Best multimeter for cars (914;s)

[chrisreale]

Fluke's are spendy, but really nice. I have a crappy didital multiemter that hardly works. What is a good, cost effective multi meter that has many features that would be benefitial for working on cars?

[Bruce Allert]

Hey Chris, I bought cheap digital multi meter ($12) and you really get what you pay for... it wouldn't zero out on the ohms and wouldn't even read them half the time. I have a little meter at the shop that has the needle swing type readout that was more accurate than the digital and it only cost $12 but was so small that I had to wear my cheaters just to see the needle
I picked up a larger version of the needle swing arm version Saturday to do all my testing of the FI harness and it really made a difference, especially being able to see all the numbers. It was only $30. I think it was made by BG Electronics (18 functions). Has ohms settings from x1 to x200 or something like that, volts, ac/dc and has a battery test setting. I also picked up some really small aligator clips. Had an extra pair of elec. probes to which I affixed them. They came in really handy when testing the ECU and the ends of the harness. Hope this helps.
bruce

[sammyg2]

I have two harbor freight digital multi-meters, one I paid $4 for, the other I paid $5 for but the screen is backlit

They work fine, are accurate, do everything I need them to do, and for the life of me I can't see paying any more for one unless I plan to make a living with it.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

If you don't have an HF in your area, and don't want to wait for mail-order, you can go to Radio Shack and pick up a medium-cheapie DMM. You ought to be able to pick up a decent one for less than $30.

I bought a mid-range Fluke years ago, at the recommendation of my step-dad who does computer hardware stuff for a living. Sure, it's overkill--but it has held up for more than 10 years, and shows no signs of dying yet!

--DD

[pbanders]

Here's my vote for the high end DMM. Get a Protek 608 from Fry's, about $200. 5 digit display, mV range for accurate thermocouple temp measurements (and it comes with a thermocouple probe), computer interface for datalogging, pulse width measurement for measuring injector pulses, etc., etc. Easily comparable or better than the top of the line Fluke meter at a fraction of the price. See the full feature set at:

http://www.gigatest.net/hungchang/protek-608.htm

[ss6]

Ditto to the above.

Sears also has a selection of digital multimeters, some of which look like Flukes, or knock-offs thereof, not too expensive either.

Things to look for are high input impedance (all modern digital models have this), "bounce proof" case or add-on rubber guard, and get one that measures amps too.

BTW, Radio Shack has this cool little pen-style solid state oscilloscope gizmo for $80 that you can use to see time dependent stuff like crank sensor outputs, injector firing durations, points, encoders, etc. Their P/N is 910-4905, and you have to order it thru the catalog. The gizmo is actually made by Wittig Technologies:

http://www.wittig-technologies.com/english/05_products/01_oszifox/oszifox_01_intro.htm

I don't have one (yet), but it looks like a great thing for the toolbox if you're into that level of poking and prodding.

[pbanders]

Originally posted by ss6

BTW, Radio Shack has this cool little pen-style solid state oscilloscope gizmo for $80 that you can use to see time dependent stuff like crank sensor outputs, injector firing durations, points, encoders, etc. Their P/N is 910-4905, and you have to order it thru the catalog. The gizmo is actually made by Wittig Technologies:

http://www.wittig-technologies.com/english/05_products/01_oszifox/oszifox_01_intro.htm

I don't have one (yet), but it looks like a great thing for the toolbox if you're into that level of poking and prodding.

Oh, I want one. I was getting ready to buy an old T922 Tek scope so that I had something that was semi-portable, but this is much better. Of course, a Fluke 97 would be great, but those are still $450 on Ebay in "as-is" condition.

[pbanders]

I just tried that RS part number - didn't find it. What URL did you search from? I was at www.radioshack.com

[sammyg2]

The reason I have two is I figured they might be unreliable or I might break one. At that price I could afford to throw them away. Years later I still have two that work fine. I doubt I would ever be able to identify any accuracy difference between mine and the fancy ones.
At $200 for that fry's unit I could buy 40 of the HF units

All those fancy features like pulse width and stuff sounds cool but is so far over my head I can't even figure out if my meters can measure it.
I guess it boils down to buy a meter that matches your capability.

[ss6]

Sorry Brad, it was in their 2002 catalog, but my local store looked it up and pronounced it discontinued. Good old Radio Shack; if they don't sell at least a thousand a week, it's history.

Check out the wittig-technologies.com website for a description and specs. You can order it directly from them for the same price as R/S (before shipping).

I believe they also have slightly larger hand held units still cheaper than the Fluke ScopeMeters.

[74914]

Although I have an electrical/electronics background, I still use the Radio Shack cheapy. The leads break alot but I'd rather spend $200 on parts than a good meter. If I need accurate ohms measurements or current measurements I borrow a Fluke from work.
Ed

[pbanders]

My input was more like, "if you wanted a fancy DMM, what would you get?" - I've got plenty of cheapie DMM's, too. For most uses, they're just fine.

I've got a $5 cheapie I keep in my toolkit in the car. Absolutely invaluable for tracking down side-of-the-road "dead car" problems, like flaky fuel pump connections, dead ignition, etc.

[campbellcj]

I agree, Fluke and a few of the other "pro" brands are cool. But for most basic things I do, a $20 no-name works A-OK.

[DuckRyder]

Define "cost effective".

I have a Fluke 88 that is going on something like 12 years old and only a battery change has been required.

I agree on the sears though, Id be willing to bet fluke is turning those out for them based upon looks.

In my area Lowes also carries a decent selection of the lower line Fluke.