New car day... the end of the Saga...

[weeksy]

spent some time with @Couchy on the phone and i/we think the left hand side measuring the drain doesn't actually work on the multimeter... can't get it to measure anything at all.

Even using the beeper... if i put the terminal on the left side port, nothing... on the right side port, beeeeeeep.

We have a single fuse inside the meter, so it's not like it's a dual feed fuse one for each side... just the one. But i can't get anything measuring on that left hand side no matter whether we do anything at all. So i think it's a dodgy meter.

I'm not going to head out and get one today though that's for sure.

It says on the meter that there are 2 fuses. 10A and x00mA.

If you can find a second one, you're better than me... but anyway, i stole another one off a mate which seems to work well.

[Count Steer]

spent some time with @Couchy on the phone and i/we think the left hand side measuring the drain doesn't actually work on the multimeter... can't get it to measure anything at all.

Even using the beeper... if i put the terminal on the left side port, nothing... on the right side port, beeeeeeep.

We have a single fuse inside the meter, so it's not like it's a dual feed fuse one for each side... just the one. But i can't get anything measuring on that left hand side no matter whether we do anything at all. So i think it's a dodgy meter.

I'm not going to head out and get one today though that's for sure.

It says on the meter that there are 2 fuses. 10A and x00mA.

If you can find a second one, you're better than me... but anyway, i stole another one off a mate which seems to work well.

For some reason I can't share a link but if you Google 'how to check and change fuses in your multimeter' by Justin Miller he shows where they are in a Fluke which looks similar to yours (and how to check the fuses). There has to be two!

[weeksy]

It says on the meter that there are 2 fuses. 10A and x00mA.

If you can find a second one, you're better than me... but anyway, i stole another one off a mate which seems to work well.

For some reason I can't share a link but if you Google 'how to check and change fuses in your multimeter' by Justin Miller he shows where they are in a Fluke which looks similar to yours (and how to check the fuses). There has to be two!

LOL for today, it's so far down the list of importance it's not even worth consdiering, whether my £6 Ebay multi meter gets replaced or goes in the bin isn't really a massive worry.

A bigger worry is the fact i'm supposed to be taking my nice new van to Silverstone next week and Morzine on Thursday.

[Count Steer]

If you can find a second one, you're better than me... but anyway, i stole another one off a mate which seems to work well.

For some reason I can't share a link but if you Google 'how to check and change fuses in your multimeter' by Justin Miller he shows where they are in a Fluke which looks similar to yours (and how to check the fuses). There has to be two!

LOL for today, it's so far down the list of importance it's not even worth consdiering, whether my £6 Ebay multi meter gets replaced or goes in the bin isn't really a massive worry.

A bigger worry is the fact i'm supposed to be taking my nice new van to Silverstone next week and Morzine on Thursday.

Without a fuse it's bin then. Or a wheel chock.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

How do you manage to have so much drama with cars, I buy 15 year old cars, barely look at them before buying them, decision is purely made on how it looks, and I don't have many problems with cars.

[weeksy]

How do you manage to have so much drama with cars, I buy 15 year old cars, barely look at them before buying them, decision is purely made on how it looks, and I don't have many problems with cars.

I'd love to know the answer too. I bought it, i drove it, i left it a few days, it's now broken..... i've done 225 miles, all of which i've enjoyed in a driving context... but lets just say, i'm not quite as happy now.

[636mick]

You seem to be putting in a lot of effort when surely the simple solution is make the dealer do the work or am I missing something?

YOu're missing him being 70 miles away and me having to get the van to him.

But anyway...
Working with @Couchy and a different multimeter this time... the 0.0 earlier was a red herring.

I've been working with my auto-techs on this issue.
With the negative terminal connected there's a parasitic draw of 2.04a
Going through the fuses 1 by 1 removing them to get it to drop there's a drop to 0.7a when i remove the 25a fuse from Fuse block F35 and fuse 25 which is designated as Trailer Recognition Unit.
None of the others seem to have an effect. But even dropping to 0.7a is still higher than i'd expect it to be sitting at.

However the van does start now and is sitting idling on the drive....

The trailer recognition module appears to be something to do with towing a trailer with LED lights, from a quick google. No idea what it does, does the van have a towbar?
The 0.7 Amps, was the interior light on when you were testing? That’s about the number for an interior light or two.
Mick

[MrLongbeard]

For some reason I can't share a link but if you Google 'how to check and change fuses in your multimeter' by Justin Miller he shows where they are in a Fluke which looks similar to yours (and how to check the fuses). There has to be two!

Dude, it's like £3.50 on aliexpress with free guaranteed yesterday shipping, this is literally a million miles away from Fluke territory

[Count Steer]

For some reason I can't share a link but if you Google 'how to check and change fuses in your multimeter' by Justin Miller he shows where they are in a Fluke which looks similar to yours (and how to check the fuses). There has to be two!

Dude, it's like £3.50 on aliexpress with free guaranteed yesterday shipping, this is literally a million miles away from Fluke territory

Yes...but...the layout of the Fluke of the 3 the guy looks at in the video looks closest to the one up there ^^^^ It could be a Fluke clone/knock-off. Either way, not that it matters, there has to be a 10A fuse in there somewhere....assuming that anything printed on the front is true.

[Yorick]

Now that we're all qualified electricians, how do you check for battery drain?

It could be useful info

[MrLongbeard]

assuming that anything printed on the front is true.

aliexpress

[Count Steer]

assuming that anything printed on the front is true.

aliexpress

When you open the box, a little slip of paper (instruction manual) falls out with a list of local addresses of people that have ones that actually work. Damn clever the Chinese.

[Mussels]

If you haven't already I'd disconnect the new head unit and leave it disconnected, just so nobody can blame it and save you huge embarrassment if it is that at fault.

[Count Steer]

If you haven't already I'd disconnect the new head unit and leave it disconnected, just so nobody can blame it and save you huge embarrassment if it is that at fault.

If it stays on when that fuse is pulled it can't be that drawing the 2A...the 0.7A maybe?

[MingtheMerciless]

Just to throw a further issue into the works, modern cars/vans seem to spend a good few minutes after you turn them off doing electronic house keeping for want of a better phrase so it might pay to turn the van off and measure the draw an hour or so after that.

[weeksy]

Just to throw a further issue into the works, modern cars/vans seem to spend a good few minutes after you turn them off doing electronic house keeping for want of a better phrase so it might pay to turn the van off and measure the draw an hour or so after that.

Yup, I get that, it was mentioned by mate and I've factored in.

[weeksy]

If you haven't already I'd disconnect the new head unit and leave it disconnected, just so nobody can blame it and save you huge embarrassment if it is that at fault.

If/when it goes to dealer, the standard unit will be going in. We'll check at the time it's not causing the issue

[weeksy]

You seem to be putting in a lot of effort when surely the simple solution is make the dealer do the work or am I missing something?

YOu're missing him being 70 miles away and me having to get the van to him.

But anyway...
Working with @Couchy and a different multimeter this time... the 0.0 earlier was a red herring.

I've been working with my auto-techs on this issue.
With the negative terminal connected there's a parasitic draw of 2.04a
Going through the fuses 1 by 1 removing them to get it to drop there's a drop to 0.7a when i remove the 25a fuse from Fuse block F35 and fuse 25 which is designated as Trailer Recognition Unit.
None of the others seem to have an effect. But even dropping to 0.7a is still higher than i'd expect it to be sitting at.

However the van does start now and is sitting idling on the drive....

The trailer recognition module appears to be something to do with towing a trailer with LED lights, from a quick google. No idea what it does, does the van have a towbar?
The 0.7 Amps, was the interior light on when you were testing? That’s about the number for an interior light or two.
Mick

No lights were on. No towbar is fitted or has been fitted as far as I can tell

[Couchy]

Now that we're all qualified electricians, how do you check for battery drain?

It could be useful info

Over the phone I had weeksy connect meter in series and in the amps scale once I’d sussed the first meter wasn’t working. Then watching the meter pull one fuse at a time. The trailer unit was taking a load so the fuse was left out but there’s still a drain on just under 1 amp.

Could repeat the same but it’s getting more difficult to find more fuses, there will be some but next I’d check battery which he’s doing

[Taipan]

Now that we're all qualified electricians, how do you check for battery drain?

It could be useful info

I passed my City and Guilds 224 in the early 80s but I’m recommending Google!