So I have a multi-meter and I have NO idea how to use it.  I bought one of the best ones that Lowes had when I first got my bike because I was told that I would need one at some time or other.  Now I DO need one and I have no clue how to use it.  The manual that came with it is NO help for someone who has never used one.

This is the one that I have:





I need to check that the charging system is actually working correctly.  I was told to put a multi-meter on the battery with the engine running and that it should read about 12 volts.  Then twist the throttle and as the engine revs up, the volts should increase.

My question is which setting do I turn this dial to:




I have never used one so I have no idea.  I also am posting this on a few different forums that I belong to in the hopes to get some help with this as soon as I can, so some of you might see this same post elsewhere.

Also if anyone know of a good web site that can teach me the basics of one of these things, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Robert

Warning don't try anything till you've read this all the way thru.  

1st, the knob setting: on the top right hand quad of the knob is a V with a - and ... underneath, that's DC.  You'll be using this mostly.  50 is the next biggest number over the reading you expect which is 12 volts.

2nd, the cables: the black one goes in the common plug.  The red one stays where it's at.

Ok, now you're ready to take a reading.... what?  Oh the scale.  We've set the knob on 50VDC, the scale we are going to use ends with 50, see it? right there on the right hand side in the middle of all the other numbers.  What? mirror? yeah that's for picking nits with... ok, ok, if you really want to be accurate with your reading, close one eye, line up the needle with the image in the mirror before you take a reading.  lissen, don't worry about it, I doubt your scale is calibrated to NSA standard anyway.  

That's the basics for dc,  no I won't go into it further.  you won't remember it all.  Now go out and use it.  And take another stab at reading the manual.  What? it's in chineese?  no, no, turn it over, that side is in english, sort of, dam translation.

Try rafio shack or an electronic supply store (Fry's) Max

Believe it or not, Home Depot carries a lot of electronics fuses. As soon as it is back in working condition, I'd follow the other suggestion and return it to Lowes for your money back. If a sales person there advised a beginner to get a meter like that, either they don't know squat themselves, or they just wanted to grab your money and to he!! with you getting what you needed.

Sears sells some cheap Craftsman branded digital meters that are easy to use, and much easier for a beginner to figure out the readings on. Self ranging and auto protection too, so you don't blow fuses and let the magic smoke out of them... as often.

Oh, and Sperry is $9.99 junk. The ones at Sears are $29-$49 junk. Fluke meters are almost universally accepted as the best meters on the market. Look to spend upwards of $150, and use it the rest of your life.

For different reasons, I keep both my old Microta (sp?) Radio Shack analog needle meter (never could afford a Simpson) and my Craftsman digital (still can't afford a Fluke). As long as we're on the subject, anyone out there got an old (working) dual trace Tektronix or similar low end oscilloscope they'd part with real cheap? Just need something simple for audio type work. My free WWII surplus one is just silly. It does trace though... kinda.

Well, I went to Radio Shack and got the correct fuse. I also stopped by Harbor Freight on my back home and got a set of alligator clips for the leads. They also happened tto have a VERY inexpensive digital meter on sale. It was regular priced at $9.99 and they had it on sale for $3.59 so I bought it, too.

When I got home I put the new fuse in my analog meter and went out to the bike with both meters. They both read the same and here are the results:

Battery without the bike running: 0.68V
With bike running: 13.60 V
at 3500 RPM: 15.92 V
at 5000 RPM: 16.17 V

Here's what happened to make me want to do this. My wife rode to work and it was fine. When leaving work, the bike started right up but the choke was not on and the bike died. It was dead from then on. No electrical power at all. Not even faint headlight. Nothing.

I went and took my portable jump start box. hooked the cables up and turned on the key. Full lights and the bike started right up. Rode it toward home with the wife following right behind. I had gone about 9 miles through town traffic with a couple of stops at lights. Everything was fine when I had to stop at a light about 1 mile from my house. The engine then cut off. NO power at all, not even faint head light. Pushed it through the intersection when the light changed and off the side of the road. Jumped it again and rode it the rest of the way to the house. Pulled straight into the garage and turned it off. Turned the key back on and there was nothing.

I then hooked it up to my battery tender charger and the charger had the "charged" light lit up, not the "charging" one. I repositioned the charger clips and it still showed the same. I went back to it the next day and turned the key. I had faint lights at this time. I repositioned the clips again and the amber "charging" light came on. I left it for another night and the next morning turned the key. Full headlight. I unhooked the charger and tried to start it and it was dead.

The battery is a sealed cell from Advance Auto that is only 9-10 months old.

Any ideas?
   
   
BTW:  the reading were taken with both meters to confirm that the el-cheapo DVM was acurate.  It is.

To make matters more confusing.  I just pulled the battery and put it on my work bench to let it charge before taking it in to be tested and I threw the meter on it one more time and now it is reading 11.88V where before, when it was in the bike, it read 0.68V.  The battery was also warm when I pulled it from the bike and there was a definate sulpher-like smell going on, also.

Agree, take the battery in and have it tested.  Warmth can come from either charging or discharging.  Not sure about the new batteries, but a smell might indicate overcharging.

Becareful with the 'beep' setting.  This is a continuallity tester meaning it's making contact or the wire is good.  It uses it's own battery to do this.  Don't put it accross the battery terminals or you might need to replace another fuse.  In other words, if you have a battery connected, and you don't know what you're doing, check it with the voltmeter first.  No voltage, ok safe to check with beeper.

Have just gone thru the same problem with my bike, and it cost me 2 batteries before I found the problem. On my Bike it was the Main Lead from the Starter to the solenoid, which was shorting out to the Engine when I started the Bike. This was Killing the Battery, (Dead Short) But when the Start button was not pressed there was nothing to See and no short to find
You have to Remove the Battery Box to Check if the Cable has rubbed thru on the Engine or frame.
Hope this Helps
Regards
Carl