Multimeter 101

Fixing and maintaining your gear is an integral part of owning it, often outsourced to other people - but many fixes are well within the skill set of anyone handy with a soldering iron and a multimeter. This video from iFixit goes into the details of using a digital multimeter, which is a good first step to understanding how to look after your gear. Safe to say that some fixes do require an expert, and it's possible you can make a problem worse if you don't know what you're doing. Here's more from the vid: 
 

A multimeter is actually multiple tools crammed into one, a true Swiss Army Knife of electrical forensics. It can help you figure out where electricity is flowing: it tests for AC/DC voltage and current, continuity, resistance, capacitance, diodes, and non-contact voltage. You can use it to check the voltage in an outlet, test old batteries in a drawer, and figure out exactly what part of a gadget has gone bad.

Chapters
00:00 Why Everyone Should Own a Multimeter
00:30 What a Multimeter Actually Does
01:03 Multimeter Safety and Ratings
01:22 Connecting the Test Probes
02:04 Non-Contact Voltage (NCV) Testing
02:32 Testing Live Wires Safely
03:08 Measuring DC Voltage (Battery Test)
03:41 Switching to AC Voltage Mode
04:17 Testing a Wall Outlet or Extension Cord
04:38 Diode Testing Explained
05:31 Continuity Testing for Circuit Traces
06:21 Measuring Resistance and Capacitors
07:03 Multimeter Maintenance: Batteries & Fuses
07:52 Learn More Repair Skills

More from iFixit

• Bubblegum: Free Pitch Editor 08-Oct-26
• DestroyFX Buffer Override 08-Oct-26
• Oxygene 50th Anniversary 07-Oct-26
• The Great Debate: Firmware Hacking 07-Oct-26
• Scanner:Library VST Instrument 06-Oct-26