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OSU_Matthew posted:I'm going to skip the harbor freight recommendation and recommend an Innova auto ranging multimeter. They used to be twenty bucks, looks like they went up a few bucks, but it's got everything you need for testing car stuff and is even pretty handy for troubleshooting stuff around the house. I've had mine for years, and it's accuracy is virtually indistinguishable from my fluke clamp meter. Thanks, I ended up ordering this one. I'll get a HF one as a backup but I won't have time to get over there anytime soon and I want to figure out the parasitic drain on my Jeep WK this weekend.
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Mar 1, 2016 18:34
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 11:35 |
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Just wanted to show off my new tool for spin-in rear brake calipers: The air provides pressure while you turn the piston in. Couldn't be easier than this! Related: I just went from hourly to flat-rate on Sunday.
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Mar 1, 2016 21:21
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TACTICAL SANDALS posted:Thanks, I ended up ordering this one. I'll get a HF one as a backup but I won't have time to get over there anytime soon and I want to figure out the parasitic drain on my Jeep WK this weekend. For 12V, the HF meter is fine. For anything higher, I'd invest in a proper meter. If you are sticking it in the wall, you want a real CAT-rated meter with HRC fusing and whatnot. I link this all the time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEoazQ1zuUM&t=364s Please don't risk having this happen. Buy a decent meter, even $50 will get something that won't explode in your hand if you gently caress up. I'm a Fluke whore (an 87, and an 87V, plus a 45 and 8842a on my bench), but my shitbox meter is a B&K 389A I picked up at an auction for $25. I spent $10 to put another fuse in it, and it's a good, reliable meter. I've also got a Milwaukee TRMS meter and accompanying clamp meter for house-voltage AC stuff. If you get a decent Extech or Amprobe, you'll have a good serviceable meter for life. I recommend Dave Jones' shootouts, if you don't like him, then at least skip to the end and listen to the recommendations. There's also a good page on the EEVBlog forum with what meters actually meet their CAT ratings. There are several serial offenders who claim a rating, but the components inside can't meet the claim. http://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/ FYI: That amprobe has an unfused 10A range, which is bad bad news. It also has a 250V-rated glass fuse on the other amperage range (According to the Amazon questions/answers), which is inline with the other measurements. Bad news again, and doesn't meet CATII 600V Rating. I know you guys will say that I'm sperging over nothing, but there are meters that aren't that much more that are much safer. It only takes one gently caress-up on a high voltage circuit to make you very leery about messing about. 0toShifty posted:Just wanted to show off my new tool for spin-in rear brake calipers: Congrats? I guess. GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Sometimes, a grocery bag will do the trick. Protip on Ultrasonic cleaners: Put your cleaning solution and parts in a ziplock bag, then put that in the tank filled with just water. The bag doesn't stop the cleaning action, and you gain the easy-clean-up of the bag containing everything. Otherwise, you've got to dump the entire cleaner tank if it gets filthy. Also, remember that different metals need different cleaners. Simple Green will pit some aluminum alloys. Lab detergents like Alconox (PF, please) are another good non-foaming option. sharkytm fucked around with this message at 03:34 on Mar 2, 2016 |
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Mar 2, 2016 03:24
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sharkytm posted:For 12V, the HF meter is fine. For anything higher, I'd invest in a proper meter. If you are sticking it in the wall, you want a real CAT-rated meter with HRC fusing and whatnot. I link this all the time:
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Mar 2, 2016 03:44
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TACTICAL SANDALS posted:I'm really just gonna be using it for car stuff, if I need to stick it in a wall my friend has a very nice meter she stole from when she worked at Comcast and knows how to use it properly. But thank you for your concern (not sarcasm) Yeah, stick to Low voltage (<24VDC) and you'll be fine with it. If it were me, I'd have gotten an Extech EX330 for $50 or less, but whatever. For low voltage stuff, the big things I look for are a good readable display, instant continuity beeper, and a stable stand. That wrist-strap looks... odd, but may be useful. Best of luck with the parasitic. I hope it's small amperage  .As ChrisGT said on IRC: "bottom line is, don't go sticking meter probes where you wouldn't stick your fingers unless you have an expensive piece of equipment "
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Mar 2, 2016 04:06
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I'd just like to point out that trying to find a parasitic power draw (i.e. measuring current from battery) using a meter that, as SharkyTM mentioned, has an unfused current range is at best a very bad idea Unfused current range + potential current that a car can draw from its battery = meter gets overloaded, overheats in a couple of seconds and catches on fire.
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Mar 2, 2016 04:09
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literally a fish posted:I'd just like to point out that trying to find a parasitic power draw (i.e. measuring current from battery) using a meter that, as SharkyTM mentioned, has an unfused current range is at best a very bad idea poo poo for real? A bunch of the reviews said it was good for just that purpose (which means exactly fuckall but...) Sorry if everyone is sick of meter chat, I thought it would be a simple matter of "yeah buy this one next question thanks" lol
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Mar 2, 2016 04:48
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TACTICAL SANDALS posted:poo poo for real? A bunch of the reviews said it was good for just that purpose (which means exactly fuckall but...) Honestly, a $3 test light is pretty awesome for a lot of general automotive troubleshooting, like finding draws and "is this wire actually hot?" Easy to learn, easy to clip to ground for one-handed use, and the bulb doubles as a fuse for safety.
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Mar 2, 2016 05:07
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TACTICAL SANDALS posted:poo poo for real? A bunch of the reviews said it was good for just that purpose (which means exactly fuckall but...) If the meter's only rated for 10 amps, and it has no fuse, and you try to draw more than 10 amps through it, things will start to heat up. Your car could potentially draw dozens of amps just from having the ignition turned on, which would rather rapidly immolate the meter thanks to having no fuse (and force you to buy another meter) - a decent quality meter has a fuse on that range, and will just blow the fuse, rather than burn your house down.
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Mar 2, 2016 05:38
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Little gotcha I totally missed about the HF folding trailer: my county assessed it as a generic "2015 8ft utility trailer" worth actual money. The assessed value was at $450, taxes at $50/year, meaning they thought market value was a few thousand dollars. I had to wait in line at the courthouse, present an original receipt showing the $220 purchase price and fill out paperwork to get the value down to $75 and taxes down to $7.50/yr. I was ready to sell the thing if taxes were going to be 1/4 the price every year. eddiewalker fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Mar 2, 2016 |
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Mar 2, 2016 06:19
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literally a fish posted:If the meter's only rated for 10 amps, and it has no fuse, and you try to draw more than 10 amps through it, things will start to heat up. Your car could potentially draw dozens of amps just from having the ignition turned on, which would rather rapidly immolate the meter thanks to having no fuse (and force you to buy another meter) - a decent quality meter has a fuse on that range, and will just blow the fuse, rather than burn your house down. I totally forgot, I already have this Lisle drain tester: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RGN5UAY?keywords=lisle%20battery%20drain&qid=1456900741&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 Which has an inline fuse, so I should be cool right?
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Mar 2, 2016 07:40
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TACTICAL SANDALS posted:I totally forgot, I already have this Lisle drain tester: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RGN5UAY?keywords=lisle%20battery%20drain&qid=1456900741&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1 Yeah, that should work. I mean you should still get a meter with a proper fuse in it but that'll work 
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Mar 2, 2016 08:21
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literally a fish posted:DO NOT BUY A UNI-T METER. I hate to just shill for the pro products, but this is exactly why Fluke, Snap-on, etc. are worth the money. I'm going to use it all the time in lovely conditions, and I know it's not going to catch fire and kill me. And if it does it will be recalled and fixed instead of covered up.
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Mar 2, 2016 08:34
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dont underestimate the amount of current a battery can dump out either- The winch on my car draws 550A at full load and my optima yellowtop doesnt even flinch punching that out.
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Mar 2, 2016 12:53
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eddiewalker posted:Little gotcha I totally missed about the HF folding trailer: my county assessed it as a generic "2015 8ft utility trailer" worth actual money. When I was working part-time there for two years, we always gave people a quick run down as far as expected costs between taxes, registration, and inspection. 1/3 of the people would end up not buying.
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Mar 2, 2016 15:22
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metallicaeg posted:When I was working part-time there for two years, we always gave people a quick run down as far as expected costs between taxes, registration, and inspection. 1/3 of the people would end up not buying. You should've seen the DMV clerk red-in-the-face trying to convince me that the sales tax she was trying to charge me was totally different than the sales tax I had already paid the the store. The free flashlight also on the receipt really complicated the math for some reason.
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Mar 2, 2016 16:05
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Ferremit posted:dont underestimate the amount of current a battery can dump out either- The winch on my car draws 550A at full load and my optima yellowtop doesnt even flinch punching that out. Very true, but a 12V circuit won't really arc flash you - if the fuse pops on the low current range, it'll just pop. If the high current unfused range goes up, either the probes/probe wires or the meter will catch fire and you'll get some burns on your fingers (could even be second or third degree... no, not kidding) but won't be electrocuted or arc flashed. It's still somewhat dangerous and likely to injure you if you really cock it up, but it won't be instantly fatal (or arguably worse, blind you, deafen you, and leave you with half your body covered in third degree burns and possibly needing a few amputations) the way using a fake/non CAT rated meter the wrong way on a 480V 3-phase circuit would. kastein fucked around with this message at 16:52 on Mar 2, 2016 |
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Mar 2, 2016 16:50
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kastein posted:Very true, but a 12V circuit won't really arc flash you - if the fuse pops on the low current range, it'll just pop. If the high current unfused range goes up, either the probes/probe wires or the meter will catch fire and you'll get some burns on your fingers (could even be second or third degree... no, not kidding) but won't be electrocuted or arc flashed. Yeah. Even a full-blown short from battery hot to ground will just cook the meter and leads a bit. It's possible to hurt yourself with 12VDC, but it takes a special talent. Some of my stuff is 350VDC, with 1500A behind it. It's only for 2ms, but still, 1500A is 1500A, and it only takes 9mA to kill you.
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Mar 2, 2016 16:59
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Wouldn't it theoretically be possible to get a set of fused leads and make any meter safe? Shark tank here I come
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Mar 2, 2016 17:03
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Yeah, theoretically you could put one of those super expensive HRC fuses that Fluke uses into a set of test leads, I don't see a reason it wouldn't work. Or you could just spend another ten or fifteen bucks and get a middling quality meter that comes with one already.
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Mar 2, 2016 17:14
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:Sometimes, a grocery bag will do the trick. sharkytm posted:Protip on Ultrasonic cleaners: Put your cleaning solution and parts in a ziplock bag, then put that in the tank filled with just water. The bag doesn't stop the cleaning action, and you gain the easy-clean-up of the bag containing everything. Otherwise, you've got to dump the entire cleaner tank if it gets filthy. Also, remember that different metals need different cleaners. Simple Green will pit some aluminum alloys. Lab detergents like Alconox (PF, please) are another good non-foaming option. Good info, thanks. Any suggestions on brands? It seems like there is cheap Chinese crap that you can tell by the sub-60 watt rating, and a big jump to commercial stuff.
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Mar 2, 2016 17:20
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EVERYWHERE 
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I've got the Chinese crap Pittsburg one (that violated my no HF parts with wires in them rule) that's been surprisingly decent for cleaning nuts, bolts, and various smallish car parts. Can take a while but works pretty well and I've even used it with jewelry too. It was dirt cheap and it's still choochin so it was well worth the pittance I paid.
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Mar 2, 2016 17:43
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meatpimp posted:Good info, thanks. Any suggestions on brands? It seems like there is cheap Chinese crap that you can tell by the sub-60 watt rating, and a big jump to commercial stuff. I've got an eBay-special, but if you really wanted a good one, I'd look for a used industrial unit on eBay or an auction. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. kmcormick9 posted:Wouldn't it theoretically be possible to get a set of fused leads and make any meter safe? The fusing would have to be contained in a box, which would make the leads annoying to use. Or like Ken said, buy a decent meter and upgrade the fuses (The EX330 from Extech still uses glass fuses).
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Mar 2, 2016 18:15
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Is there a cheap(ish) but decent timing light? Seems like the HF one I have is super unreliable. I really don't need advance adjustments or anything, I usually just use it to clip onto the easiest to access part of a spark plug wire to confirm things are working for diagnosing coil/sparkplug issues.
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Mar 2, 2016 19:29
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sharkytm posted:I've got an eBay-special, but if you really wanted a good one, I'd look for a used industrial unit on eBay or an auction. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. The eBay ones have gotten pretty good and have halved in price since I bought mine. I say go that route instead of scouring auction sites hoping for a steal and accidentally buying an oscilloscope instead.
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Mar 2, 2016 19:46
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My gearwrench x beams flex heads came in today! Coworker that owns the Matco version spent a good 15 minuets painstakingly comparing the two. And then quietly said "gently caress" and moped out for a cigarette. Its the exact loving same set for a 3rd price.
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Mar 2, 2016 20:55
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Brigdh posted:Is there a cheap(ish) but decent timing light? Seems like the HF one I have is super unreliable. I really don't need advance adjustments or anything, I usually just use it to clip onto the easiest to access part of a spark plug wire to confirm things are working for diagnosing coil/sparkplug issues.
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Mar 2, 2016 21:04
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InitialDave posted:So just to flash and say "yes, it's sparking"? You can get cheap little glow caps that fit between the HT lead and the plug to do that. Basically yes. Flashing proportionally to the revs is handy (ie is the ignition cutting out at higher revs?) Fitting something between the plug and lead isn't convenient when you have to disassemble the intake to the point that the car won't run. If that's needed to continue the diagnosis, sure ok, but as a first step in trouble shooting, I'd really like to be non-invasive.
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Mar 2, 2016 21:31
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Check if your multimeter has a rev counter feature?
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Mar 2, 2016 23:16
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It doesn't.
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Mar 3, 2016 00:13
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Preoptopus posted:My gearwrench x beams flex heads came in today! Coworker that owns the Matco version spent a good 15 minuets painstakingly comparing the two. And then quietly said "gently caress" and moped out for a cigarette. Literally every Matco tool can have this done to it. Most of the air Tools are rebadged IR or Chicago pneumatic. The only matco tool I like is my plastic tree puller. It is at a perfect angle and has an edge on the tip.
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Mar 3, 2016 01:29
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sharkytm posted:Yeah. Even a full-blown short from battery hot to ground will just cook the meter and leads a bit. It's possible to hurt yourself with 12VDC, but it takes a special talent. And there are few unfused circuits on a car, so the only way to cook the meter would be to connect directly to the battery. Granted, many circuits are fused much higher than the 10A that an HF meter can handle. Which will go first in a dead short, the meter or the fuse? I don't know. I'd guess the fuse. One day I'll do an experiment when my every "last place I looked" is stocked with a meter, a tape measure, and an LED flashlight.
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Mar 3, 2016 01:50
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My wife is amazing and surprised me at work. Extendable 1/2 " ratchet and 7 drawer end cabinet .  Sorry for the awkward angle. A rusty ford with a seized a/c compressor was in the way. Then after seeing this my old boss's dad walks over and hands me these.  Almost made up for the lovely poo poo gates belt that flew off a customers car......
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Mar 3, 2016 02:16
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I have a Fluke 88V I love to death and is one of 3 multimeters I'm allowed to use as per mercedes-benz for measuring ignition circuits on airbags without making party balloons. If you need a good meter, get a fluke. if you're just dicking around with 12V, most cheap 12V meters should be fine for you.
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Mar 3, 2016 03:18
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Pulled the trigger and ordered a Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2" impact wrench, will post videos of me loosening rust belt fasteners.
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Mar 3, 2016 03:24
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Bulk Vanderhuge posted:Pulled the trigger and ordered a Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2" impact wrench, will post videos of me loosening rust belt fasteners.
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Mar 3, 2016 03:29
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I just got the non fuel 1/2 for a 175 the other day with one battery with charger. I really want to give it a run down on the skidmore at work and see how she does.
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Mar 3, 2016 03:38
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SNiPER_Magnum posted:And there are few unfused circuits on a car, so the only way to cook the meter would be to connect directly to the battery. Say you land up dumping 30A through the meter on a 50A fused circuit, though. Meter's still gonna go up.
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Mar 3, 2016 05:16
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 Harbor freight's tool cart was just about the perfect size for what I needed, the same price as the AC Delco one at work and had an extra drawer for me to put stuff like a multimeter and zip ties in. All that poo poo piled on top is what is just constantly pulled out of my actual toolboxs whenever I try to work on something. Granted, alot of it is redundant since I wind up misplacing a 12mm socket, grabbing another one, misplacing that one, grabbing the deep well and then at the end of the job I have 3 sockets of the same size sitting next to me to put up. Hopefully this helps me keep poo poo slightly more organized once I finish setting it up. 
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Mar 3, 2016 09:46
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SouthsideSaint posted:Then after seeing this my old boss's dad walks over and hands me these. I need these 
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Mar 3, 2016 11:14
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