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You’d be surprised by how much damage a blown-up fuse can cause. That’s why learning how to test a fuse with a multimeter is a must.
And as intimidating as your multimeter might look, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to grasp the basics. So, we’ll keep it as simple as possible so that you can quickly find out what’s wrong with your fuses and save yourself some money.
How to Use a Multimeter to Test a Car Fuse
Below, you’ll find how to test your car fuse using a multimeter:
1. Remove the Fuse From any Power
To accurately test a fuse, please remove it from any source of power. Once that’s done, move onto the next step.
2. Set up the Multimeter
To start, take your black lead and plug it into the COM jack, then grab the red one and insert it into the VΩ jack.
3. Set the Multimeter to OHMs
Here’s how to test a fuse with a digital multimeter: turn the wheel to ohms. This option is represented by the Omega symbol.
Next up, grab the red and black leads and put them across each other to make sure the multimeter is working. The multimeter should display 0 or any number close to 0.
4. How to Test a Car Fuse with a Multimeter
Grab your multimeter leads and then touch both ends of your fuse. Your multimeter should now display the ohms on the screen. If the fuse is in great shape, the unit should get 0 ohms. You could also get a number close to 0, indicating the fuse is working. If it’s not, you will get 1.
How to Test Car Fuses Without a Multimeter
Don’t have a multimeter at home? Then here’s how you can quickly diagnose a blown fuse:
1. Locate the Fuses
The first thing you need to do is to find the fuses. Typically, the fuses are located in the engine’s compartment. Simply pop the hood of your car, and then pull out the fuse.
If you can’t find the fuse box, get inside your vehicle and look underneath your dashboard where the steering wheel is.
2. How to check a fuse without a multimeter
Noticed the silver piece inside the fuse? Well, that’s what you want to inspect. If the tiny metal chip has been disconnected, it means the fuse stopped working.
It should never look like this. Instead, the little piece inside should be connected.
How to Test a Thermal Fuse Using a Multimeter
Not sure if your thermal fuse stopped working? Then here’s how to test a fuse with a multimeter at home:
1. Getting started
To properly test a thermal fuse, you must check for continuity. Performing a continuity test will allow us to know if the fuse is still working.
2. Set the Multimeter to Continuity
Grab your multimeter and turn the dialog to the radio wave symbol on the multimeter. Your multimeter will now display the continuity icon somewhere on the screen, indicating it’s working.
3. How to Test a Thermal Fuse with a Multimeter
Before moving any further, please make sure you’ve disconnected the thermal fuse from any source of power. Once that’s done, grab the black lead and then touch one of the fuse’s terminals. Next up, touch the other terminal with the red one.
If your multimeter shows 0 ohms of resistance, it means your fuse is still in great shape. But if the screen does not change significantly, then the fuse doesn’t have resistance and must be replaced.
How to Test House Fuses Using a Multimeter
Having problems with your circuit but don’t know how to test house fuses? Here’s how you can test them on the fly:
1. Turn Off Your Power
Turn off your house’s power before removing your fuses.
2. Set Up your Multimeter
After turning off your power, please set the multimeter to ohms. Then, simply turn the wheel to the sound wave icon, and you’re good to go.
3. How to Test House Fuses with a Multimeter
Put both leads on each side of the fuse. When doing this, the multimeter will read the ohm and display it on screen. If you have a blown fuse, it won’t show any reading or change significantly.
But if the multimeter beeps continuously, it means that your fuse is in great shape and you have nothing to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Need more info about fuses? Then check this out:
What setting do you set a fuse to on a multimeter?
- Your multimeter has plenty of settings. However, to test a fuse, turn the wheel to the Greek letter Ω. After that, grab the red and black leads and test the fuse.
How can you tell if a house fuse is blown?
- Find your fuse box, and then remove the fuse from it. Next, take a closer look at the fuse. If the fuse looks split in half, you have a blown fuse. But if the inside seems in perfect shape, then your fuse is still working.
Can a blown fuse cause a fire?
- Yes! If you have a blown fuse, replace it as soon as possible. Although this might seem a little bit harmless, things can quickly get out of hand if you let it go by.
How do you know if a house fuse is not working?
- If your multimeter does not beep when testing the fuse, then it’s safe to assume the fuse went bad.
Conclusion
Feeling more confident after learning how to test a fuse with a multimeter? We hope you can now diagnose your fuse without relying on an electrician. You’ll save a lot of money that way.
And even if you don’t have a multimeter at home, you can pull out the fuse and inspect the inside to determine if it’s still in great shape. That’s the easiest way to check your fuses.