It’s important to test your battery and electrical system regularly, not just when it’s starting to show signs of weakness. Proactively testing it (or making sure your mechanic
does) twice a year will help reduce your chances of failure. Most retailers offer a simple free five minute battery test. Use our Find a Retailer for a location near you to get a free battery test. Fully charged automotive batteries should measure at 12.6 volts or above. When the engine is running, this measurement should be 13.7 to 14.7 volts. If you don’t have a multimeter to tell you the voltage of your battery, you
can do a test of your electrical system by starting the car and turning on the headlights. If they are dim, that indicates the lights are running off the battery and that little or no charge is being produced by the alternator. If the lights get brighter as you rev the engine, it means the alternator is producing some current, but may not be producing enough at idle to keep the battery properly charged. If the lights have normal brightness and don’t change intensity as the engine is revved, your
charging system is probably functioning normally. If you’ve been experiencing problems with your battery system and the headlight test checks out okay, you should check whether or not the battery is holding a charge, or if something on the vehicle is discharging it. To pass a load test, the battery must maintain 9.6 volts at 15 seconds when tested at one-half the CCA rating and 70°F (or above). This test must be done with a true load (carbon pile)
and not one of the hand-held testers that work off a conductance algorithm. The test must be run with the battery in a high state of charge. Be sure to read and follow all safety and handling instructions on the battery, this website and your battery tester. If you would like your battery tested, use our Find a Retailer for a location near you. We're offline for a tune-up, we'll be up and running smoothly very soon. In the meantime, here are some other options available: Visit an  Sign up for View us on Social Media We appreciate your patience – for your next visit: 15% offyour next purchase. Enter coupon code: in shopping cart. We look forward to serving you, Your vehicle’s battery is its lifeline. Without a functioning battery, you’re not going anywhere. Which means you should regularly check your battery’s charge to make sure it has enough juice to last you the next couple of months. Today, we’re going to show you an easy way to test your battery voltage. Fortunately, this is a relatively simple task. If you have the right tools for the job, there’s no reason you can’t do it all by yourself. Before We Start Is the Alternator or the Battery to Blame?If you’re noticing some power issues and you’re concerned about the prospect of a dying battery, you should first run a couple of tests to determine whether the issue is with the battery or the charging system (the alternator) before spending a good chunk of change on something you don’t need. What’s An Alternator, You Ask? The alternator converts energy from the engine into alternating electrical current for the battery, which powers the vehicle’s electrical systems. So if it seems like your battery isn’t working, this is the first place you should look. You can check on the health of your alternator in a few ways:
Note: If you aren’t experiencing any of these symptoms, you should check your battery’s voltage. Here are a couple of ways you can test your battery voltage yourself. How to Test Your Battery Voltage with a VoltmeterA simple method for checking your battery’s voltage involves using a voltmeter, which measures the electrical potential difference between two points in an electric circuit (in crude layman’s terms: voltage). We recommend you opt for a digital voltmeter as they are much easier to use. For the most accurate reading, perform this test twelve hours after turning off your vehicle to give any surface charge a chance to dissipate.
How to Do the Engine Cranking MethodDon’t get rid of your voltmeter, you’ll still need it for this test. Also, if you don’t have a remote starter, sit in the driver’s seat while you observe the voltmeter readings. To check your car battery voltage using the “crank” method, connect the voltmeter to your battery following the same steps outlined above. Next, have a friend crank the engine for a few seconds while you keep an eye on the voltmeter. (By “crank” we mean starting your vehicle to energize the engine using an exterior force, like a remote starter (not a key). The name comes from the old days, when a literal metal crank was needed to manually turn an engine on.) Should the voltage read anything below 9.6 volts, that means the battery has become sulfated and is no longer retaining nor accepting the charge. If you want, you can take this test a little further by disabling the ignition or injection to prevent your engine from starting. This will allow you to crank engine a little longer, but we suggest cranking no longer than 15 seconds. If you’re battery is properly charged, the voltmeter should show that it maintains a voltage of 9.6 volts or higher. Other MethodsThese are just two of the ways to measure your battery’s voltage, but they’re among the simplest and most cost effective methods. If you’re still unsure of how things are done, or if you don’t have the confidence to do this yourself, remember that you can always book your vehicle for service check up at your local Go Auto location, we would be happy to help! What voltage is too low for a 1212.0 volts or below - At 12.0 volts your battery is considered to be fully discharged or 'flat' and should be recharged as soon as possible. The lifespan of your battery will be severely affected if it remains within this voltage range for extended periods of time.
At what voltage should a 12v battery be replaced?If the measured reading is less than 12.2 volts, the battery's resting voltage is weak, which means it most likely needs to be charged or replaced.
What voltage should a 12v battery read?Fully charged automotive batteries should measure at 12.6 volts or above. When the engine is running, this measurement should be 13.7 to 14.7 volts. If you don't have a multimeter to tell you the voltage of your battery, you can do a test of your electrical system by starting the car and turning on the headlights.
What should a 12It tells you the voltage between the battery terminals. If the battery is good, the reading should actually be higher than 12 volts. It should be somewhere between 12.8 volts (fully charged) and 12.1 volts (50 percent charged). The battery is not charged, and could be bad, if the reading is 11.9 volts or lower.
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How many volts should a 12v battery have
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