Car Battery Tester

Your car's battery is its power house, which enables all the electrical and electronic accessories to function smoothly. With a dysfunctional battery, you cannot hope to even get the ignition working. Ergo, it's essential that the car battery testing be carried out periodically. You can check car battery using a car battery tester or a simple multimeter. These are specially built electronic devices for testing the car battery voltage levels. They make it easier for you to regularly monitor car battery health. In this Buzzle article, I talk about how to use a car battery tester.

Car Battery Testing

Before we talk about a car battery tester, let me briefly review how to test a car battery. Testing a car battery is monitoring its voltage levels. There are three important voltage levels to consider. The first type of level to be tested is the no load voltage level with the engine switched off. This one needs to be around 12 V with the engine switched off. The second voltage level is cranking voltage level which will drop below 12 V as the car engine starts. The third voltage reading that needs to be checked is the charging level, when the alternator is functional and car battery is getting charged with the engine running. This one needs to be around 13.8 to 14 V.

If during testing, any of these three levels are substantially below their normal value, you are facing either car battery or alternator problems. Regular use of a car battery tester can point out car alternator problems, as well as battery problems. The essential point to be noted is that a car battery shows different voltage levels at different applied loads. Hence it's essential that a car battery tester applies different loads to correctly assess the battery health. The load applied should be proportional to the maximum load rating of the car battery. Make sure that the battery has cooled down when you test it, as temperature variation can affect readings.

How to Use a Car Battery Tester?

Let us now have a look at the features and kinds of car battery testers. There are primarily two types of battery testers which include analog and digital ones. Some are small enough to be plugged into cigarette holders and some need to be attached to car battery terminals.

Most advanced car battery testers use the BCI test, which involves the application of half the load rating of the battery to test its health. The BCI test simulates the load that will be applied by your car accessories on the battery by application of the load for about ten to fifteen seconds. To use the tester, you must attach it to the car battery terminal and monitor the reading. These devices derive power from the car battery itself. Standalone car battery load testers have a capacity of absorbing as much as 100 amperes or more of current. Service centers have a car battery tester with printer even to get a numerical readout.

An ideal tester must be able to check no load, cranking, as well as charging voltage levels. Check out car battery tester reviews in detail before choosing one. It doesn't matter much, whether it's analog or digital, as long as it provides accurate readings within 0.1 V error margin. Some of the leading manufacturer brands of car battery testers are Associated Equipment and Midtronics. You can buy a decent one for less than $50.

Hope this short tutorial on car battery tester usage and features was an insightful read. Buying one is a useful investment as they form important tools in your car maintenance arsenal. You can ensure good battery health with a handy car battery tester by your side.