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August 25th, 2010, 09:58 PM
How to Test Your Battery
Posted on August 25th, 2010 by Keri DeVrieze
If you’re concerned that your car battery might be on its last leg, here are a couple simple ways to test it.
The first and probably most simple way to test it, is to take it somewhere like AutoZone or O’Reilly and let them do the work for you.
However, if you’d like to test it from anywhere, you can pick up a multimeter from an auto parts store for around $20-50.
Although your multimeter might come with instructions, here are 5 additional steps to keep in mind when checking your battery’s strength.
1. Open your hood and locate your car’s battery. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions and properly disconnect the cables from the battery.
2. Turn your multimeter off, then set it to 50 volt scale. This will reset the meter and give a more accurate reading.
3. Connect the red lead to the positive battery terminal. Be sure to put the lead on the post of the battery and not just on the cable to get the most accurate voltage reading.
4. Attach the black multimeter lead to the negative battery terminal. Again, be sure to put the lead directly on the post of the battery for the most accurate reading.
5. Read your multimeter gauge after 15 seconds. If it has a digital readout and you have a 12 volt battery, it should read at least 9.6 volts running through the multimeter for it to take a charge. If it’s less than that, you need a new battery.
Note that it’s extremely crucial to make certain your battery cables are disconnected prior to beginning any testing or work.
Posted on August 25th, 2010 by Keri DeVrieze
If you’re concerned that your car battery might be on its last leg, here are a couple simple ways to test it.
The first and probably most simple way to test it, is to take it somewhere like AutoZone or O’Reilly and let them do the work for you.
However, if you’d like to test it from anywhere, you can pick up a multimeter from an auto parts store for around $20-50.
Although your multimeter might come with instructions, here are 5 additional steps to keep in mind when checking your battery’s strength.
1. Open your hood and locate your car’s battery. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions and properly disconnect the cables from the battery.
2. Turn your multimeter off, then set it to 50 volt scale. This will reset the meter and give a more accurate reading.
3. Connect the red lead to the positive battery terminal. Be sure to put the lead on the post of the battery and not just on the cable to get the most accurate voltage reading.
4. Attach the black multimeter lead to the negative battery terminal. Again, be sure to put the lead directly on the post of the battery for the most accurate reading.
5. Read your multimeter gauge after 15 seconds. If it has a digital readout and you have a 12 volt battery, it should read at least 9.6 volts running through the multimeter for it to take a charge. If it’s less than that, you need a new battery.
Note that it’s extremely crucial to make certain your battery cables are disconnected prior to beginning any testing or work.