Some people will tell you 15 to 20 volts but whatever you choose just make sure it's above 15 so that you get the correct reading. Step 3 : Now that your battery is prepared you want to set your multimeter to voltage and adjust it to about 20 volts DC. If you don't have any corrosion, then skip this step. Don't just use soap and water for this job. If you notice some corrosion you can clean it off using a terminal brush and a battery terminal cleaner. It could also explain why you might be having issues with your battery in the first place. If you have corrosion like that it's going to interfere with reading the battery. That's usually kind of a white or yellow crust that forms around the metal terminals on a battery. You want to look for any kind of corrosion or build up on them. Step 2 : Give your battery a quick visual inspection, more specifically the terminals themselves. If you test your battery immediately after you've been driving your car you might get a false reading because the battery could still be holding a charge from the alternator. That's because you should be testing a battery after it's been sitting for at least an hour without it being used. Don't turn your car on to do this, just the headlights. ![]() This is going to get rid of any surface charge on the battery. Just let your car sit with the lights on for about 2 minutes. Step 1: You should start by turning the headlights on in your car. If you have one of those kinds of batteries, you need to use a hydrometer to test it, not a multimeter. Those are the ones that don't have the plastic caps on each individual cell. Just remember these instructions are for what are called maintenance-free batteries. ![]() The process for using one is fairly straightforward. If you have a multimeter yourself it makes it a lot easier to get this done and you can buy them on Amazon for under $15. There are a lot of symptoms that could indicate an issue with your battery that are going to require you to check it. Of course not everyone has a multimeter on hand but if you're at all interested in doing car maintenance and car repairs yourself then it's probably in your best interests to pick up a multimeter to have on hand just in case. A multimeter is a fairly simple device that measures voltage and when you use it with your battery it's going to let you know how much power is left inside of it. ![]() The most common way for people to test car batteries is to use something called a multimeter. How to Test a Car Battery with a Multimeter If you drive your car in extreme temperatures either hot or cold, if you do a lot of intense cross-country driving or you have a lot of electronics routinely running in your vehicle, your battery life is not going to be as long as it would be in some other vehicles.īecause there is such a potential range for how long your battery could last, when you start experiencing problems that indicate there may be an issue with your battery it's good to know how to test it to rule it out as either the cause of the problem or let you focus your attention somewhere else. All batteries are going to have some variation in lifespan, and a lot of that depends on how you drive your car. A typical car battery should last you anywhere between three years and five years if you just got it brand new. Since you're not going to be able to drive your car without a functional battery, it's good to know how to make sure your battery is still good. ⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
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