Welly wrote:give me a 240v ring main or a 2-way lighting circuit and I'm like a pig in the brown stuff
We've got 3 phase here
Oh, and 3-way lighting circuits...
I understand the concerns about finding 12 volts and blowing the meter up, with the ignition off and the door open it *should* all be dead but if you've got any worries check with the voltage range first.
It seems a bit odd to me that nobody can use a multimeter, I guess I should remember I was brought up with a dad who was a GPO engineer and always had a couple of
AVOs hanging about.
There are quite a few "how to"s for using a multimeter on the interweb but they're either assuming you are 12 and have brain damage or they're too complicated.
So...
This seems like a fairly typical multimeter, it has ranges for ac & dc volts, dc amps (no ac?) and ohms. It also has an extra socket for testing dc amps up to 16 amps (cool), it's usiually done with an extra socket because it will have a fairly large shunt and won't be accurate at low currents (btw if you use this don't forget to put it back into the low range socket because as sure as eggs is eggs, then next time you use it you'll blow it up
). The picture of the diode is usually a sounder, so if you short the leads it'll beep - very useful for continuity testung as you don't have to keep watching the meter.
Btw the socket that looks like a DIN is for testing transistors, you'll probably never use this...
If it doesn't have the sounder you'll have to do it the traditional way, set it on the lowest resistance (ohms or Ω) scale or you'll get readings everywhere because it's measuring YOU
For pretty much everything on a car you'll only need the sounder or ohms setting looking for continuity and a dv voltage setting covering battery voltage (say 13.8 volts, so the 20 volts range on this meter is fine.) Always disconnect it when you are changing the range -
pop!
For testing the feeds on the passenger door switch you're looking for earths on these two wires 6062 & 6072. There *shouldn't* be any voltage on them but if there's any doubt start off on the voltage setting, testing between the connector on the end of the wires and a good earth. I usually find good earths on either a door check strap or the ignition key slot (or the ignition key itself if you can get to it). Btw it's handy to have the choice between test probes and crocodile clips on the end of your multimeter's leads 'cos otherwise you need 3 hands. Once you're certain there is no voltage on the wires, turn the meter to the sounder (or the Ω scale) and test between the end of the connectors and your earth again, you are looking for somewhere close to zero ohms or a beep. This should tell you if the driver's door switch is pushing both earths through to the passenger door switch or if it's broke. If you're getting both earths I'd thnm suggest to put the switch back & try the windows (bluddy intermittent fault), if it's still no good it probably means the passenger switch is broke. I think winding the window up with a battery *probably* means the wiring from the switch to the motor and the motor itself are ok, but you could try testing between wires 6071 & 6061 to see if you can see the motor, use the resistance scale and I'm guessing it'll almost look like a short circuit as the motor is quite powerful.
Hmm, I guess that's enough to confuse you for now
)
