While using a digital multimeter to diagnose electrical problems on customers’ equipment, I frequently hear the comment, “I’ve got one of those multimeter things, but I never learned how to use it.” ...

When your car doesn’t start, often a low or dead battery is the culprit. Unfortunately, most vehicle owners do not check their battery until it fails. As preventative maintenance, the suggested best ...

Back in the early days of electricity, lab workers could measure electric current in a circuit using an ammeter (galvanometer) and voltage using a voltmeter. From there, they could calculate ...

I'm having problem with a starter motor on a riding mower, and need to check if the motor is getting juice and not working or if something else isn't working and no juice is getting to the starter.

Let's start with DC voltage, one of the simplest and most-used multimeter measurements. The DC voltage measurement is used to determine the difference in electrical potential between two points in a ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Electrical diagnostic work is one of the most challenging parts of automotive repair. It can be incredibly daunting for beginners or DIY ...

Home improvement addicts really get excited about their power tools. And in the shadow of drills and sanders, the multimeter doesn't get much love. Too bad, because multimeters are just as useful and ...

Digital multimeters (DMM), once called voltmeters, have been described as the tape measure for engineers in the new millennium. With electronics and electrical circuits included in almost every ...

Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or ...

Before we go forward and run some of the tests that we are going to see hereinafter, let us check a few of the symptoms to understand if those tests are worth doing. We have mentioned some symptoms ...

The first time I used a multimeter was in my younger years. I was really into remote-controlled cars—but you couldn't just buy one and start driving. You had to buy a kit and a controller separately ...