hello this is a pretty normal question but the mulitmeter is a digital little one with the wires but every time im trying to place them on the contacts of the crank sensor i get nothing . nothing at all
stupid question #1 does this thing take battery's
stupid queston #2 does my key need to be in the ignition to do this?

im testing all the crank sensors and the cam sensor.

_help is appreciated. thankyou.

Yes, your DMM takes a battery; usually 9v. If you have any numbers at all showing on the LCD readout, your DMM battery is probably good.

No, your ignition doesn't have to be on to test a sensor.


As far as how to use it, that depends on what you're checking for.

Your DMM should have come with a manual which breaks down basics of it's use. If it did not, try to search the web for the manufacturer's site & see if they offer the same info. online.

To check a sensor, basically you're looking for continuity between the two leads (prongs) in the sensor's wiring harness. Unplug the wiring harness & set your multimeter to the ohms scale (Greek letter "Omega"). Start at the low #'s on the ohm scale settings.

If continuity is "good" on the sensor, you should see 0.00 on the LCD display (this means the sensor is OK).

If continuity is poor (ie: there is electrical resistance), then the number will be anything above 0.00. If the number is very high, then the sensor needs to be replaced. (this could be a result of either a faulty sensor, or associated wiring).

Anyway, I hope this helps get you started. For more info., maybe do a web search for "multimeter tips" or something & see what you come up with.

When I first got my DMM, it was all Greek to me, too (I'm no rocket scientist) - since then, I've read-up & experimented. I'd say without a doubt, A DMM is one of the most important tools in my diagnostic arsenal!

Good luck!

DMMs need batteries. They need to be set to the correct position (DCV, ACV, current, resistance, etc) before measuring. Try measuring a known quantity first (a 9 volt battery for example). Get that correct and you'll be on your way ...

A 12 volt car battery, in the car you are testing, works wonders for testing the multi-meter dc voltage funtion. And it is so convienent!


If you have not read the manual to the meter, have never used one, and/or don't know what you are doing, you could either smoke the meter, the meter fuse, or the sensor. or all of the above.
Practice on a cheap portable AM/FM radio or something before screwing with your car.

Your DMM (digital multi-meter) needs one or more batteries. There should be a battery hatch on the back, and it should be fairly obvious what size/ how many batteries it needs.
In order to measure resistance or check continuity, use the Ohms scale. I'm right in the middle of testing my crankshaft position sensor, so I'll pass on what my manual tells me.
For a crankshaft position sensor, you should attach each lead of the meter to one of the terminals on the sensor, and should read between 470 and 570 ohms on the meter (make sure you switch the meter to the appropriate scale -- e.g. 2000 ohms.) If resistance is outside this range, the sensor's bad.
To check continuity to ground for the wiring leading to this sensor, put one lead on the black wire going into the plug, and one on the engine block. (Don't measure the other wire with the ohmmeter in this fashion -- only the black). There should be pretty close to zero ohms (less than 1 ohm), indicating continuity to ground. If not, there's a problem with the wiring harness.

GO to radio shack if you don’t want to pay for batteries. buy another DMM then use it and get your job done. then go back to the radio shack and tell them that it didn’t work for what you needed it for. u had to take your car to dealer ship. and some other bs. that’s the easiest solution. good luck........