Best Multimeter for Car Battery & Other Automotive Tesing - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2023, 11:39:21 pm
content: Saw this:https://www.motor1.com/products-services/auto-products/automotive-multimeter/Based on your experience, any thoughts/suggestions - with price a consideration but with safety as the priority (for car battery and other automotive testing)?

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 12:15:32 am
content: Safety? Personal safety? If we're talking about a conventional ICE, what (electrical) hazards are there?Now if you're talking about an EV or any hybrid with a high-voltage bus, then you don't want any crap you aren't 100% confident of their certifications and fuses. A Fluke 116 has no possibility of current accidents, so for EVs with a HV bus well under 600V (most of them) that would be what I'd pull off my shelf. If it was an 800V bus () then the large Fluke models might be the only thing I'd be willing to even go near them with. However, I don't think you're typically measuring high voltages when working on most EVs because they mostly do it themselves and you just look at the data. Plus, the harnesses are resistant to tampering, shut off at the first sign of leakage and should not be backprobed. So in most cases you might be back to the first question.

author: Shonky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 12:18:44 am
content: Pretty much any multimeter is "safe" for a regular 12V/24V ICE vehicle. Real real cheap ones (say sub $20) often aren't fused on a 10A range so probably avoid those but that's about it IMO.If you're potentially looking into electric vehicles with high voltage batteries, then I would just look to recognised brands with appropriate ratings for DC

author: slavoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 07:00:50 am
content: What kind of safety is involved in a car workshop when it comes to a multimeter? It's not about protection against electric shock, right?You simply need a mechanically robust multimeter that is resistant to dust and impact, with good probes that have long silicone cables, a fast continuity tester and, if possible, a bargraph to observe voltage fluctuations. The Fluke 115 will certainly get the job done, although there are many cheaper multimeters that would also be suitable.

author: liaifat85
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 07:25:00 am
content: Here is also a review that you can compare with:

author: Solder_Junkie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 09:56:08 am
content: You cannot go wrong with a Fluke, and if you put one on the wrong range and check something connected to mains electricity, you will be safe... although you might have to fork out for a replacement fuse.This YouTube video shows why professionals use Fluke meters.https://youtu.be/OEoazQ1zuUMAbout 5 minutes in for those who cannot wait.SJ

author: SmallCog
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 10:45:27 am
content: I’m ashamed to admit I read that trashy click bait far enough to find thisQuoteAnd despite this I scrolled far enough to findQuoteFluke make nice meters. If you wear out a cheap one using it so much working on cars then by all means consider buying a fluke to work on cars but just about any cheap meter will do the job.I’d suggest a cheap DC clamp meter is a good option as an automotive meter.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 01:06:31 pm
content: Quote from: Electro Fan on July 10, 2023, 11:39:21 pmDepends what you need to measure. I suggest looking at the Snap On Modis.For leakage current, I have used the UNI-T 210E.I looked at an All-Sun EM135. The problem with this meter is is has a design flaw which causes it to be very sensitive to EMI/RFI.I also looked at the Brymen BM319. It's a nice small package but the one thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't store ALL of the settings when you change modes or power off. In my case, I have a specific type of motor and I would like to be able to set the meter up and be done with it, rather than having to set it up each and every time.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 03:00:21 pm
content: For automotive general use, I'd choose a clamp-on meter with integrated multimeter. Clamp range minimum 600 A.The multimeter part is relatively uncritical, voltages are not excessive.

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 03:37:41 pm
content: If you are using this professionally, maybe consider the voltages you may come across in future electric vehicles. There is also some talk of moving to higher voltages than 12v. Either way, most multimeters would be suitable. Oil and impact resistance and a good continuity tester as well as a current clamp would be what I would choose.

author: donlisms
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 05:30:34 pm
content: Yeah... I think I'd wish for one that could easily be wiped down, without too many cracks and crevices. Not that there's ever any oil or grease around cars. But it could happen.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 06:05:02 pm
content: QuoteBut double check the clamp will work with DC,your average clamp meter will only do AC

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2023, 07:46:17 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on July 11, 2023, 06:05:02 pmIt used to be like that, today most clamps will do DC. But check first, of course.

author: Electro Fan
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 12, 2023, 07:06:20 pm
content: Thanks for the replies.It's for a recent high school graduate who is studying to be a technician at automotive training schools. He is learning mechanics and some electronics but not sure how much the training is addressing electricity. So I'm not sure what he will use it for, probably checking car batteries (lots of current?) among other things. I'd just like to get him a meter that will help him learn and be suitable for automotive uses.I saw this:http://www.brymen.com/PD02BM310s_319s.htmlLooks great but might be pushing the budget for a first meter.On the other end, just for learning purposes an Aneng 8008 might get the job done but I don't think that's likely to be a good choice for an automotive technician.Still looking.... Thx

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 01:00:35 am
content: While he is learning I think it's OK for some low end meter. When he becomes an automotive technician and invests tens of thousands of dollars in SnapOn tools then he probably should get a Fluke 88V.

author: Shonky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 01:08:53 am
content: Quote from: Electro Fan on July 12, 2023, 07:06:20 pmJust be aware that "automotive multimeter" usually isn't massively different from regular ones. They usually include some extra features like pulse width measurement for injectors and dwell time for points. Some include RPM too. Some of these are not even really that relevant these days e.g. pretty much anything half modern has a tacho in the dash. I wouldn't get too hung up on "automotive" being in the description honestly.Yes cars can have a lot of current in some circuits, but that doesn't really change much apart from maybe getting a DC clamp meter either as part of or separately to the main multimeter. And "checking a battery (lots of current?)" isn't really a thing. Many times a simple voltage measurement is enough.Also I'd try and go for something half decent. If the automotive thing doesn't last it will still be a useful tool for someone half practical.

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2023, 09:32:20 am
content: A comparison of multimeters for AUTOMOTIVE work by an AUTOMOTIVE web site and the very first sentence in their assessment of their top pick, the Flute 115 starts by touting it's"True-RMS (root mean square) accuracy".Oh, and then they say, "... the Fluke can also accurately measureup to 600.0 ohms..." (emphasis is mine).Are you kidding me? Do they have any idea of what they are doing?I think not! And I would pay ZERO attention to that comparison. They are idiots!I wouldn't let them work on my cars either.As for the "best" multimeter for automotive work, I would pick one in the US$25 to US$50 range that I would not mind accidentally breaking. Automotive work is not a safe environment for meters.