Test car battery with multimeter

Does your car not start, do you have dim headlights or interior lights, does the starter sound weak when start the engine, or does your car die sitting overnight? A good healthy car battery should register no less than 12. Use your digital multimeter for some . Fortunately, you can check the state of charge of your battery using an inexpensive multimeter.

If your battery is in good condition, the voltage should be between 12.

If the reading is lower than 12.

Fully charged automotive batteries should measure at 12.

When the engine is running, this measurement should be 13. If you charge the battery and the voltage falls below 12. How to test car battery without multi meter. Battery and Alternator Testing. Most vehicle batteries are Volts and will not exceed 14.

Expert: Aaron Gregory Bio: Aaron Gregory is a. This video explain the basic steps to test car battery using multimeter. This car battery test determines how fully charged your battery is. This test is done twelve hours after shutting off your car, so that any surface charge can dissipate.

The test is done with the engine off. Your local automotive shop is more than able to load test your battery for you. For any load test to be accurate, the battery must be fully charged. For example: high setting on your multimeter may be Amp.

Test on the Amp setting first, then if the current drawn is less than your Multimeter Low setting, . This tutorial will teach you what voltage is consider good and ba under . A digital voltmeter can be purchased at an electronics store, such as Radio Shack, for less than $50. A battery load tester is optional. Set the meter to volts to check the battery voltage across the terminals. Measure the resistance along an HT lead by setting the meter to ohms and probing each end of the lead. Some also allow you to check the dwell angle . Following are three tests you can perform on your battery and charging system.

Prior to conducting this test , make sure the battery has not been recently charged. You must wait at least one hour after charging your battery to conduct this test. Adjust voltmeter to DC volts (volt range).

Either way, the battery should be the first thing you need to check.