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[powerslinky]

hi all
         got a problem with the old Transit diesel . Immobiliser issue . I need to trace a broken wire somewherein the PATS system.

I have a small LAP mas830B  test meter but need advice on the best way to set it & use it  to test individual cables for connectivity.

In my "Laymans" terminology  . .I need to put the probes at each end of section of single cable & get some sort of definate reading showing the section I am testing is sound.

Can anyone help  . . . by describing what I should be setting to .

I only normally use this meter for testing for mains "live"  & some guitar work . .

so don;t really know what to do here 

Regards & TIA    Al

[tigers_gonads]

Set it to Continuity or Ohms depending on your meter.
If the wire is open circuit (a break in it) it will read nothing on the display.
If the wire / connection is okay, it will bleep and / or read 0 ohms

[zirk]

What he said /\/\

Ideally when measuring in the Ohms Range (may be an Omega symbol on the metre) you need to make sure there are no stray volts present, ie battery off.

If your metre has a conunity test ie, it bleeps if probes are shorted, this is sometimes shown as a diode symbol on the range selector.

[powerslinky]

Set it to Continuity or Ohms depending on your meter.
If the wire is open circuit (a break in it) it will read nothing on the display.
If the wire / connection is okay, it will bleep and / or read 0 ohms

Ok gents thanks  . . . Ohms has settings of  200  2k  20k  200k  2m   . . . so anyone of these ?

[zirk]

Set it to Continuity or Ohms depending on your meter.
If the wire is open circuit (a break in it) it will read nothing on the display.
If the wire / connection is okay, it will bleep and / or read 0 ohms

Ok gents thanks  . . . Ohms has settings of  200  2k  20k  200k  2m   . . . so anyone of these ?

lowest one, so range will be 0 to 200 ohms, a short circuit will read 0 or as near as damn it.

[tigers_gonads]

Set it to Continuity or Ohms depending on your meter.
If the wire is open circuit (a break in it) it will read nothing on the display.
If the wire / connection is okay, it will bleep and / or read 0 ohms

Ok gents thanks  . . . Ohms has settings of  200  2k  20k  200k  2m   . . . so anyone of these ?

lowest one, so range will be 0 to 200 ohms, a short circuit will read 0 or as near as damn it.

Yup as Chris says 
As a rule when testing for a voltage / current, ALWAYS start at the highest setting
When testing for a short / break, its best to start with the lowest setting 

[powerslinky]

Ok thanks got that  . . . . meter does have the diode symbol  . . . when switched to that it shows a single 1  & when probes are touched the 1  changes to 000   . . . would this be better to use as in  if 1 shows the wire is broken & if 000 shows the wire is ok ?     Meter does NOT beep when probes are touched though

[zirk]

Ok thanks got that  . . . . meter does have the diode symbol  . . . when switched to that it shows a single 1  & when probes are touched the 1  changes to 000   . . . would this be better to use as in  if 1 shows the wire is broken & if 000 shows the wire is ok ?     Meter does NOT beep when probes are touched though

Stick with the Ohm Range then, the bleep thing was just to make it easier to listen to rather than having to keep looking at the display.

[tidla]

If you have an elm 327 interface this freebe might be useful.

http://forscan.org/home.html