Fluke 88V shows 4 dashes

[stanward]

Hello,
I have a barely used Fluke 88V that suffered a leaking 9V battery.  Repaired that situation, even used electronics contact cleaner and heat gun to dry everything up.  Now my meter shows 4 dashes on the resistance, diode test, A, uA settings.

V and mV settings do not show this.

Here's a doozy, if I leave the multimeter in the setting that shows the 4 dashes, after a few minutes, it will start working again, and will work great for the next few hours, until I power off the meter and try to use it again.  Which I will have to wait a few minutes on that setting if I want to use it.

[AVGresponding]

Does it give credible readings in those positions, once it has woken up?

[stanward]

Does it give credible readings in those positions, once it has woken up?

Thank you for your quick reply!

Yes, I have used it in those settings to test, and the values shown seem to be credible.

[AVGresponding]

That more or less eliminates the front end, then.

Looks like it could be some remaining contamination in the input selection circuitry that connects to the meter controller asic, maybe part of a debouncing circuit has some conductive schmoo in it making it tricky for the controller to see what function has been selected?

Might be worth giving it another clean, I recall a friend with a weird problem with a bench DMM after a memory battery leak eventually cleared only after about 3 or 4 thorough cleans!

[retiredcaps]

Might be worth giving it another clean, I recall a friend with a weird problem with a bench DMM after a memory battery leak eventually cleared only after about 3 or 4 thorough cleans!

I agree with the above. Use generous amounts IPA 99% and use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub the entire PCB.  The battery juice may have wicked its way up and into components and not visible to the naked eye.  Dry thoroughly before using.

After that, put in a reminder into your calendar to check the battery every 6 months. Or put in a lithium 9V battery.  It costs a bit more than alkaline, but it's cheaper than buying a brand new Fluke 88V.

[stanward]

Thank you for your response.  You answered a question I was about to ask, whether to use 9V Lithium batteries in my DMM, and was wondering if they are more resistant to leakage.  Thank you again everyone for your help!

I agree with the above. Use generous amounts IPA 99% and use a clean toothbrush to gently scrub the entire PCB.  The battery juice may have wicked its way up and into components and not visible to the naked eye.  Dry thoroughly before using.

After that, put in a reminder into your calendar to check the battery every 6 months. Or put in a lithium 9V battery.  It costs a bit more than alkaline, but it's cheaper than buying a brand new Fluke 88V.

[retiredcaps]

whether to use 9V Lithium batteries in my DMM, and was wondering if they are more resistant to leakage. 

It's been discussed on the forum before. Search for it and you will find some info.

[AVGresponding]

My personal choice is to use Li-ion/Li-po rechargeable PP3's in my handhelds, such as these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2Pcs-ZNTER-9V-400mAh-Li-Po-Battery-5V-USB-Charging-as-6LR61-PP3-6LF22-MN1604-/322442802154