Which Multimeter...?

[The Seer]

I know nothing about these, aside from the fact I need to buy one and the essence of what it does. The restoration of my car requires it, can anyone recommend a product that is durable and reliable?

Thanks

[Turn7]

Fluke all day long - subject to budget of course.

[EagleMoto4-2]

I have a Gunsons which is still going strong after many years. Battery lasts for ages too.

[DuraAce]

Secondhand fluke from eBay. Paid about £30 I think, still going strong years later.

[Dogwatch]

If you've survived life so far without needing one you probably don't need anything fancy. Like buying a calculator you can end up with a lot of whistles and bells you never use (and may not even know how to effectively).

I would think your main requirements are for voltage measurement, and continuity/resistance checks. Any multimeter around the £10 mark will do these functions. Digital display is fine - and probably inevitable at this price point.

[nsa]

I've had a few and would recommend something with auto power off. Most will measure voltage, resistance, continuity, which is about all you need for most jobs. 10-20 pounds should cover it. Can't find the one that I bought but it wasn't expensive.

[E-bmw]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VC97-Accurate-DIGITAL-LC...

Cheap & cheerful, does everything you will EVER want it to do & then some, pretty reliable & robust too, I have used mine for about 5 years with NO issues at all.

[paintman]

Bear in mind that a digital multimeter can mislead.
As an example, my RRC had a non running fuel pump. According to the MM there was at least 12v (full battery voltage) at all of the points tested incl the connection of the loom to the pump. 12v applied to the pump live & earth from a spare battery made the pump run normally.
So what was the problem?
A 12v test bulb connected to the loom end live terminal didn't come on. A pin pushed through the live wire just back from the connector put the bulb on. Stripping the connector revealed extensive corrosion to the wire & most of the strands had gone. So whilst 12v was present there wasn't enough being delivered due to the lack of conductor.
So make yourself up a test bulb while you're at it - bulb holder & a couple of lengths of wire will do it plus a couple of small crocodile clips.

Edited by paintman on Friday 19th February 20:54

[shirt]

i have a fluke with all the bells and whistles. my electrically minded mates think its fantastic as it can also recall the last however many readings from the memory.

for me, it goes beep when there's continuity in the wire, which is about my limit.

[Oldred_V8S]

paintman said:

Bear in mind that a digital multimeter can mislead.
As an example, my RRC had a non running fuel pump. According to the MM there was at least 12v (full battery voltage) at all of the points tested incl the connection of the loom to the pump. 12v applied to the pump live & earth from a spare battery made the pump run normally.
So what was the problem?
A 12v test bulb connected to the loom end live terminal didn't come on. A pin pushed through the live wire just back from the connector put the bulb on. Stripping the connector revealed extensive corrosion to the wire & most of the strands had gone. So whilst 12v was present there wasn't enough being delivered due to the lack of conductor.
So make yourself up a test bulb while you're at it - bulb holder & a couple of lengths of wire will do it plus a couple of small crocodile clips.

Edited by paintman on Friday 19th February 20:54

You should always test voltage with the load connected. Only with the load connected will you get current flow. Without current flow you will not see the voltage drop. You can get 12v through a wet finger but not enough current to run anything.

[paintman]

Something a lot don't understand. The MM says 12 volts so the fault must be elsewhere.
My most useful car electrics tools are a couple of long lengths of wire with a small crocodile clip at each end, a pin & a test bulb! (I owned a Scimitar in the early 80s & due to the GRP body everything is earth by wire!)

[thebraketester]

Turn7 said:

Fluke all day long - subject to budget of course.

Unnecessary purchase coming... :-)

[Zad]

Don't forget that you might need a meter that can measure pulse width modulated (PWM) signals. Many Flukes are aimed at electrical or general electronic markets and don't have pulse measurement.