How to Test Automotive Battery & Cranking Amps with a Multimeter
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ค. 2024
- I realize that most of you probably know how to change a car battery but here I show you how to run some simple diagnostics with a multimeter. Please subscribe and thanks for watching!
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Nice explanation and view of the bad battery amp drop and then the new one. Perfect.
this vid is enough for me to know of CCA and the power of battery.
Good job .....
I have looked all over the internet and most say if you get around 12.5 volts the battery is good. This is the only video I have seen that actually tells what the Cold Cranking voltage should be! I took my starter off and had it tested, what a pain! Wish I had seen your video first! Thanks for the info.
On a negative earth vehicle you should always remove the negative first to avoid short circuits !
What happened to the part about testing Cranking Amps?
I have a video on checking a car battery (explaining how to test cranking amps along with other tests of the ignition and charging system)
How not to make a video
Top tip ..... Disconnect the earth first whether neg or positive then you don't get fireworks if your spanner touches the body when undoing the clamp .
@@theoldtavern1856 no you don't
He did it, when he started the car the voltage stayed above 10V that means the battery endured well, below 10V is weak.
Excellent video... I watched another one that didn't mention cranking amps, so when I saw that my battery was charged and the wiring was ok, I spent the day ripping out my starter and replacing it.
Wish I saw this video first. :) Found this because got a new battery and found your other video about testing the alternator.
Thanks for the video and sharing the good information. I just had 2 new batteries installed but, instead of cutting the handle straps; I just slid a .030 feeler gauge down between the battery and the tab on the handle then lifted it\\the handle up and out of the slot.
Nice sir , u have good experice we learn good technique to u ,GOD BLESS U
Articulate, informative and easy to understand. Thank you man
Thanks, I appreciate you watching!
Good video mate, not having a knock but your title refers to testing cranking amps, you tested voltage and voltage drop. That aside I'm sure you've helped some people, simply and articulately explained video.
You're right.
Thanks, very useful for diagnosing my battery!
Damn, dude nice vid.
thanks alot, straight to the point
thank you, I have 2 batterys that just dont hold charge, on e didn't hold any, and the 2nd holds, but no cranking amps. Now I can go check with my multimeater, and see if the cranking dropps to 4. Thanks keep it up
greetings from South Africa
Thanks man! Cold Cranking Amps! Thats my problem! Now I know.
Brilliant Video, i have an OPEL CORSA vehicle ( formerly from Delta and now General Motors ) 1.6 ie and i have also learned about batteries a bit and wanted to know more about how to measure the amps. I also learned that at 12.3 its not really enough to start the car. 12.6 is very good. As you say though, its more about the actual amps.
Informative video, but, you forgot to record the saved FM stations from the car radio. Oh by the way, I still have the original factory battery from my 2006 Mazda 3, and it is still alive and kicking......
Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the info
nicely done.
Why did you put the battery on the floor? You do know that putting any battery on the floor discharges the cells. I actually went to school for automotive and they said ABSOLUTELY not to put a car battery on the floor, your battery will drain faster. usually car battery's last about 3-5 years, that battery will probably last about a year and a half or maybe two years. Their was test's done by this at the ASE Academy.
Other than that Very Great Video! Makes me remember high school day's when I took automotive classes.
Thanks for watching. Concrete draining a battery is a myth for the most part. Although I still don't store them on the floor, todays batteries are fine if you really wanted to.
#themyths
good video thanks :P
@devGOD if you hear a click, it might be that the negative battery terminal is not tight enough on the battery post. Check to see if you can pull off the terminal without a tool. If you can, then it's not making good contact for cranking. I had that problem once.
for most of the posts that amps should be meaaured, amps cant be measured with this multimeter (even if its designed by fluke)
battery tester with heating rod inside will do the job ..... 100s of amps flows in that when tested....the heater under full load is hot red with burning smell in just 1-2 sec..... and the reading is in good range and stable
and the battery voltage should read around 10V during cranking
really helpful, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching!
Good simple video.
Thanks!
Thank you for the lesson!
Thanks for watching!
Nicely explained the voltage measurement. But it does not cover how to determine (estimate) CCA of battery.
The CCA test requires the battery be cooled to - 18 C [ 0 F]. Apart from that, You may please just estimate CCA at room temperature which may be varying in range of 10 - 25 C, depending on where you live.
good info
good video every body should learn this
Thanks!
Thanks Johnny!
You're welcome!
How do I see a display of the battery's CCA on the DMM? Thx.
Battery Jumper box is nice to have when car bat is dead and nobody can help you with jumper cables. Campbell makes them can get one at Walmart for like $35 USD. One cable to battery and other to metal somewhere on engine. Cranks right over. And Battery Buddy uses a Lithium Ion battery to store enough juice in case car bat is dead it will crank over your car.
Yeah, they are well worth it!
Couldn't a bad starter or bad connection between battery and starter cause the sharp voltage drop when you try to crank it?
My 02 Civic Honda battery had removable caps for service and most do not know that you can check the level in the cels, I had to add more distilled water to the battery to keep it in good shape. Had it for 8 years before I got it replaced. Just wear safety glasses and gloves to be safe.
That's awesome, lots of life out of it!
So just checking voltage, drop voltage and alt regulating voltage but no actual testing of cca, got it!
Oh, I read on the battery that it is for 0 degrees but good up to -18. Thanks for replying.
you didn't show how to test the amps with the multimeter...
I have more upcoming automotive videos.
@@theoldtavern1856 no you don’t
You cant, must take it to AutoZone Oreillys too test.
Hi, can you help me with something? I have a positive and negative wire going to the back of my van. This wire was used to power a wheelchair lift. I gave the lift away and now I have the cut wires. How can I figure out how many amps it can provide? I know hoe to test volts but how do I test those two wires, positive and negative, to know how many watts are coming out? Thank you.
Eric The Car Guy said to use the amp setting. Should i use volts or amps? Sorry idk much about electrical systems. I dont want to mess up my new multimeter
Thanks for the video. I think I will try replacing myself instead of paying soneone.
Good luck!
Workwd out well thanks
Eric Cable Awesome!
@Johnnysshop
Thank You for replying. I took a multimeter and set it to 10A. Found out that the meter is reading 0.60-0.65. I definitely have a drain somewhere.lol. Now, I have to figure where. Thanks helping :)
Ballsy putting the positive on last and taking it off first. Always do the negative terminal both cases
Great video man! Saved my ass!
Thanks for watching!
Okay, I'm a little slow here so bare with me. So, the reading BEFORE the car starts is the COLD cranking amps and cold cranking amps is for 0 degrees F. Right so far? So, how do I know if my car will crank at -20?
Follow this sequence before get a new battery
#1.- Discard if alternator is on fail.
#2.- Discard any circuit draining battery even with the key removed from switch.
#3.- if you can buy a cheap battery analyzer to check CCA would be better.
Good Luck!
@whiteboyjimmy20 I believe the original comment stands on it's own... If you want proof positive, try grounding out your tool while removing the positive connection first.
Always take the negative off first and put it on last.
@rpruneau68 That is what I had to say. The way he did that can blow the battery up in hi face or anything else close by.
It is so any sparks will be made far away from the potentially hydrogen producing battery cells.
But in actuallity, it's pretty much anything goes.
Thanks :)
+MrShataka Thanks for watching!
@altpath could a bad battery cause the no revving problem I'm having as well?
Battery Amps may be lowish although battery is fine on the volts reading. Its possible.
Good test to do, drive at night and stop facing a brick wall or a nice surface wall where u can see your lights shining.
Let the lights shine and then allow the car to continue idling.
Then turn the car off and allow the lights to continue shining
The lights should not go so dim so quick.... they should take a few moments maybe 30 seconds....
Thats normal.
Hello, I have a 98 town car. Whenever I get to a stop light, I step on the gas and get no revs at all for several seconds, as if the car is going to stall. I had that happen before with another vehicle and it was the alternator that had gone bad. I checked on this car using your videos, and it seems to be ok. But the battery is showing 12.43 cold, after leaving the car on for a few minutes and turning it off, it shows the same or less than that. Think I should replace the battery?
I would like to buy a decent multi-meter again but i am not sure which to buy - the last i had the fuse blew and also the red wire came loose from the red connecter pin.
thank;s, BRO
Shouldn't you remove the negative cable first? Then on installing, attached the positive first? Just saying...
Yeah, you should.
Yep
Yes the proper safe way
Pussys
Awesome video.
This morning I tested mine with a multimeter and cold it read 12.06. I had my wife start it up and it went to 10.30 and back up to 14.something. Yesterday my wife took to autozone and they said alternator was dead. It read 12.54 and 14.1 running. O'reilleys said its all working good.. Based on my specs. is this correct?
Ok.... one dumb question XD
I know larger trucks and some cars have bigger batteries. Does your '05 Altima have a larger than normal battery?
You read about 12.3 volts on the meter... and said it was about half charged. Do you have a 24 volt battery.... or a standard 12.6 volt??
thanks for info....pls can some one help me i have nissan maxima 1999 v6 3.0 but i dont know wich battery is proper fo my car i mean how much amps and cranking cca? my fraind gave me 1battery name is solite 85d26R the cca 630 can i fix in my car? no problem for starter or wairing or any electrec problm? pls help me
I just skimmed through this video, and it looks like you only test Voltage, not cranking amps. The easiest way to test cranking amps is to use an Ammeter Clamp-on, Fluke is best, it tests minimum and maximum amps. Look on the battery for it's rated amperage, put the clamp on, around the negative cable of the battery, and start the car to the amps spike.
Is this the same rule for all cars, i heard for Toyota and VW and it is possibly different to a OPEL vehicle ( or general motors vehicle) - im talking about the red and the black.... my friend was saying on the Opel cars the earth is a different part on the vehicle - not sure if he meant the body, i would assume that it normal to me though.
1st, when replacing any battery (new or old) you should always connect the + first (or when disconnecting disconnect the + last). 2nd, there was no test for cranking amps..? Other than that OK I suppose. George C.
George Clemenceau - why ?
Why, "Why ?" ? Do you meant the order for disconnection? Just in case, really. (It is possible to carefully remove either first, but to be on the safe side, it's to prevent making a short circuit (as long as the connector won't flap back onto the terminal post as soon as you let go). Shorting a lead-acid battery delivers huge current - enough to melt thick wire, or even wedding rings if the spanner, the ring and the bodywork make a connection.)
Can't seem to find someone to answer this question. Well, with a fully charged battery. When you insert the key in the ignition and turn it, the battery voltage drops (as indicated by your multimeter). From what I saw, the voltage dropped to 10v then jumped back up, you said anything lower than 10v is not a good sign. So my two questions are. Why does the voltage drop when you start it and could you go over why anything below 10v is not good and what could be the cause of it. Thanks!
1. Why does the voltage drop when you start it? When the battery is sitting with no draw (nothing major using electrical power) it remains pretty constant. When the starter (turning the key) is initiated, it pulls a strong current from the battery and drops the voltage momentarily. When the car starts the alternator (belt-driven charger for your battery) begins to spool, and the battery is then receiving a charge and shows higher than its normal voltage.
2. Why anything below 10v is not good and what could be the cause of it? A car battery is built to hold approx. 12v. As the battery discharges, it is unable to maintain that peak voltage and it drops a bit. It raises again as its recharged. If the battery is discharged too far, it can damage the cells in the battery and then the batter is unable to provide a constant 12v that the starter requires to start the car. Deep discharging will damage a battery and it is normally the cause of a battery not providing sufficient power to start a car.
Thanks for watching. It drops because the battery is under it's own power to start the vehicle and then it jumps once the car is running because the alternator is then running and charging the system. You can actually totally remove your battery while the car is running as long as you leave your lights off, radio, etc.. It will run without it. Below 10 is just a general rule of thumb, some batteries are a bit different. It really depends on the initial voltage before you attempt to start the car.
***** While you are partially right, u r not 100% right.:
1. " It drops because the battery is under it's own power to start the vehicle and then it jumps once the car is running because the alternator is then running and charging the system" - one could understand that if you immediately stop the engine, the battery will remain at 10V (as the alternator is not working) and that is false. A 99% empty battery with no short has 12-12.3 V !!! Also your assumption that a cell is dead is also false. A cell is dead only when shorted, and then the max voltage of ur dead battery would be max 10V. The drop in voltage is a consequence of power being drawn to explain the chemical reaction over the time required one can use wikipedia.
2. "You can actually totally remove your battery while the car is running as long as you leave your lights off, radio, etc." - double false: you can if you really want to turn on ALL the electric devices, as they NEVER draw power from the battery. If they would, then a lot of cars with the radio on would have a dead battery after 1000 km. And the second false, you actually cannot remove the contacts on the battery terminal because one of the most important role of the battery is to STABILIZE the voltage. Real case, one dude did exactly that, in 10 minutes all 4 computers fried. The alternator sends spikes of 14-18 Volt in the circuit, the battery, even a partially dead one (not with a dead cell) is required. Of course it also depends on the maker of the car, and many other aspects, but generally speaking is a huge risk and you can check it with an oscilloscope to see if you do not believe it. That is one of the reasons of the further necessity of voltage stabilizers (usually big capacitors) when the consumption is close to the alternator maximum output (like when you use a subwoofer) and the fast superficial charge on the battery (when the battery acts as a capacitor) cannot compensate the instantaneous power spikes of the audio system....
but tell me, how do you actually measure the amperage though? is this just but checking that the battery voltage does not drop as low as nine volts when u start the car? I guess it is dependent on the car electronics and what there is to power up ?
I have a battery in my car i been driving with it in the back seat for at least 1-2 years now... i know it was reading at 10 volts the last i checked - is there a use for it, or should i just take it back to the battery shop and get a few bucks?
Thank you sir, but when to perform a "load test" do you necessarily need to crank.. why not just turn on the main lights, wouldn't that be easier?
@altpath
Thank You.
@rpruneau68 And not doing this will result in what?
good video, but misleading... this checks voltage and voltage drop, not amperes...
Yo, i used your video and went and tested mine. When the engine was off i got 12.67, when cranking it dropped to 10, and running it was at like 13.95. The last reading, is that bad? im sure it should be 14.4?
@talkntribe that sounds like a good alternator. Maybe check with a decent mechanic? Autozone employees are not that knowledgeable, in my experience.
5:54-5:57 Tri-Pad ? or Tri-Pod ? good video tho thanks :)
Plus who knows where the bottom tabs of the handle would fall if you didn't catch them... if they happened to fall out.. could be a pain getting them out of the engine compartment. LOL
you're not measuring amperage, you're measuring voltage
why not cut the handle after you put the battery in the car?
Everyone else seems to think they you need to charge the battery first before doing the load test ??
when you start the car it measured 4.15v and then 1/4 seconds later 4.10v then about 12v(v=volts)
Can't you just test it after its charged then wait several hours and test it again to see if it holds a charge?
when you start the car it measured 4.15volts 1/4 secs later 4.1volts then it mesaured 12 volts(on the first test)
The battery is high density shock resistant plastic. The breakdown voltage from the terminals to the nonconductive floor is in the hundred of thousands volts range, not twelve.
There is NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL to ground a battery by putting it on ANY surface provided it is right side up, and there is NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL to short out a battery with a piece of concrete. EVER: In any way.
You never texted cold cranking amps!
when you start the car it measured 4.15volts 1/4 secs later 4.1volts then it mesaured 12 volts
All test done in a stores are only testing cranking amps not cold cranking amps so all these test in stores say the battery is good is bunch bs. They not testing the load test under extreme cold where the cranking amps are changed by temps that push the battery.The only performance test is cca not cranking amps which are only good above 32f
REPLY
a load test in 32f will only test crank amps not cca . cold crankings are only tested below the 32f.This test only proves the cranking amps are there not the cca amps which are tested in cold weather below 32f hence cold cranking amps vs warm weathers cranking amps . Batteries all have cranking amp specs and cold crankings amps specs designed for 32 and one for below 32f.
I am always chicken to change batteries myself because all the batteries blowing up horror stories. Have you ever had one blow up on you?
no
9:04 6v drop
So...
You said all that to say?
okay - battery handling 101: of course this vid is 12 years old but the same 'rules' have held true since the invention of the battery:
when disconnecting a battery, disconnect the NEGATIVE terminal first, then the positive. This way, regardless of whether you're 'careful' or not- you won't short the battery to the car frame while using an electrically conductive instrument such as a socket wrench.
when connecting the battery, you do the opposite; you connect the POSITIVE terminal first, then connect the negative.
learn this, then make youtube videos.
as you say show about AMPS but your video describe only Volt so pls change your heading......
But you didn't test the cranking amps!
Great video, but never ever put your battery down strait on the floor, one of the best ways to ground it. basically killing it. still good video thx :)
How do you know the alternator doesn't have a leaking rectifier/blocking diode ? Could be any one of the 6. The alternator will charge just fine if you can just get the car started at all, as in the past up to this morning. -----------
How do you know both battery terminals/clamps are making good electrical contact that can support 500+ cranking amps ? Just because the voltage on the clamps went very low
doesn't mean the voltage across the actual battery terminals' voltage went that low.
How do you know the starter motor isn't failing which may cause it do draw excessive current without generating enough torque and fail to turn over the engine and also pull the battery voltage (which you didn't test) to low ?
You procedure is very lacking and may trick people into thinking they need to replace the battery and/or alternator and/or the starter motor. SHAME ON YOU !
Okay, I'm a little slow here so bare with me. So, the reading BEFORE the car starts is the COLD cranking amps and cold cranking amps is for 0 degrees F. Right so far? So, how do I know if my car will crank at -20?