Postby anthonyanthony » June 12th, 2009, 12:14 pm
Check in places like shams electreonics, or other electronics, electrical or hardware stores. Radioshack is expensive.
You can get a decent digital multimeter for between $150- $400.
These will be accurate for most auto use in terms of continuity/diode test, voltage /current measurements and resistance.
(Their are meters specially for automotive use but you said price is your concern.)
Stay away from units cheeper than this since thay will not be accurate; one such unit showed 12 Volts from a power supply when the actual voltage was 11.25 V with another meter. It showed me a resistance of 100 ohms when the resistor was 140 ohms with another meter.
Also in cheap meters the test probes or cables are very flimsey and would have to be replaced since they can snap suddenly (the probes ) if you are probing for measurements in tight places.
Very cheep units the probes might be diffcult to obtain and the wires might be moulded into them making repairs to them difficult.
Also very cheep unit you cannot attach any other accessories to the probes such as alligator clips ( for grounding purposes so as leave one hand free to hold meter and probe for test pionts etc). or extenders if leads are short etc
Very cheep units do not come with some sort of mechanical shock protection so if meter is dropped during use you will see its insides on the floor.
Also they do not come with good electrical overload protection so if overloaded
( such as setting to a low voltage or current range and a high voltage / current is applied or applied and meter is set for resistance it may be the end of you or your meter).
Cheep units the rotary/ selector controls are harsh in operation and will wear out over time. The sockets/ jacks for the test probes will also become lose with time.
Cheep units may not come with hangers or hooks where you can attach meter to (say on bonnet latch or on top engine or hang below dash ) so both hand will be occupied which is unsafe and in convient.
Stay away from very small meters since the display may be difficult to see espically for auto applications where the meter may have to be placed in a secured location while you probe your circuit.
Also they do not come with an illuminated dispaly. (this is helpful for like under the dash etc)
For DIY or just basic auto use you do not need an expensive brand name meter like fluke unless you want to show off. A modest no name or unknown name meter in the price range abouve is suited for you once you take into conderation the criterias listed above.
I have an EMCO DMR3800 DMM , an EMCO BL10K anolouge and another anolouge meter, can't remenber the brand which I got in 1995 and it still works today.
but your looking @ $3000+ for a good one 
