Need Help with Multimeter!

Thread Starter

MedicP251

Joined Apr 2, 2018
5
I'm trying to check resistance, but my multimeter is acting crazy. I have the dial correctly set to ohms and both prongs attached correctly, but the digital guage is just steadly climbing. When the prongs are not connected to each other I have no reading, as it should be, but whenever the prongs are connected it gives me a reading that is slowly increasing and the craziest thing is that the number increases while the prongs are not connected. i.e. I connect them for a sec and they read 35.6 unconnect them for a min and then reconnect them and it will read 37.8. I have changed the battery and checked all connections, but can't figure out the problem. Can anyone please help!
 

MrSoftware

Joined Oct 29, 2013
2,188
Are the leads plugged into the correct spots on the meter? Can you post a picture of the meter exactly as it is when you are trying to use it?
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,846
I connect them for a sec and they read 35.6 unconnect them for a min and then reconnect them and it will read 37.8. I have changed the battery and checked all connections, but can't figure out the problem. Can anyone please help!
Is the resistor you're trying to measure in a circuit?
 

sghioto

Joined Dec 31, 2017
5,380
Harbor Freight special. I've had several of those meters from time to time and found the problem to be in the selector switch. I would just rotate the switch around back and forth about 10 times to clean.
SG
 

KJ6EAD

Joined Apr 30, 2011
1,581
Basic troubleshooting steps:
  • Follow the manual instructions to test or replace the battery.
  • Test resistors of known value near the middle of each range (ideally 100Ω, 1k, 10k, 100k & 1M).
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,176
Basic troubleshooting steps:
  • Follow the manual instructions to test or replace the battery.
  • Test resistors of known value near the middle of each range (ideally 100Ω, 1k, 10k, 100k & 1M).
KJ6 is right on! The very first thing is to check the battery, making sure that the connections are clean, and also clean the contacts of the selector switch.
 
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