I went to Sears today and they have so many ranging in price from $20-$200. I want to take readings from sensors such as the TPS and such without causing damage to the sensors or ecm? Basically I want something for all my automotive use but don't need the fanciest thing out there. What should I specifically be looking for?

 

At Sears they usually have a small discount section for old model stuff or stuff they can't sell so it is marked down. Many times I have seen multimeters in that section. I got a $90 one for $30.

I'd look for one that has extras (like a case, alligator clip tips, ammeter clamp, free batteries, ect.). In the long run this may save you some money.

I don't think you need a real fancy multimeter for automotive applications. How often are you going to test a diode or tube, ect. The fancy stuff is for electronics repair.

One nice extra I like having is auto ranging. If you want to measure a DC voltage you just set it on DC V and don't have to pick a range.

I don't know. I'm not an expert. I'd pick the cheapest one that you like. I don't think you need a $100 multimeter for most automotive stuff.

 

Go Here - https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...threadid=86069

This should make your buying decision easy.

 

Sears has some great multimeter values, in my opinion.

As you saw, there's a huge range in the price of digital multimeters. Here's what to consider:

-Autoranging: Without autoranging, you have to have some clue of the value of what you're about to test....do you expect it to be 12 or 1200 volts? You'll have to turn a **** on the meter to the range you want to test...autoranging will do it automatically. This really isn't a big deal, unless you use the meter a lot.

-Built-in leads/plug-in leads. The plug-in leads can be easily replaced when they break or wear out. Also, there are different types of leads you can buy for special applications.

-display: it should be large enough to read easily.

-case: it's always nice to have something to store it in.

-rubber "boot": protects the meter from getting banged up.

I had the $99 Craftsman meter, because I use it quite a bit as an alarm/stereo installer. I upgraded to the $129 one mainly for the built-in light, which sucks anyway.

From what I remember, they have a few meters in the $50 area that have no autoranging, but do have plug-in leads and maybe a case...that's probably the right price point for occasional use.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I actually saw one at Sears for around $24 that had auto ranging and I believe plug in leads too. I'm going back in a few days so I see for sure when I'm there. The one on sale looked like it'd do the trick too so either way I'm covered.