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I'm trying to test some 18v batteries. Need to know which holes to put leads into and where to set the knob.

Don't tell me to GTS. I'd rather get human advice.

I'm trying to test some 18v batteries. Need to know which holes to put leads into and where to set the knob. Don't tell me to GTS. I'd rather get human advice. [Link Title](https://pic8.co/sh/HK6sUW.jpg)

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[–] • 5 pts

You have the probes in the right "holes". Move the dial one step clockwise from the OFF position to the "V" with the solid, dashed and wavy line for voltage. The meter will automatically adjust the voltage range.

[–] • 3 pts

Thank you. That's what I was doing but it wasn't working. Turns out my homemade test leads that I was probing were not getting into the little battery grooves very well.

Thank you.

[–] • 2 pts

Thank you. That's what I was doing but it wasn't working. Turns out my homemade test leads that I was probing were not getting into the little battery grooves very well.

It's also important to note that getting a "good" voltage reading on the battery doesn't really indicate the battery is functioning properly. Batteries should be tested under as normal a load as they would have during there normal operation in the machine/device. A battery can read excellent under no load conditions and then completely peter out when you put a load on it. It can lead to head scratching if you only have a no load voltage reading to work with.

[–] • 1 pt

I have 2 Makita batteries that won't charge. I saw a couple videos that show how to "jumpstart" them with another battery by connecting them together ++/--

It doesn't seem to be working though.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

Click one more clockwise to the ohm / diode checker (2 clicks clockwise from off) and touch the leads together. It should read a really small number and make a noise if they are ok. You are shorting out the leads to make sure they are functional.

[–] • 0 pt

I had made jumpers to jump the batteries together but I was also using them to test the power of each battery because the leads on the multimeter were too thick to get in the battery slots. I think I was just getting a bad connection to the battery.

[–] • 3 pts

That's a fancy meter. I have to tell mine whether it's AC or DC plus the voltage range.

[–] • 2 pts

You could move the dial to V and then test against a AA battery. It should read around 1.4V. Put the red + wire on the battery positive terminal and the black COM wire on the negative terminal. Once you get it working with a AA battery, move on to the 18V. Fully charged should read like 20V. Good luck, we're all rooting for you!

[–] • 1 pt

BTW testing batteries without a load can hide ones in a poor state. Battery testers put a resistor across that draws current. Batteries can develop significant internal resistance (basically a series resistor) which lowers voltage when there's a load, but has little effect when measuring with a high-impedance multimeter like that.

[–] • 1 pt

It was suggested to me earlier to test it on her load but to be honest I don't have any idea how to do that because the only way to put it on her load is to snap it into the tool and pull the trigger.