Klein Electrical Multimeter Question

[RTR]

I recently bought a new Klein MM4400 multimeter to replace my Craftsman red/grey digital multimeter. I used the craftsman for checking 6 & 12 volt charging systems, lighting circuits, grounds, chasing wires, etc. The Craftsman worked great for that until it broke. I thought I would spend a little more and get a nicer one and went with a Klein MM4400 digital multimeter. I really like that it could measure temperature and had the backlit display as I work in the dark a lot.

QUESTION: I tried the simple task of checking the voltage on a 12 volt battery on my Farmall Super A tractor. The meter would not read the voltage on the battery (hooked up to tractor with engine off). All I got was 0.000 with the leads not hooked to anything ; then after hooking meter to battery I got fluctuation that looped constantly from 0.00 to 7.74 to 69.4 volts. When I started the tractor and ran it at almost full throttle I got the same readings that looped the numbers of 0.00 ; 7.74 ; 69.4 volts. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?!?

 

[Bob]

Many modern digital meters are confused by the "electrical noise" from the charging and ignition systems on old tractors.

Solution is a higher-dollar digital meter, or just a simple analog meter.

 

[RTR]

(quoted from post at 10:41:25 03/04/20) Many modern digital meters are confused by the "electrical noise" from the charging and ignition systems on old tractors.

Solution is a higher-dollar digital meter, or just a simple analog meter.

That is the thing.....I had the cheaper $20 craftsman one that worked perfect. I spend around $50 and get a nicer one that is also digital and it doesn t even work.

[b:94ae1ab032]The Klein model is MM400, Not MM4400. Sorry for the typo in the post above. [/b:94ae1ab032]

 

[JGayman]

> Many modern digital meters are confused by the "electrical noise" from the charging and ignition systems on old tractors.
Solution is a higher-dollar digital meter, or just a simple analog meter.

That is true, but the OP said he initially tried to measure the battery voltage with the engine OFF. So there shouldn't have been any electrical noise.

 

[JGayman]

I can't quite tell from your photos but on that meter it has a common switch position for AC and DC volts and I believe you have to press the select button to choose between AC or DC.
Did you have the meter set to read DC volts? I can't see your display clear enough to determine if it says "DC".

 

[RTR]

(quoted from post at 11:04:59 03/04/20) I can't quite tell from your photos but on that meter it has a common switch position for AC and DC volts and I believe you have to press the select button to choose between AC or DC.
Did you have the meter set to read DC volts? I can't see your display clear enough to determine if it says "DC".

I m not sure. I didn t see those listed anywhere on buttons or screen

 

[Tony in SD]

You may be measuring AC not DC. Press the "SEL? button to toggle between the 2.
From the instruction manual; SEL" (SELECT) BUTTON (FOR SECONDARY FUNCTIONS)
The "SEL" button 10 activates the secondary function for each application accessible by the function selector switch 2 . For current and voltage, it toggles between AC and DC. For the other functions, it switches
between ?F and ?C, between Hz and % Duty-cycle, between Continuity and Resistance, and between Capacitance and Diode-test. The default function for each application is printed on the meter in white; the
secondary function for each location is printed on the meter in orange.

 

[Steve@Advance]

I opened the owners manual, looks like everything is properly set.

Must be defective.

Try connecting it to something like a 9v battery, see if it's still unstable. If so, take it back and show them what it does.

 

[Deere Mark]

I have a Klein meter #CL800 and the "SEL" button must be used to select for DC measurement. When the function selector switch is moved to the "V" position, it always starts out in the AC mode as shown on the left of the LCD display. Press the "SEL" button once, and the DC symbol will appear.

 

[ztrmowers]

I had same troubles with my never fancy units. like mention make sure you have on dc not ac. that was my issue. you have to always check that on the newer meters

 

[MarkB_MI]

Most meters will read DC on the AC scale.

You may have a defective meter lead. ALWAYS check the continuity of your meter leads on the "Ohms" (&Omega scale before attempting any other measurement. BTDT.

 

[tech4]

It looks like you are reading AC instead of DC. Press the Orange SEL button to switch from AC to DC.

 

[RTR]

(quoted from post at 20:12:21 03/04/20) It looks like you are reading AC instead of DC. Press the Orange SEL button to switch from AC to DC.

Thank you all. I will try everything mentioned. I bet it is simple fix like switching currents. It s a new meter and I am learning how it operates

 

[DannyE]

I have a mm600, I go to the ?V?, it comes up with ?AC?, I press the ?SEL? button once to get to ?DC?. I?m glad it has circuit protection otherwise I would of
fried it a long time ago. Dan

 

[Tony in SD]

Mark b
I respectfully disagree that most meters will read DC on the AC scale. While it is true you may get a number or meter deflection, it is a meaningless number and not accurate. What you are most likely measuring is ripple voltage (AC) on an unfiltered (DC) power source not the actual DC Voltage level.

 

[55 50 Ron]

Is the meter made in China?