You can use a multimeter to find out if your battery has enough charge.
Check car battery with multimeter uk.
How to check a car battery with a multimeter.
Turn the lights off.
Testing a battery with a multimeter is a simple process.
So one of the primary diagnostic uses of a multimeter is to check the battery voltage in a car that is having problems starting.
A multimeter is a device that you can use to check the state of your battery regarding voltage and current.
Using a multimeter to test a car battery.
On some car models the voltage of the battery can be checked at the dashboard but that won t help you know how good is your battery since the voltage reading in the dashboard actually shows the power coming from the alternator and not the battery.
With the headlights on at 80 f there should be a voltage drop of at least 11 8 volts 25 charged and ideally 12 5 volts between the positive and negative terminals.
The first thing to do is make sure you can access the two terminals on the top of the battery.
Set the multimeter to 15 20 volts.
For your battery to pass a load test the multimeter must read between 9 5 to 10 5 volts straight for 30 seconds when the battery is tested.
Most people have experienced or at least know of someone whose car did not start due to a low battery charge.
Turn the headlights on for two minutes to get rid of any surface charge the battery may have.
Set the dial to 20 which will allow you to accurately measure between 0 20 volts.
Car batteries are 12v affairs but a fully charged battery should be expected to read above 12v.
Connect the multimeter to the positive and negative battery terminals.
Touch the red probe to the positive terminal and the black probe to the negative terminal.
I have always advocated for a reliable multimeter to be one equipment that should always be in the toolbox.
How to test a car battery.
The first test with your multimeter will measure dc voltage indicated with a solid line and a dashed line above a letter v.
How to check car battery with multimeter.
Your battery may be failing but for you to be sure you need to know how to test a car battery.
