I can't help myself....

Give 'em the clamps, Clamps!
http://basementrejects.com/wp-conten...fia-clamps.jpg

Many of the Electrical threads I read about here are determining excess battery draw, or 'is it my battery or alternator' or "why is my wire hot/smoking"

That's why I highly recommend a clamp-on DC (many mutimeters are AC only) meter. Just clamp it around the wire, and measure current. Many meters & fuses smoked with people trying to measure current.

For temps a decent IR Temp gun ($20ish on amazon) is far more useful than a multimeter with a probe.

Also, As I posted earlier, the 12v test light is often more useful than a meter. It will determine not only if there is voltage present, also if it is at a reasonable enough current to light the bulb. For example, a circuit with alot of resistance(corrosion) may still measure 12v on a high impedance meter, but drop to zero under load.

Ok guys after obsessing over this for awhile I bought Klein Tools MM2000 TrueRMS meter. For the price point $120 and features it seemed to be the best choice for me. This meter is comparable to the Fluke 117 but considerably less costly and has more features. A clamp meter would be nice if I was doing mostly AC but it appears clamps are tough to use in tight automotive spaces. Thanks to all who responded with suggestions.

So, you're saying that if a wire is heavily corroded and has a lot of resistance, the meter may still read 12V but the wire will not be able to carry the current and power the accessory?

Yup. As a check put a 1k ohm resister in series with the positive voltmeter lead on your 12v battery and you will still read 12v.