Electrics: 70: How to use a Multi Meter

[asbo1980]

I have had a battery drain for approx 5 months now, i have to disconnect the battery every night or else when i wake up and go to work the battery is dead without fail!
Someone suggested i should buy a Amp Multi Meter so i did tonight from Halfords.
Just got home and read the instructions and there not very clear for someone like myself who has never used one before so sorry to be a pain but how do i use it to check the fuses in the fusebox? It's a Precision Gold N73BZ Tester.

[alv70d1999]

have you checked to see if the door lights or the boot light goes out??

[alv70d1999]

il do me best but its vodka o-clock lol.......... basically. on a meter you have 3 places to put the probes.....you need to put the common in which should be black and then put the red probe into the amps hole...then put the meter to amps and then take the positive clamp off the battery......then put the red probe on the battery,and the black probe on the clamp and read the amps....

[capt jack]

Originally Posted by asbo1980

I have had a battery drain for approx 5 months now, i have to disconnect the battery every night or else when i wake up and go to work the battery is dead without fail!
Someone suggested i should buy a Amp Multi Meter so i did tonight from Halfords.
Just got home and read the instructions and there not very clear for someone like myself who has never used one before so sorry to be a pain but how do i use it to check the fuses in the fusebox? It's a Precision Gold N73BZ Tester.

If the MM hasn't got clear instructions, take the car and the MM back to Halfords, get your money back on the MM and get them to test the battery (free). Why should you pay good money for kit that you can't use because the instructions are naff?

If the battery is OK then leave Halfords at the earliest opportunity and go to the local independent motor accessories store and get them to sell you a MM and show you how to use it. If the battery is not OK when tested at Halfords, get a price for a replacement, tell them you'll think about it, then go to the local independent and get a price from them. They'll probably be cheaper, and definitely more knowledgable!

If the battery is draining overnight it's either because the battery is bu@@ered, or as has been suggested your infernal lights are staying on.

If the infernal lights are staying on it's either because you didn't switch them off or there's a bu@@ered switch somewhere! If the latter post back on here for more advice, if the former......need I really say more!?!

Finally, Google 'how to use an automotive MM' - you'll find plenty of free advice and help that way.

Cheers

Jack

[Fordy]

+1 on try the independent.

I knew my battery was dying after a couple of failed starts. On the amp meter it looked fine, but testing the individual cells with a pipette thingy showed a dead cell that sucked the power out of the good ones overnight.

The indy had the tools, knew how to use them and charged me about £45 for a new battery