Voltmeter/multimeter issue, suggestions please

[yaqui]

Howdy Braintrust,

I've got a digital voltmeter that I use around the house and when I tried to use it the other day, the readings were all over the place. I was trying to trace an issue related to a stereo harness in my son's car. Digital readout just kept jumping all over the place, so I thought I would test it on the car battery, should read about 12 volts and be steady...Nope

I have brand new batteries in the unit. What would cause the VM to be freaking out? Do they just go bad sometimes?

TIA

[Greenheadless]

Because it was free from Harbor Freight?

[mix]

I'm not trying to be a smart a but are you sure you had in on DC volts?

[Johnny Dangerr]

Battery should be about 13.2. I think.....

[gneimeth]

Check your test leads - re-seed them / sometimes flexing them causes issues. Also try changing your settings and test back and fourth (ac to dc)

[Mike D]

Most likely bad leads.


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[gonehuntin68]

I know mine does this when the battery is low so you might want to check the battery again. Bad leads could also be the problem or just a bad Volt meter especially if it's on of the cheap ones from harbor freight as I seen this exact problem with the free on I got from them.

[LWD]

I don't know what causes that, but I recently had a similar issue with a unit I'd had for years. Brand new batteries read 2/3-charged. Good batteries would sit on the charger for days and be 2/3-charged. I changed the battery and same thing. I just chunked it in the trash and bought another.

LWD

[Rick]

The internal battery in a meter is not needed to measure voltage, it is just used to measure resistance (ohms). If it is jumping all over the place measuring both voltage and resistance, it is either a bad lead or the meter. Put it in the lowest resistance scale, touch leads, it should be solid at 0 ohms. If it is jumping, pull one lead out. Use the other lead to touch the contact in the socket of the lead us just pulled. If solid the lead you pulled is bad (verify by pulling good lead and using bad lead to jump between sockets), do that for other lead. If it is jumping in all steps, get a piece of wire and jumper between meter sockets, if still jumping, the meter is most likely bad

[yaqui]

Not a free unit from HF haha. I don't remember where I picked it up, but it was not cheap. I tried reseating the leads, maybe one has gone bad, good thought.

ThorThunder you are correct about 13.3 on the car battery volts.

I knew you guys could help. Appreciate each and every one of y'all.