How To Check Car Battery

Fully test the battery.
How to check car battery. First set your voltmeter to 20 dc volts. Healthy batteries should maintain between nine and 10 volts during cranking. To do this with the ignition system disabled start by touching your multimeter s red probe to the battery s positive terminal then the black probe to the terminal that connects. Although knowing how to test a car battery is an important skill when dealing with a seemingly dead battery the problem might simply be in the terminals.
Set your battery tester to cranking test mode then start the vehicle. If the battery is in good condition the voltage will read between 12 4 and 12 7 volts. A battery that s kept clean lasts longer than a cruddy one. How to test your car battery s charge using a multimeter.
Due to the way batteries discharge it s important that you test the battery after it s been sitting for at least an hour to get what s called the resting voltage. There are two methods for fully testing a battery. Car battery testing voltage. Make note of your battery s cranking reading.
Your tester will record the lowest voltage that the battery is able to maintain while the starter motor is working. Before you work on your battery be. Hook up a voltmeter to the car s battery by connecting the red lead to the positive terminal and the black lead to the negative terminal. Leave the car overnight and test before you start the car in the morning to get a really accurate gauge of the health of.
Most retailers offer a simple free five minute battery test. It s important to test your battery and electrical system regularly not just when it s starting to show signs of weakness. You can use your digital multimeter to find out in a minute whether your car battery has enough juice to get your car going. Once the battery is fully charged it can be tested to determine whether it is good or bad.
To check a car battery turn off the ignition and pop your vehicle s hood. Touch the negative black battery terminal with the negative black meter probe. A battery like other parts of your vehicle is subject to wear and tear and should be checked regularly. Most auto parts stores will do this for free.
A good healthy car battery should register about 12 6 volts. In particular pay attention to the battery s trouble spots shown here. With a load tester. The parts of the battery to check.