Test Your Car Battery
Does your vehicle power contain enough vitality to start out your engine unit during winter. The only path to learn if your electric battery is fully incurred or not is to gauge the battery's express of demand with a voltmeter. An analog can be utilized by you or digital voltmeter, but an electronic meter is better to read and can offer you a more exact reading. Here How To Test Your Car Battery
Does your vehicle power contain enough vitality to start out your engine unit during winter. The only path to learn if your electric battery is fully incurred or not is to gauge the battery's express of demand with a voltmeter. An analog can be utilized by you or digital voltmeter, but an electronic meter is better to read and can offer you a more exact reading. Here How To Test Your Car Battery
First, make sure the ignition key is OFF, and all the vehicle's lights are OFF.
To check your battery's state of charge, connect the RED or POSITIVE voltmeter test lead to your battery POSITIVE terminal. The positive terminal will be marked with a PLUS symbol (+), and the battery cable that is connected to the positive terminal is often color coded RED.
Connect the BLACK or NEGATIVE voltmeter test lead to your battery NEGATIVE terminal. The negative terminal will be marked with a minus symbol (-), and the battery cable that is connected to the negative terminal is often color coded BLACK.
Note the reading on your voltmeter and refer to the chart below:
Battery Voltage and State of Charge:
12.66v . . . . . . . . . . 100%
12.45v . . . . . . . . . . 75%
12.24v . . . . . . . . . . 50%
12.06v . . . . . . . . . . 25%
11.89v . . . . . . . . . . 0%
?Is Your Battery Low
If your battery voltage is less than 12.45 volts (75 percent charged), it is low and should be recharged. This can be done by connecting a portable battery charger to your battery, or by driving your car for 15 to 20 minutes at 40 mph or faster.
Automotive lead-acid batteries should be maintained at a 75 percent charge level or higher for best performance and life. If the battery is allowed to run down and is not brought back up to 75 percent or higher charge within a few days, the battery may be permanently damaged. Sulfation can prevent the cell plates inside the battery from accepting a full charge. Over time, this will lead to diminished battery performance and life
Why You Need a Good Battery for Reliable Cold Weather Starting
A good battery is essential for reliable starting, especially during cold weather because cold weather increases the cranking load on the battery. Oil gets thicker at low temperatures so it takes more amps to crank a cold engine when you try to start it. At 0 degrees**F**, the number of cranking amps it takes to start a cold engine may increase as much as 2X. At minus 15 degrees below zero F. , it can take 3X or more amps to crank the engine depending on the viscosity of the oil in the crankcase. The thicker the oil, the harder is it to crank the engine.
Warning: Do NOT attempt to recharge your battery if it has run down and the liquid inside is frozen. This may cause the battery to explode! Remove the battery and take it inside so it can thaw before recharging or testing it.
?Is Your Battery Good or Bad
A GOOD battery is one that will accept and hold a charge, and is capable of producing close to its rated amperage output. A BAD battery is one that will NOT accept or hold a charge, or cannot produce adequate cranking amps. A GOOD battery can be recharged and returned to service but a BAD battery needs to be replaced.
Most car batteries only last about 4 to 5 years, so if your battery is 4 or more years older and is not holding a charge (keeps running down), or it does not seem to crank your engine a normal speed, you probably need a new battery.
A low or dead battery does not mean your battery has failed, or that it needs to be replaced. A good battery can run down for any number of reasons: somebody left the lights on, you haven't been driving your vehicle enough to keep the battery fully charged, your vehicle has been sitting for a long period of time without being started, there is a problem with the charging system or alternator, or an electrical problem is draining power from the battery when your car is off.
Battery Testing
The only way to know if your battery is GOOD or BAD is to test it. Many auto parts stores will test your battery for free. If your vehicle is drivable or you can get it going with a jump start, drive to a nearby auto parts store that offers free testing and have them test your battery and charging system. If you can't get your car started, remove the battery and get a friend to give you a ride to the auto parts store so you can have the battery tested. Many repair shops will also test your battery and charging system, but they usually charge a fee for this service
CAUTION: Conventional wet cell car batteries are filled with a mixture of water and sulfuric acid. Wear gloves and handle the battery with care so no liquid spills on your skin or clothing. Battery acid can cause severe burns. If a spill does occur, wash with plenty of water and neutralize the acid by applying baking soda.
There are essentially two ways to test a battery. The "old fashioned way" is to use a Load Tester. For accurate results with a load tester, the battery must first be recharged before it is tested. The tester applies a calibrated load to the battery (typically half the battery cold cranking amp [CCA] capacity or three times its amp/hour rating). While the load is applied, the tester monitors battery voltage. If the battery voltage drops below 9.6 volts during the test, the battery is BAD and needs to be replaced. If the voltage remains about 9.6 volts, the battery is GOOD and can be returned to service.
electronic battery conductance tester The other (and must faster) method for testing your battery is to use an electronic "conductance" . A conductance tester sends a alternating frequency signal through the battery to determine the condition of the cell plates inside the battery. As a battery ages, its internal conductance declines. Shorts, opens and other cell defects also reduce conductance, so measuring conductance gives an accurate indication of battery condition. The best feature of this type of test is that the battery does NOT have to be recharged prior to testing. Most conductance testers will give an accurate reading even if the battery is almost dead.
Some electronic battery testers can also analyze the battery's CCA capacity, which can be used to estimate the battery's remaining service life. Some testers can also measure the amps drawn by the starter while cranking the engine, and analyze charging system output under load once the engine is running. Some testers even provide a built-in voltmeter for checking connections.
Whether your battery tests GOOD or BAD, make sure the battery is fully recharged before returning it to service. The alternator is designed to maintain a battery charge, not to recharge a dead battery. Overloading the charging system with a dead battery can tax it to the point of where it may damage the alternator.
Replacement Car Batteries
A replacement battery must have the same post configuration as the original (top post or side post), and fit the battery tray. Your first order of business, therefore, is to figure out the correct "group size" for the vehicle.
Next, you have to figure out how many CCAs the vehicle needs for reliable cold weather starting. The replacement battery should have the same or higher CCA rating as the original battery. Bigger is usually better, but keep in mind that some batteries sacrifice "reserve capacity" to achieve higher CCA numbers.
Another number that is important is the months of prorated warranty coverage provided by the battery manufacturer. As a rule, the higher the warranty months on the battery, the higher the battery CCA rating and the better the battery. So consider upgrading from a basic 36-month replacement battery to a premium 72-month battery.
There are also differences in battery technology and design. Though all automotive batteries today are still based on lead-acid chemistry, redesigned grids, thinner plates and new connectors allow more amps to be packaged into smaller cases. Some new batteries use a "spiral wound" cell configuration instead of flat plates to achieve a higher packaging density, more power output and increased durability.
Some batteries also use a "gel" electrolyte or "recombination" technology that replaces the liquid acid. Some have "absorbent glass mat" (AGM) separators between the plates that hold the acid much like a paper towel soaks up water, making the battery "spill-proof" even if the case is punctured. AGM technology also makes batteries more resistant to vibration damage and helps extend battery service life.
Battery Installation
When installing a new battery, clean the posts and inspect the battery cables. Also, check the negative battery cable ground connection and the integrity of any engine ground straps. Loose or corroded connections can cause starting and charging problems
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) This is the most common battery capacity rating. The rating is the number of amps the battery can deliver for 30 seconds at 0 degrees F. while maintaining post voltage of 7.2 Volts. For reliable cold weather starting, most vehicles require 400 to 600 cold cranking amps. Larger displacement engines require more cranking amps. Some batteries are rated up to 1000 CCA, but may sacrifice reserve capacity to achieve high short term outputs.
Cranking Amps (CA) This is a less meaningful rating. It is the same as CCA except it is measured at 32 degrees F. A battery's CA rating can be converted to CCA by dividing the number by 1.28 (Example: a CA rating of 500 amps becomes 390 CCA).
Reserve Capacity (RC) Think of this as the battery's staying power. This is the number of minutes the battery will deliver 25 amps and still maintain a post voltage of 10.5 Volts. The higher the reserve capacity rating, the longer the battery will last if the charging system fails.
* Amp Hour Rating (A/H) This rating is not used much any more. It measures low current draw for 20 hours while maintaining a minimum post voltage of 10.5 Volts at 70 degrees F. (Example: a drain of 3 amps for 20 hours = 60 A/H rating).
