Measuring battery voltage using a multimeter?

I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA, and DCV-- I'm not
sure I know what all these mean. Anyway, what setting do I put it on to
measure the voltage of my vehicle's battery?

Thanks

"Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
news:TsTpg.116495$IK3.36@pd7tw1no...
>I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA, and DCV-- I'm
>not sure I know what all these mean. Anyway, what setting do I put it on
>to measure the voltage of my vehicle's battery?

DCV is for DC Voltage. With car off, should measure approx 12v give or take
a few tenths. With car running, approx 13.8 or so.

Nino NoSpam wrote:
> I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA, and DCV-- I'm not
> sure I know what all these mean. Anyway, what setting do I put it on to
> measure the voltage of my vehicle's battery?
>
> Thanks
>
>

DCV or DC Voltage.

"Seth" > wrote
> "Nino NoSpam" > wrote
>>I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA,
>>and DCV-- I'm not sure I know what all these mean.
>>Anyway, what setting do I put it on to measure the voltage
>>of my vehicle's battery?
>
> DCV is for DC Voltage. With car off, should measure
> approx 12v give or take a few tenths. With car running,
> approx 13.8 or so.

Well done. See also the five checks of voltage listed about
one-third of the way down at
http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id13.html .

Thanks, but now next to DCV there are the following numbers: 10, 250 and
500. Do I set it at 10?
"Seth" > wrote in message
...
> "Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
> news:TsTpg.116495$IK3.36@pd7tw1no...
>>I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA, and DCV-- I'm
>>not sure I know what all these mean. Anyway, what setting do I put it on
>>to measure the voltage of my vehicle's battery?
>
> DCV is for DC Voltage. With car off, should measure approx 12v give or
> take a few tenths. With car running, approx 13.8 or so.
>
>

"Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
news:qFVpg.115546$Mn5.37504@pd7tw3no...
> "Seth" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
>> news:TsTpg.116495$IK3.36@pd7tw1no...
>>>I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA, and DCV-- I'm
>>>not sure I know what all these mean. Anyway, what setting do I put it on
>>>to measure the voltage of my vehicle's battery?
>>
>> DCV is for DC Voltage. With car off, should measure approx 12v give or
>> take a few tenths. With car running, approx 13.8 or so.
>>
> Thanks, but now next to DCV there are the following numbers: 10, 250 and
> 500. Do I set it at 10?

Set for the scale ABOVE what you are looking for. In the case of your
meter, set it for 250.

Thanks so much Seth. I followed your instructions and I can see that my
vehicle battery is at 10 MA. Which seems correct.
"Seth" > wrote in message
...
> "Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
> news:qFVpg.115546$Mn5.37504@pd7tw3no...
>> "Seth" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
>>> news:TsTpg.116495$IK3.36@pd7tw1no...
>>>>I have a multimeter that has OHM, ACV, 9V Bat, 1.5V, DCA, and DCV-- I'm
>>>>not sure I know what all these mean. Anyway, what setting do I put it
>>>>on to measure the voltage of my vehicle's battery?
>>>
>>> DCV is for DC Voltage. With car off, should measure approx 12v give or
>>> take a few tenths. With car running, approx 13.8 or so.
>>>
>> Thanks, but now next to DCV there are the following numbers: 10, 250 and
>> 500. Do I set it at 10?
>
> Set for the scale ABOVE what you are looking for. In the case of your
> meter, set it for 250.
>
>

"Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
news:btWpg.116655$IK3.56879@pd7tw1no...
> Thanks so much Seth. I followed your instructions and I can see that my
> vehicle battery is at 10 MA. Which seems correct.

No, I think you read it wrong. There is no "MA" when reading "VOLTAGE".
With the meter set to DCV/250, you should have a reading of around 12V with
the engine off and about 14V with the engine running.

Oh, okay then, which scale do I use? There a dB, AV10V, V-mA, and then
somw weird symbols. Yikes!

Nino

"Seth" > wrote in message
...
> "Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
> news:btWpg.116655$IK3.56879@pd7tw1no...
>> Thanks so much Seth. I followed your instructions and I can see that my
>> vehicle battery is at 10 MA. Which seems correct.
>
> No, I think you read it wrong. There is no "MA" when reading "VOLTAGE".
> With the meter set to DCV/250, you should have a reading of around 12V
> with the engine off and about 14V with the engine running.
>
>

Nino NoSpam wrote:
> Oh, okay then, which scale do I use? There a dB, AV10V, V-mA, and then
> somw weird symbols. Yikes!

spend about $10 to $20 extra bucks and get an auto-ranging meter. then
you only have to select V, A, Ω, etc.

never test a battery in "A" mode!

>
> Nino
>
> "Seth" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"Nino NoSpam" > wrote in message
>>news:btWpg.116655$IK3.56879@pd7tw1no...
>>
>>>Thanks so much Seth. I followed your instructions and I can see that my
>>>vehicle battery is at 10 MA. Which seems correct.
>>
>>No, I think you read it wrong. There is no "MA" when reading "VOLTAGE".
>>With the meter set to DCV/250, you should have a reading of around 12V
>>with the engine off and about 14V with the engine running.
>>
>>
>
>
>