I was an idiot and may have destroyed my multimeter, any way I can test it?

[Cyber Akuma]

Since I don't think I saw this question addressed directly: the "A" settings on your meter are there to measure current (i.e. Amps), never voltage.

Yeah that I know, the problem was I had it in voltage mode and tried to directly measure AC voltage through that port.

Voltage measurements do not use the fuses.

Wait, they don't? So the fuse was bypassed when I was using the 10A port to measure voltage?

Placing probes from live to neutral when measuring current, as you would if measuring voltage, is directly shorting them together with only the very low impedance current shunt as a load. Pretty much the same as if you stuck a fork in an electrical outlet! Fortunately Klein are not bottom barrel meters so its damage is likely limited to the blown 10A fuse. Cheaper meters could potentially break down even more catastrophically (though unlikely at only 120V mains, as the energy isn't all that high compared to 230V or 480V or higher systems). If it weren't fused at all, the meter would be damaged probably beyond (practical) repair.

So it did go through the fuse then?

No offense intended, but I strongly suggest you look up how a multimeter works, because this is basic DMM operational knowledge and without it, you might not only destroy equipment, but (at least with an unsafe meter) potentially hurt yourself, burn down your house, etc.

I used to, it's just that it has been a while.

A cheap and dirty continuity tester is a flashlight with the battery cover unscrewed and the circuit bridged by the questionable fuse.

I was going to suggest that to the OP.  When I was young and started tinkering with electronics I made simple continuity testers by taking a bare piece of solid conductor copper wire (from a piece of Romex) and wrapped it around a D sized flashlight battery and bent a loop in  one end to hold a flashlight bulb pressed against one of the battery terminals and then the other end of the battery and the 2nd end of the copper wire as my test points.  It's crude but something like that would work fine for testing fuses and other low resistance items.  Don't use something like this for testing anything with power applied to it!  Other than perhaps a small dry cell battery.

Yeah, I was thinking of trying that, but I am not sure where something like that even is. I used to have so many bits and bobs like that when I was younger. Come to think of it, are incandescent flashlight bulbs still being manufactured or were those banned alongside house bulbs? They're much easier to wire up than a LED for something like this.

Pull out the 10A fuse that you probably blew.  And since that thing doesn't seem to have a port for mA, also pull out that fuse.  Wait awhile, possibly overnight.   Give the thing the smell test.  The chances you blew one or both fuses is a certainty.  The chances you broke anything else is slim.  There is  no visible damage on the switch.  The other functions are isolated from the amp measurement side.

If both fuses were blown wouldn't it not be able to measure anything at all? I was still able to measure 120V AC through the other port as well as test continuity and resistance.

By the way, do you think my leads need to be replaced? The blast took a chunk out of the red one mostly, here are the best images I could get of them:
(Imgur likes to resize these, would be best to go to the web page and then load the image file directly instead of try to view the tiny version it will try to wrap their HTML around)
 

 

[Shonky]

The 10A fuse is only there to protect the 10A range and only applies to the 10A socket.

The 10A socket is only used to measure current, never voltage.

If you try and measure a voltage with the 10A current range, you are short circuiting the voltage. Effectively you are putting a piece of wire across the voltage source. This causes a high current to flow and the fuse blows to protect the meter and to some extent it also protects the voltage source. It is only there to protect the meter though.

With it blown only current measurement on the 10A range will no longer work asusming nothing else was damaged when you short circuited the power supply which is likely. The voltage, resistance, diode ranges etc will all continue to work.

There are no fuses on the other ranges like voltage as they are a high impedance and therefore a large current can't flow.

I also suggest looking for primer on using a multimeter and in particular the difference between measuring voltage (in parallel to the source) and current (in series).

[Ian.M]

The red lead is definately salvageable.   Regrind the tip to a conical point without going back too far, preserving the groove accessories latch onto.  Rotating the tip at an appropriate angle against a  flat stone in a Dremel on low speed will do a decent job of it.  In fact you just inspired me to do exactly that for the red probe from my previously owned Fluke 21 that I recently got cheap because the previous owner had made the same dumb move, and while checking it out, I was able to show the pawn shop that the 300mA range was dead.   Fortunately for me, the Fluke 21 in question takes a regular 20mm 630mA HRC fuse . . .

I'm tempted to replace my Fluke leads because the red one has a couple of divots out of the side of its tip, but aren't going to as once the edges were smoothed slightly, they don't affect function, and are a perpetual reminder to me to check range and connections before probing.

If you work with big motors or other equipment with high inrush current, you may want to treat yourself to a cheapish CAT III rated AC/DC clampmeter, to save on the cost of 10A range fuses!   Clampmeters aren't the best for accuracy as conductor positioning within the jaws and jaw core end surface condition can affect the reading a bit, but are far more than good enough to determine if its safe to wire in a more accurate (but delicate) meter.  Don't buy bargain basement imports (because fake ratings) - you at least want one from a recognisable manufacturer that is invested in maintaining the credibility of their brand.

[Veteran68]

Since I don't think I saw this question addressed directly: the "A" settings on your meter are there to measure current (i.e. Amps), never voltage.

Yeah that I know, the problem was I had it in voltage mode and tried to directly measure AC voltage through that port.

Yes, but you cannot measure voltage (or the other non-current modes) through the current jack. Regardless of whether you INTENDED to measure voltage, your meter was configured to measure current despite what position the dial was in. Some meters attempt to protect you from a mismatch between the measurement range selected and the jacks being used, by either physical means (shutters that close the amp jacks in voltage modes, and vice-versa, and physically block the dial from selecting an incompatible range) or electronic means (such as a loud beep, flashing lights, or a warning message on the display). Unfortunately, the majority of meters, especially the low-cost ones, will not prevent you from making this mistake. The only safety system you can truly rely on is the one between your ears.

Voltage measurements do not use the fuses.

Wait, they don't? So the fuse was bypassed when I was using the 10A port to measure voltage?

No, the 10A fuse is ONLY used for the 10A jack. You cannot measure voltage through the 10A jack, it is for measuring current. The voltage jack bypasses all fuses.

As we're explaining, the current jack places only a low impedance shunt (essentially, a short piece of wire) and a fuse between the probes. That's it. So using the probes in parallel with a circuit, as you would when measuring voltage, is shorting the circuit and allowing maximum current to flow. Which blows the fuse (or minus a fuse, blows up something in the meter if not the meter itself). Again, to measure current you must break the circuit and put the probes in series with the circuit, not in parallel like for a voltage measurement. Or else use the aforementioned current clamp, which is by far easier if accuracy isn't critical.

The voltage jack has a high impedance and does not need a fuse to limit current.

Placing probes from live to neutral when measuring current, as you would if measuring voltage, is directly shorting them together with only the very low impedance current shunt as a load. Pretty much the same as if you stuck a fork in an electrical outlet! Fortunately Klein are not bottom barrel meters so its damage is likely limited to the blown 10A fuse. Cheaper meters could potentially break down even more catastrophically (though unlikely at only 120V mains, as the energy isn't all that high compared to 230V or 480V or higher systems). If it weren't fused at all, the meter would be damaged probably beyond (practical) repair.

So it did go through the fuse then?

Yes. That's why the fuse is blown.

No offense intended, but I strongly suggest you look up how a multimeter works, because this is basic DMM operational knowledge and without it, you might not only destroy equipment, but (at least with an unsafe meter) potentially hurt yourself, burn down your house, etc.

I used to, it's just that it has been a while.

I understand. But this is fundamental knowledge and based on the conversation here, you're still figuring it out. I think all of this will become clear to you if you spend some time on some basic education in DMM use. There are countless articles and YouTube videos on the subject. Some basic meters (like the Fluke 101, still a Fluke but inexpensive and made for simple use) don't even have a current jack, as honestly for most homeowner use the need to measure current is an uncommon one compared to voltage. They are the safest to use because you can't make this mistake with them.

And to be clear, I'd say virtually ALL of us, even seasoned, professional engineers and electricians, have made this mistake at least once in our lives. However it isn't typically due to a lack of understanding of how the meter works, but rather due to carelessness in not paying attention to where the probes are plugged in as you're switching between different measuring modes. You switch the dial but forget to change the probe jacks, or vice-versa. So we're not judging you for it happening, we're just admonishing you to learn a bit more about your tool and what you're trying to do with it, as it's potentially very risky to your person and property to not have a fundamental understanding of how DMMs should be used.

As to the damage to the probe, it looks minimal and entirely salvageable. Even if it weren't, probes are not expensive to replace. And you don't HAVE to buy replacement Klein probes. You can buy entirely serviceable probes for less than $10.