various functions work by...
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  • What Does an OC Error Code Mean on a Valley Journey HD Trailer Brake Controller
    A flashing OC message on the Valley Journey HD brake controller means that the trailer brake circuit is lost or intermittent. With no trailer connected, the brake controller might think there is a connection for some reason. It will also do this for a few moments after the brake circuit (trailer) is disconnected. Check for any loose wires under the dash. I also recommend cleaning the vehicle and trailer connectors as dirt or corrosion could be causing the problem. Also try sliding the...
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  • Error Message on Brake Controller with 2011 Dodge Ram 3500 Towing 4 Star 36 ft. Gooseneck Trailer
    The random nature of this problem suggests that motion and vibration while driving are revealing the issue. I have included an article on troubleshooting brake controllers; this will guide you through the testing steps to eliminate potential causes one by one. I do see that you have already checked your connections to ensure they are clean and secure. Sometimes issues like this one can hide behind an intermittent connection - the wire seems attached solidly in the mechanical sense (it will...
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  • How to Install 7-Way Plug Wiring Correctly on a 1975 Toyota Land Cruiser
    Thank you for the pictures! A common misconception is that there is a specific wire color for each specific function. Although there are "typical" wire colors, nothing is set in stone so your best bet is to test for function. Using a circuit tester like part # PTW2979 or a multimeter like part # PTW1714 test each of your wires on your 1975 Toyota Land Cruiser by running through your lighting functions. Once you know what circuit each wire is connected to, use the picture of the 7-Way...
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  • Brake Controller Needed to Tow a 2018 Jayco Sport 10SD Popup Camper
    I would be happy to recommend a brake controller so you can safely get to your camping destination with your 2018 Jayco Sport 10SD. I do have a few questions first though to make sure that we get you exactly what you're looking for. If you can get me the year/make/model of your tow vehicle and whether it has a factory trailer connector or not that would be huge so I can make sure I include all of the parts you would need. Also, is this the only trailer that you tow, and are you wanting...
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  • Separating Combined Tail Light Wiring on 2009 Chrysler Town and Country
    You are correct that you can use a 2-to-3 converter, the Curt # C56196, to separate the combined circuits on your 2009 Chrysler Town and Country so your brake lights and turn signals will operate independently of one another. In regards to Diodes # 48955, you should use them to prevent backfeeding. I have added links to video reviews of the converter and diodes for you to check out as well.
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  • How To Adapt 2013 Lance 950S Proprietary Plug to 2019 Ford F-350
    Hey Jason! It sounds like you have the proprietary plug from Lance on there right now. As far as we know there are no adapter available to convert this. The best solution is to cut off the connector and add the # PK12706 which is a standard 7-way plug. I do recommend using a circuit tester like # PTW2979 to match up the correct functions.
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  • Right Side Trailer Lights Not Working After Installing a Wiring Harness on 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor
    A poor ground connection could cause one side of your trailer lights not to work. I would start by checking the ground connections on the trailer since the wiring harness that you purchased does not have a separate ground wire. The ground connections on your trailer should be clean and corrosion free. Check the ground connection for the trailer connector as well as the grounds for the trailer lights. You could also inspect the trailer side connector for any corrosion and clean or replace...
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  • Troubleshooting Trailer Running Lights Not Working
    There are a number of potential issues that could be causing your running lights not to work, but you will have to troubleshoot the problem with some detail. The first thing to do is take a look at your vehicle's owner's manual to locate any trailer fuses or relays and ensure they are all there and in working order. If they are, in order to determine the specific problem you will need to purchase a circuit tester if you do not have one - the very handy Cordless Circuit Tester # PTW2979...
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  • Troubleshooting Intermittent LED Tail Lights
    The problem you are experiencing with intermittent LED tail light functionality is very likely because you have a poor ground, which can cause all sorts of funky problems. What you should do is make absolutely sure your grounds are attached to bare metal surfaces and free of any paint, dirt or corrosion. If you have a good ground you will want to move on to your connectors and check them for corrosion, which can be green or white in color. A build-up of corrosion can interfere with the...
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  • Activating Toyota Trailer Wiring Circuits
    If they aren't aware of their own trailer wiring harness kits I would try a different Toyota dealer...basically they need to activate the trailer wiring circuits you have. Not something we can help with though.
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  • Brake Lights on Trailer Not Working With 2017 VW Golf SportWagen
    While we do not have a table, we do have some diagrams in the help articles I linked on trailer wiring and wiring troubleshooting which I recommend taking a look at. And even though your 2017 VW Golf SportWagen has brake lights and turn signals on the same circuit, a 4-way with a powered modulite can still have issues. I recommend first start by checking your grounds to ensure they are securely attached to a bare metal surface free from any type of corrosion, dirt or paint; a bad ground...
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  • No Braking From Trailer Brakes
    You will need to find out if the issue is on the brake controller, vehicle, or trailer. To test the brake controller, sever the blue wire a couple inches from the back of your controller. Then use circuit tester # PTW2979 to test the end of the blue wire coming out of the controller. It should only have power when you apply the manual override; if it shows power at idle then there is an issue with the controller and it will need to be replaced. This may occur even if the controller shows...
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  • Trailer Wiring Doesn't Work on Forester
    Thank you for your purchase from etrailer of the Wiring Harness # C56040. If your brake lights don't come on but turn signals do there are a number of wiring troubleshooting steps you will have to take. The first thing to do is take a look at your owner's manual to locate any fuses or relays and ensure they are all there and in working order. If they are, in order to determine the specific problem you will need a circuit tester like # PTW2979 to test the connector on your vehicle after...
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  • How to Tell if Replacement Controller For Solera Smart Arm Awning is Needed
    I'm sorry to hear about the troubles you are having with your awning, and you're right about the design; it certainly seems flawed if the AC water gets blown right toward the controller. From what you described, it seems very likely the controller is bad, but what you can do to check is use a circuit tester like # PTW2979 to test that there is power going to the controller. If there is, and the controller is not working, you will need the replacement: - Replacement Controller and Touchpad...
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  • Only Blinkers Are Working on Boat Trailer
    There are a number of potential issues to check out if just your blinkers are working on your trailer. You can start by checking the ground, as that does cause funky issues, so make sure they're attached to bare metal surfaces and free of any paint, dirt or corrosion. After that, take a look at your owner's manual to locate any trailer fuses or relays and ensure they are all there and in working order. If they are, in order to determine the specific problem you will need to purchase a...
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Info for this part was:

Employee Jameson C
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Employee Jacob T
Video Edited:
Jacob T
Employee Dustin K
Video by:
Dustin K
Employee Wilson B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Employee Erin H
Updated by:
Erin H
Employee Jared G
Installed by:
Jared G
Employee Jacob W
Written by:
Jacob W

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