What is my meter telling stupid me..

[reamer]

If I leave my 2012 Ford Escape without starting it for more than 3 days, the battery dies.
Super dead, won't even open the power doors with the fob, radio pre-sets gone.
Did an amp draw test, this is what I got after it goes to "sleep".

Meter lead plugged into 10A socket.
meter dial set to 200m
reading of 01.9

is this 1.9 miliamps?

100.9 miliamps?
I believe the acceptable cut-off is 50 milliamps.

Thanks
Ron

[ArdWrknTrk]

Are you sure you shouldn't be plugged into A, instead of 10A?

Every other scale seems like it should be in the hole identified by the print that wraps the edge of the dial.

At any rate it's NOT 10A draw, so it will be safe for the meter to put it in the unfused A socket.

If I had to guess........
But I don't.

1.9A would kill the battery in a few days.
Try a test light.
Make sure the doors are closed.
Check the diodes in the alternator, or disconnect it and see if the reading goes away.

[reamer]

Will er-do the meter setting to the 10A on the dial and get back to this.

[Dorsai]

That's the weirdest meter I've ever seen - not sure what the point of multiple ranges on a digital meter would be.

Might just be time to spring for a Fluke.

[ArdWrknTrk]

My Fluke's older than a bunch of people on this forum.  

I also have a Meterman 33XR(?)

Anyway, autoranging and a legible display go a long way.

[reamer]

New Dial setting...
Is it telling me 0.03miliamps?
Lead set to 10A
Dial set to 20m
display is 0.03

[ArdWrknTrk]

You had it in the 10A hole before.

Set it on 2, and put the lead in the A hole.

Hmmm, that doesn't sound right..

[Steve83]

reamer wrote

Is it telling me 0.03miliamps?
Lead set to 10A
Dial set to 20m

Actually the dial is set to DC20mA/10A.  So because the lead is in the 10A socket, the reading is 00.03A (30mA).

So you'd get a more-accurate reading if you switched to the A socket & the 200mA setting.

[85lebaront2]

I have a very nice Fluke 75, a number of the lab employees were gifted with nice new ones after some genius laid off the X31 equipment controller, but let him continue coming in to work until his time was over.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Bill, don't we have a 'show off your meter(s)' thread?

I remember you commenting on my Fluke and Simpson.

Maybe that was back at FTE?
But I don't think it could be.

Ron,
The fact that you get 1.9. & 0.3 tells me your meter needs to go back to metrology for calibration!

Or into the bin after you pick up a new (free) one at Harbor Freight.  

[Gary Lewis]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Bill, don't we have a 'show off your meter(s)' thread?

I remember you commenting on my Fluke and Simpson.

Maybe that was back at FTE?
But I don't think it could be.

Just Got My New DVOM

[ArdWrknTrk]

I don't know Gary.

I now distinctly remember that I didn't picture my Simpson, but commented on advantages of an analog.

I do know I had stuff laid out on my tailgate.
And that means it must be more than meters.

Brandon does have a cool meter!

Let me think.....

[ArdWrknTrk]

Ja!
It was Brandon... but at FTE.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1436446-show-of-fyour-dvoms.html

[Gary Lewis]

Yes!  I'd forgotten about that thread.

[Dorsai]

I guess it was last year, I had AT&T out to my house to troubleshoot some problems I was having.  As I'm walking him down to the basement where the DVR lives, we pass by my workbench...he stops, looks at it, and says "I've never seen a piece of test equipment like that before!"  Kids these days...

[Gary Lewis]

Not sure if that is  or .

[ArdWrknTrk]

Back when Radio Hack was a thing.

Gary, we've had this discussion a lot lately!  

[Gary Lewis]

Yup!