Outer Limits 4x4 Board

This is my u-beaut multimeter and I can measure voltages no worries. What i dont know is how to use it to measure whats being drawn from the battery when the car is not running. I understand you disconnect the +ve terminal but thats as far as I know and it comes with zero instructions. Any advice would be great. Particularly where to have the dial turned to and which red hole to have the =ve lead in.
[img][img]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h262/ ... meter2.gif[/img][/img]

black lead in com - red in 10ADC
set to 10A setting

disconnect battery lead - black meter lead on battery red meter lead to cable. Your meter is only good for 10 amps - don't turn anything on while doing this

if you don't read anything - then set the meter to the 2000mA scale (also put the red wire back in the middle hole)
if still nothing then go the 200mA scale - although anything this low is not a worry.

Simon

ALSO - IMPORTANT - never ever leave the lead in the 10A socket. real easy to blow shit up. I've gone through a lot of meters this way.

In the picture on the RHS it shows A== but on mine it says DCA is this the area you refer to for the 2000 milliamps and is that represented by a u sign with a tail on the LHS of it or is that the m sign. ?

Red_MAv wrote:In the picture on the RHS it shows A== but on mine it says DCA is this the area you refer to for the 2000 milliamps and is that represented by a u sign with a tail on the LHS of it or is that the m sign. ?

Oh ok - The u sign is micro amps - no good to you, you want the m (milli)sign. "==" is the symbol for dc.

Awesome. thanks Simon. But I dont have a 2000 millamp setting then do I its either 20m or 200m before i drop to the 200 or 2000 microamp. Or should I be back over on the left at the DCV section for 2000m

Red_MAv wrote:Awesome. thanks Simon. But I dont have a 2000 millamp setting then do I its either 20m or 200m before i drop to the 200 or 2000 microamp.

Cool - just use the 10ADC range then.

Once you've worked out how much current is being drawn at the battery terminal, you can work out which circuit is drawing what current by pulling a fuse from the fuse panel, and measuring the current drain across the fuseblock terminals.
Also - most multimeters will only measure 10 amps for a very short time - leave them connected to that sort of current for more than 30 seconds or so at a time, and you'll see smoke.

I thought thats was why I had to move the red lead to the uppermost hole when I had the dial turned to 10A DC so I didnt get hot leads. When I finish with 10A DC I move the red lead back to the middle hole whihc makes it good for all other measurements on the dial.

With the meter on 10ampDC and with +ve terminal off and multimeter connected as advised it reads 00.23 is that within acceptible limits? With one interior light turned on it goes to 00.74

No 0.23A is 230milliamps you dont want anymore than about 50milliamps(0.05A) drain.

Cheers
Simon...

Do these multimeters normally give a continuous reading because when I hooked this up it went straight to the reading for about 1 second then went back to zero. I did it several times and with the internal light on it did the same thing went to the higher reading then back to zero. When its wired upo normally it reads constantly on voltages. Does amperage work differently? or is it just a crappy meter.

Sounds like you've selected an AC range.

Scott

It was the setting linked to the extra red hole.

Just went outside and did the same check on my Maverick and it reads 0.02 which i guess is fine as I dont have a problem. What would be likely to be causing the reading on my son's GQ to go from .23 to zero its like something is coming on and off. I guess the old trick is to remove fuses one by one and see if it makes any difference but the drain isnt constant it doesnt make sense to me. Could it be a dodgy earth as he has moved his auxilliary battery over to the cranking side and the terminals are on the wrong side and the earth wont connect so he has made a short lead up out of about 8mm wire and connected it. Kids you cant tell 'em. His car starts OK hooked up like this but is it likely to be the cause of the jumping reading?

Edit: Deleted incoherent ramblings.

I have no idea.

Scott

Scot, I posted more info while you were doing a post I think. May shed more light on it.

Red_MAv wrote:Do these multimeters normally give a continuous reading because when I hooked this up it went straight to the reading for about 1 second then went back to zero. I did it several times and with the internal light on it did the same thing went to the higher reading then back to zero. When its wired upo normally it reads constantly on voltages. Does amperage work differently? or is it just a crappy meter.

Dude thats one of the meters you get free when you spend $5.00 or more at dick smiths.

(cough TIGHT ARSE)

Expect anything.

Get a low wattage indicator globe (behind dash type) wire this up the same as the meter., If it glows you have a leak - if not all OK.

The picture I got on the Web, It looks like its the same layout as the one I have which cost $20 Mine has a few differnet symbols but I'd bet my left one it comes from the same factory in china. Any way the reading on The maverick is beautiful .02 but on the Patrol its .23 I still reckon it will be something in the wiring. He wired hs own stereo in with wires about as thick as my winch wiring and no my wiring isnt undersize.

A globe like in a dash switch that lights up?

Red_MAv wrote:A globe like in a dash switch that lights up?

yeah that would do - if it just flashes on then goes dim or off and stays that way, don't worry - it could just be a capacitor charging up on initial power connection (may be the memory backup supply for the radio)
or what scott said - meter on ac amps (but i doubt that meter has that feature)


EDIT - not an LED type, its got to be an old school globe.