Im a decently handy guy, but ive always struggled with electrical circuits and how to test. There are some REALLY good points made in here - well done guys.
I can't even BEGIN to tell you how happy I am to have found this video. I've been looking all over the internet to find ANYTHING that not only shows you how to use it, but explains why you put it on the settings that you do, AND what the readings should be. Trying to pick up a little here and a little there was driving me crazy. I can honestly say that I understand the BASICS of how to use my multimeter. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
@@stacyturner1317 foreal.. a vast majority of people, and content creators are horrible teachers. They miss so many points, and opportunities to explain the why and how questions. We’re humans, not monkeys. We like knowing what and why we’re are doing, what we’re doing.
I use a mulitmeter so seldom that I have to stop and think twice about it each time I use it. These are good refresher tips for me regarding a very useful tool.
Do you have a video that demonstrates how to check for a parasitic draw on an automotive battery is an automotive battery from an older vehicle 72 cutlass to be specific non computer
Very good information if you are a car guy or hobbyist like myself it's very important to learn the multimeter I learned it pretty good and it helped me a whole lot putting the whole electrical system together for my 67 Firebird love you guys I Hagerty keep up the great job
@@treycen2785 that's good my Firebird brother the more you could learn the better it is for you to move forward with your project check out my TH-cam video and good luck
This is a very helpful and informative video on Multimeter function. It was a huge help for me and I am sure it will help hundreds if not thousands of others. Thank you
Fantastic Video. I'm a DIY kind of backyard mechanic and pretty knowledgeable about numerous aspects of cars but I was always a little unsure of the electrical side of things and especially on how to test and probe for electrical issues. You made the information as easy as pie. Great job and I really appreciate it.
Thank you, Mr Matt Hagerty. I watched your video twice, and sincerely appreciate your clear description and teaching method. I carefully read through the manual upon purchasing my initial multimeter. A refresher course with a clear demonstration by an expert cannot be matched. Many thanks, and I wish you & your family good health throughout the high risk threat of Covid19.
Videos like this one are one of the best parts of TH-cam. They save hours of time and can be constantly rewatched to get answers to specific questions.
I really enjoyed (and learned a lot) from the diagnostic part of the video towards the end. The step-by-step process for finding the root cause was explained very well. Thank you!
Valuable information to someone like me who's working on my SUV to bring it to life after 4 years of sitting on the driveway. Thank you so much and I subscribed
This is a great video. I'd like to see a follow up video that details real world situations with corrosion on bulb sockets. It would be great to see how to measure resistance in a socket that is corroded that explains how to troubleshoot older wiring that might be susceptible to corrosion. An explanation of resistance metering in more detail would be helpful for the DIY crowd that is trying to determine why, for example, a turn signal bulb is working but flashing faster than the other side of the car. Measuring resistance would be a way to determine that the circuit can flow electricity via amps and voltage yet resistance is higher than normal which might be the cause of why the turn signal circuit is behaving erratically. This just happened to me last week and I spent hours learning about it when I bet one of these awesome simple videos would detail a more real-world scenario. I can't say enough how much I learn from these Hagerty DIY videos. Thank you very much!
I'm a mechanical engineer, but for whatever reason I struggled with circuits through college, and haven't needed to touch a mutlimeter or a circuit in 3.5 years. Excellent refresher, trying to diagnose why my truck won't start, problem is no power to fuel pump after full engine rebuild. Just got to figure out WHERE.
I hate electrical work and typically avoid it on my own projects. I just don't know enough about it. But this is hands down it the best video about Multimeters. Thanks for the video!
Using your fingers to hold the wires onto the test lead is a bad habit to get into. I was checking trailer wiring and a short made the wire get red hot. I got a nice brand on that one. It also trains you to get bit when you start working with AC circuits. Otherwise a lot of good info.
rcadd1ct you’re right. I try to avoid it whenever possible, but loose wires on the table were difficult to wrangle. The other issue I’ve found is, testing high resistance circuits, my body can change the reading. Thanks for watching!
Same for me, I want to add a parking mode kit to my VW and need to see what side of the fuse is providing direct power so i can use piggyback adapters to wire it in. Thanks
It turned out that the aftermarket air horn in my 2000 Ford Ranger XLT was not working due to simple corrosion of the horn’s terminals and the power wire to which they are connected. A quick cleaning using an automotive battery terminal post wire brush was the quick and easy fix for me to once again hear that sweet (but sometimes annoying!) ‘Wah wah’ sound emanate from my trusty light duty toy truck.
continuity is also a great way to test a broken load...or switch...i always use it to check is my wires are going (+) positive and coming back (-) negative...before i hook up my 12v supply...you can also check which wires go to which switch if you have 3 wires on a 2 way switch...so you know which switch turns on the flow in the wire...
Good video. The only issue I see is, during your ohms tests, you are holding the bare wire with your fingers. That creates a possibility of creating an electrical path thru the skin. Which could create a false reading if the path has less resistance than the component being tested.
Hes absolutely right about playing around with high voltages. Even home wiring can become bananas. Hell for god sakes never poke around in a panel to see if you can get a reading. Dont fake it till you make it with this tool. This is really for say a maint person or a straight Clark Griswold moves.
You should show how to check a battery and alternator in a car.... its probably the most common thing people will need this for when talking about automotive stuff
hi, is there any chance that you can show any info about an infurider yf-39c multimeter i have just bought one and cant make head nor tails of it i don't recognise most of the symbols ,cheers Chas
Question for you. Why did you hook it up to the AC voltage terminal and not the DC? The battery doesn't have alternating current. You still got the correct reading but I just wanted some more information so I fully understand
Good info Matt, just keep in mind, you are assuming that your viewers are using 12v negative ground....but this is a Hagerty video, and many customers of Hagerty have 6v positive ground classic/historical vehicles....
DMMs are a necessity for automotive electronic diagnosis. That being said, most malfunctions are simply opens and shorts, and tracking them down can be done with a very simple 12VDC test light.
Test lights are good for checking fuses and if voltage is present, but that's about it. The majority of the issues I encounter have to do with poor grounding (I own a British car... so take that as you will). An incandescent test light will give no indication of excessive resistance in a ground. I also avoid using test lights in modern cars, as they can transfer a decent amount of current through them, which could create a short or damage a computer system. For $25, I'll always go for a multimeter.
Thank you for this video. I would have understood it a lot better though if you had used an actual car to demonstrate the tests. Using a standalone light bulb lost me completely. I am a visual learner, but I need to see it hands-on.
Im a decently handy guy, but ive always struggled with electrical circuits and how to test. There are some REALLY good points made in here - well done guys.
Same here
I can't even BEGIN to tell you how happy I am to have found this video. I've been looking all over the internet to find ANYTHING that not only shows you how to use it, but explains why you put it on the settings that you do, AND what the readings should be. Trying to pick up a little here and a little there was driving me crazy. I can honestly say that I understand the BASICS of how to use my multimeter. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
@@stacyturner1317 foreal.. a vast majority of people, and content creators are horrible teachers. They miss so many points, and opportunities to explain the why and how questions. We’re humans, not monkeys. We like knowing what and why we’re are doing, what we’re doing.
I use a mulitmeter so seldom that I have to stop and think twice about it each time I use it. These are good refresher tips for me regarding a very useful tool.
Do you have a video that demonstrates how to check for a parasitic draw on an automotive battery is an automotive battery from an older vehicle 72 cutlass to be specific non computer
Lol same usually it's to stop and think "wtf did I get myself into"
I have no electrical background and bought a project truck. Challenge accepted. Your video explained a lot. Thanks.
@@petewebber8671 my S10 project is challenging haha but that’s the point right?
this is hands down a far superior explanation of how electricity works over anything i learned in school. Good job Hagerty
I have had one of these for over 10 years and never knew how it worked, until now that is,
Thanks for the brilliant video 👍
Very good information if you are a car guy or hobbyist like myself it's very important to learn the multimeter I learned it pretty good and it helped me a whole lot putting the whole electrical system together for my 67 Firebird love you guys I Hagerty keep up the great job
haha watching this for my 94 firebird
@@treycen2785 that's good my Firebird brother the more you could learn the better it is for you to move forward with your project check out my TH-cam video and good luck
The absolute best video I’ve found for the novice with a multimeter! Well done!
This is a very helpful and informative video on Multimeter function. It was a huge help for me and I am sure it will help hundreds if not thousands of others. Thank you
Policy saivern
Thank buck a roo!!! N pistol annies...lol u helped me more than u kno
This was such a massive help in learning about how a multimeter works. Please do more of these types of videos!!
Fantastic Video. I'm a DIY kind of backyard mechanic and pretty knowledgeable about numerous aspects of cars but I was always a little unsure of the electrical side of things and especially on how to test and probe for electrical issues. You made the information as easy as pie. Great job and I really appreciate it.
Me too, a hobby mechanic likes to work on my car on weekends. Which volt meter will you suggest me , to buy, and from where?
Thank you, Mr Matt Hagerty. I watched your video twice, and sincerely appreciate your clear description and teaching method. I carefully read through the manual upon purchasing my initial multimeter. A refresher course with a clear demonstration by an expert cannot be matched. Many thanks, and I wish you & your family good health throughout the high risk threat of Covid19.
Last time I used a multimeter was back in middle school, so this was a very useful refresher. Got some nasty DIY wiring to clear up in my engine bay.
Videos like this one are one of the best parts of TH-cam. They save hours of time and can be constantly rewatched to get answers to specific questions.
Very helpful, good audio and visual instructions. Thank you for lowering my anxiety with my new multimeter lol
I just learned everything I need in life. 😂 Thanks for this excellent presentation!
I really enjoyed (and learned a lot) from the diagnostic part of the video towards the end. The step-by-step process for finding the root cause was explained very well. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this video. I am a complete novice and this helped me quickly get up to speed for the task I needed to do.
This is a SIMPLE, WELL explained video with no one trying to be a MOVIE STAR...just a great to the point vid....WELL DONE!
Valuable information to someone like me who's working on my SUV to bring it to life after 4 years of sitting on the driveway. Thank you so much and I subscribed
This is a great video. I'd like to see a follow up video that details real world situations with corrosion on bulb sockets. It would be great to see how to measure resistance in a socket that is corroded that explains how to troubleshoot older wiring that might be susceptible to corrosion. An explanation of resistance metering in more detail would be helpful for the DIY crowd that is trying to determine why, for example, a turn signal bulb is working but flashing faster than the other side of the car. Measuring resistance would be a way to determine that the circuit can flow electricity via amps and voltage yet resistance is higher than normal which might be the cause of why the turn signal circuit is behaving erratically. This just happened to me last week and I spent hours learning about it when I bet one of these awesome simple videos would detail a more real-world scenario.
I can't say enough how much I learn from these Hagerty DIY videos. Thank you very much!
We have a few more videos focused on electrical components coming out soon. Stay tuned!
What a great video! Exactly what I need while working on my Jeep. I love the simple explanations and the real world issue troubleshooting.
Im installing a start/stop button on my car with PKE. This is the best tutorial, even for dummies like me who has never used a multi meter
I'm a mechanical engineer, but for whatever reason I struggled with circuits through college, and haven't needed to touch a mutlimeter or a circuit in 3.5 years. Excellent refresher, trying to diagnose why my truck won't start, problem is no power to fuel pump after full engine rebuild. Just got to figure out WHERE.
Great tutorial!
I love how you demonstrated use-cases for troubleshooting after describing the basic functions.
Absolutely excellent introductory video. Why can’t they all be like that ? Terrific job.
Best video I’ve seen on use basics
I hate electrical work and typically avoid it on my own projects. I just don't know enough about it. But this is hands down it the best video about Multimeters. Thanks for the video!
Using your fingers to hold the wires onto the test lead is a bad habit to get into. I was checking trailer wiring and a short made the wire get red hot. I got a nice brand on that one. It also trains you to get bit when you start working with AC circuits.
Otherwise a lot of good info.
rcadd1ct you’re right. I try to avoid it whenever possible, but loose wires on the table were difficult to wrangle.
The other issue I’ve found is, testing high resistance circuits, my body can change the reading.
Thanks for watching!
You might also want to ditch the metal watch band too. I have a VERY nice brand from mine. 😳
@@teymac8127 Yes sirree, and you can't forget wedding rings. Say goodbye to your finger (or a good amount of the skin on it)
Great common-sense explanation!!
Clear and instructive basics - Very nice!!
you are really good at explaining this bro.
very informative I didn't know anything now I know the basics thank you
Great video. You dumbed it down enough for even me to understand
That was an excellent tutorial. I have never used a multimeter before, I feel pretty confident in purchasing one now.
Same for me, I want to add a parking mode kit to my VW and need to see what side of the fuse is providing direct power so i can use piggyback adapters to wire it in. Thanks
Same man.. Bought one to help diagnose my car and suddenly realised I had no clue how to use it 🤦♂️🤣
Really deep but understandable, touched all the points I was needing help with, wonderful video ❤
Very well done. Always struggled with these
Thanks, you explained just what I needed to know very well
Very good information. In simple words very useful for beginners who does auto works
Thank you sir
Thanks. I don't use a VOM that often and I need to refresh my memory.
It turned out that the aftermarket air horn in my 2000 Ford Ranger XLT was not working due to simple corrosion of the horn’s terminals and the power wire to which they are connected. A quick cleaning using an automotive battery terminal post wire brush was the quick and easy fix for me to once again hear that sweet (but sometimes annoying!) ‘Wah wah’ sound emanate from my trusty light duty toy truck.
Good little intro to multimeters video. I think what I found most interesting...towel bar bumpers on a Super Beetle!
Yea....I noticed that...lol
You deserve a subscription. And here you go
Clear and to the point . Thank you
super helpful for basic at home auto enthusiast.
thank you sir, I learned a lot today with you
Your profile pic confused me for a second, I thought it was me
Your are an excellent teacher
playing with stuff like batteries and other household items with it is a great suggestion
Damn good tutorial with real life examples. thanks
Well done and very helpful. Thank you!!
Just stumbled on this, great video and clear. Also, love the shirt! Hilarious
Very informative and easy to understand.
Great video, the best I've seen so far 🎉😊
Thanks for the diff info. I look forward to working on my mustang’s 9”.
Str8 to the point and informative thanks
Thank you sooooooo muuuch..... Uve absolutely unswered a plenty of questions in my mind. Thank you once again 🌹🌹🌹🌹
continuity is also a great way to test a broken load...or switch...i always use it to check is my wires are going (+) positive and coming back (-) negative...before i hook up my 12v supply...you can also check which wires go to which switch if you have 3 wires on a 2 way switch...so you know which switch turns on the flow in the wire...
Very good detailed explanation...
Awesome explanation and hands on
Good video. The only issue I see is, during your ohms tests, you are holding the bare wire with your fingers. That creates a possibility of creating an electrical path thru the skin. Which could create a false reading if the path has less resistance than the component being tested.
I never understood electricity until this simple explanation 😅
Hes absolutely right about playing around with high voltages. Even home wiring can become bananas. Hell for god sakes never poke around in a panel to see if you can get a reading. Dont fake it till you make it with this tool. This is really for say a maint person or a straight Clark Griswold moves.
Thank you for explaining simply
VERY HELPFUL, THANK YOU!
Very helpful video. Thank you!!
great video, thanks for uploading.
Excellent video. Thanks.
You should show how to check a battery and alternator in a car.... its probably the most common thing people will need this for when talking about automotive stuff
Thank you. I finally got it.
Thank you. Best explanation
Thank you for teaching us to understand:)
super awesome video. Very clear
Good job very well explained
Ton of thanks man!
Also quick tip “ when in doubt ohm it out” saves a lot of time
CONTINUITY! It's always the first thing I test for finding where the fault is. You can then work out the finer details once there.
very well explained
Very helpful. Thank you 😊
Great video.. To the point & helpful. Thanks
Great refresher video. Smart dude
hi, is there any chance that you can show any info about an infurider yf-39c multimeter i have just bought one and cant make head nor tails of it i don't recognise most of the symbols ,cheers Chas
That was cool, man. I'm going to have to try this out. Good info. I dig it. 😎
Awesome video. thank you.
Great video!
Thank you, really really helpfull video and it is a great help.
Question for you. Why did you hook it up to the AC voltage terminal and not the DC? The battery doesn't have alternating current. You still got the correct reading but I just wanted some more information so I fully understand
Good info Matt, just keep in mind, you are assuming that your viewers are using 12v negative ground....but this is a Hagerty video, and many customers of Hagerty have 6v positive ground classic/historical vehicles....
good video thank you
Using the meter's frequency setting for measuring revs would be a useful video.
Great presentation. Thanks. Off to fix the fuel sender on my Land Rover...
DMMs are a necessity for automotive electronic diagnosis. That being said, most malfunctions are simply opens and shorts, and tracking them down can be done with a very simple 12VDC test light.
Test lights are good for checking fuses and if voltage is present, but that's about it. The majority of the issues I encounter have to do with poor grounding (I own a British car... so take that as you will). An incandescent test light will give no indication of excessive resistance in a ground. I also avoid using test lights in modern cars, as they can transfer a decent amount of current through them, which could create a short or damage a computer system. For $25, I'll always go for a multimeter.
Hagerty Matt Test lights are great for finding grounds. Not discounting DMMs, I have several.
Thank you very much for this video!
Thank you, you have saved me from exploding
awesome video
Like the guy before me I struggle with electrical problems in cars but I need to dig in tks for the tips
Good examples
Ahhh so thats why there was smoke coming out of my multimeter
Very helpful
Thank you for this video. I would have understood it a lot better though if you had used an actual car to demonstrate the tests. Using a standalone light bulb lost me completely. I am a visual learner, but I need to see it hands-on.
Jeez, the US pronunciation "mull tie" sets my teeth on edge