help reading multimeter

[Muddy42]

This is a 2009 Honda TRX420 quad.  I have been having some battery issues.  The battery was old so I've replaced it.  Now I am checking for parasitic draw from the system.  The quad had been turned off for ages and the electrics are pretty basic.  The multimeter is connected in series to the negative side of the battery.  I used the left 10A plug first. My manual says parasitic draw should be <0.01 mA

 

This is pretty basic. See picture below of my multimeter.  Is this 0.06 mA?

 

I always struggle with the units and greek letters for amps! when I move the dial the decimel place and units move around in a confusing way.

 

The multimeter goes to zero when I remove the main fuse.  No other fuses have an impact, so it'll be difficult to locate the issue.

 

Thanks

 

[Peter 1955]

I don't really have an answer as to how to find the fault, but I may have a solution. Why not simply buy a £10 battery isolator switch, and cut all possibility of current leakage when you're not using it? Simple but effective. 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Muddy42 said:

No other fuses have an impact, so it'll be difficult to locate the issue.

Does it have bladed (car type) fuses? It is easier to check for parasitic loads by checking for a voltage drop across the fuse (fuses work by having a resistance that heats up and melts the fuse wire if too much current passes, current passing through the resistance causes a voltage drop across the fuse). There is a little pair of "windows" at the back of the fuse which are bare contacts that can be probed. Ifthere is a discernible voltage that circuit is carrying a current.

 

I suspect the current measuring on your DMM should be the left two sockets.

[TuscanPhil]

22 minutes ago, openspaceman said:

I suspect the current measuring on your DMM should be the left two sockets.

No, that's for the higher range  -10 A, the socket he is in takes up to 200mA.

 

1 hour ago, Muddy42 said:

Is this 0.06 mA?

 

Yes, to me, it would read such that 20mA (ie the range you are on) would show as 20.00, so yes, I'd take that as the square root of naff all current draw, so it would be 60uA.  What does it show if you go to the 2m and 200u ranges?  On the 200u range, I'd expect it to show 60.00 (or therabouts - might be 40, might be 80 - depends how good that meter is...)