"Michael Koblic" wrote in
:

I have three sets of cheap digital calipers bought in Canadian Tire.
The have all been working fine and agree with a micrometer to within
0.001". Two weeks ago I tried to use the one I keep in the workshop to
measure something of the order of 4" when the calipers refused to
measure anything past 1.5". I brought them into the house where they
started working fine as soon as they warmed up.

The second set did exactly the same thing today.

The temperature in the workshop is 9.5 deg C.

Replacing the battery made no difference. What is the likely cause?

Not sure, but when my Mitutoyo caliper stopped reading reliably above a
couple inches, it was because of dirt on the scale where I had been
holding it. I gave it a wipe down with alcohol, and it was fine.

Doug White