Are 118 Volts Enough To Start A Car
No, 11.8 volts is not enough to start a car even if the battery has a voltage rating of 12V as 12V is the minimum volts the particular battery should maintain to remain in a working condition.
So, 11.8 volts will do nothing, and youd immediately charge the battery and up the volts to at least 12.4 volts.
Your car battery has a life of a maximum of 3-5 years, after which its dangerous for both you and the car to continue with the same battery.
Else, you will find yourself stranded in the middle of the road, or the different car components wont extract power from the battery to operate. In other cases, the bad or worn battery may even cause excessive heating of the engine.
Hence, youd always keep an eye on your batterys health. And the best way to determine its health is by testing the battery for its volts.
For example, if the battery has a rating of 12 volts, the alternator can provide it a maximum of 15 volts. And a healthy battery ought to have at least 12.4-14.7 volts to keep working.
Anything below 12.4 volts can cause starting problems and issues in using the various car components.
Hence, its advisable to test the car battery at least twice a year at home through a voltmeter. Plus, the mechanic will also test the battery at the time of the car service.
Leaving Your Headlights On
Today many cars automatically turn off the headlights a few minutes after the engine has been turned off. Older vehicles may not have this feature and can quickly deplete the battery energy. Even new cars can deplete the battery if the accessory option is turned on. Always make sure the lights are off since this is one of the most common reasons batteries are drained of their energy.
Easy Ways To Test Your Battery Voltage
Your vehicles battery is its lifeline. Without a functioning battery, youre not going anywhere. Which means you should regularly check your batterys charge to make sure it has enough juice to last you the next couple of months. Today, were 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, theres no reason you cant do it all by yourself.
Also Check: How To Connect A Car Amp To A Wall Plug
Testing Car Battery With A Multimeter
The testing cycle has the next stages:
Bad Or Failing Alternator
Your battery may be fine, but if your alternator is not generating sufficient power to run the engine and the accessories, the power comes from the battery and depletes it rather quickly. Check that the fan belt is still in place and have your alternator checked. The check engine light will be illuminated in most cases if you have a failing alternator.
Don’t Miss: How To Check Car Vin Number For Free
How To Tell If A Car Battery Has A Dead Cell
It isnt too tasking to tell if acar battery has a dead cell. If the reading on your car battery indicates 0 volts, thenit could imply that the battery sortof had a short circuit. If onthe other hand the battery isunable to attain a reading above 10.5 volts when charging, then it signifies that the battery has a deadcell. A wellchargedbattery that has the voltage indicating 12.5 or lower means sulfating hasoccurred.
In some cases, it is easy to detect a faulty battery by merely examining it. You can check for thingslike:
- Crack of plastic
- Discoloration
- Bulge or bump in thecase
Those are the basics on especially if you are looking at how to tell if a car battery has a dead cell. below is other ways to tell if your car battery is dead. Related: 6 Best Battery Maintainer For Winter Storage
Why Is My Car Battery Voltage Too Low
When you are testing for the voltage of your car battery, you might have realized that the reading shows a voltage that is too low.
There are many reasons that might cause this, the most common one being that the car battery is just too old. A normal car battery has a lifetime of four to five years.
When it gets past its fourth year, it would lose its ability to hold charge and thus show a reading that is too low even after being recharged.
When you leave your car lights or stereo on for a long time, then the car battery voltage is bound to be too low.
Such electronics drain the car battery too much that you might just need a jump starter for your car battery to start the car.
Some reasons that cause the car battery to show a low reading might be because of damage of the components of the battery.
This might be because of bulges on the sides of the car battery or even leaks on the car battery.
Corrosion build up that normally occurs on the terminals of the car battery may also cause connections issues and thus the voltage of the car battery eking quite low.
A short in the car battery might also cause the car battery to give a significantly low voltage reading.
This occurs due to faulty separators between the cells of the car battery that make it unable to work well.
When you abandon your car battery for long and do not use it, then the voltage reading will probably be low.
Don’t Miss: Lease Carvana
Before We Startis The Alternator Or The Battery To Blame
If youre noticing some power issues and youre 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 before spending a good chunk of change on something you dont need.
Whats An Alternator, You Ask?
The alternator converts energy from the engine into alternating electrical current for the battery, which powers the vehicles electrical systems. So if it seems like your battery isnt 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 arent experiencing any of these symptoms, you should check your batterys voltage.
Keeping Your Battery Healthy Is An Important Aspect Of Maintenance
As we just mentioned, keeping your battery healthy is an important part of car maintenance that should be done regularly. Like anything to do with cars, if you catch a problem early, it is usually cheaper and easier to fix.
In order to keep your battery in good health, you need to know what the voltage should be and as we stated earlier, for any regular car battery, this will not be 12v but actually something a little higher. A test should read around 12.4-12.6v and 13.7-14.7v with the engine running.
Read Also: Car Salesman Commission Per Car
Open Circuit Voltage Test
This car battery test determines how fully charged your battery is. This test is done twelve hours after shutting off your car, so that any surface charge can dissipate. This means a more accurate reading. The test is done with the engine off. Then your mechanic may either use a multimeter/voltmeter, or a dedicated battery tester. The dedicated tester is simply connected to the battery terminals and the voltage can be read. With the multimeter, the device is configured to measure voltage up to 20 volts. Then the leads are connected to the battery terminals, positive to positive and negative to negative to get the voltage.
A reading of 12.65-12.77 volts means your battery has a full charge. 12.45-12.54 volts means you have a 75% charge, 12.24-12.29 is 50% charged, and 11.99-12.06 volts is 25% charged. 11.75-11.89 volts means your battery is dead.
Bring The Battery In To Autozone
It’s important to note, that jump-starting and driving on a potentially bad battery is not a good practice. A bad battery that cannot keep a charge puts an incredible strain on an alternator, which is not designed to put a high-amp charge on a battery, unlike generators of old, which could do this. This is one of the prime reasons why many vehicle owners change out their battery, only to come back where they purchased the battery 3-4 days later, angry that the battery has died again, only to then find out the worse news the alternator is also bad. If you suspect the battery is bad based on your multimeter testing, remove the battery and bring it into AutoZone for further testing. If the vehicle will start on its own, bring it into AutoZone where it can be checked. If you do end up replacing the battery, you can learn how to test your charging system here, or bring the vehicle back up to AutoZone for a charging system test. Don’t assume once the battery is changed that everything has returned back to normal.
Also Check: How To Remove Pet Hair From Car Upholstery
How Do I Know When My Car Battery Needs Replacing
How to Know When it is Time to Replace Your Car Battery
Can You Leave A Battery Charger On Overnight
Even though there is no risk of overcharging with the use of a high quality charger, the battery should not remain connected to the charger for more than 24 hours. A full charge is usually achieved by charging overnight. Even after a deep discharge, some chargers enable at least partial reconditioning of the battery.
You May Like: How To Transfer Car Title In Az
Causes Of Excessive Key Off Current Drain
Causes of excessive current drain from a car battery include things like lights that remain on and also relays that may be stuck on, or modules that are not going to sleep or powering down. Keyless entry systems and anti-theft systems can often be the source of a significant key-off current drain on the battery.
A fuel pump relay that sticks on may keep the fuel pump running after the engine is shut off. A switch or relay that powers a rear window defogger can stick on, pulling current from the battery after the ignition is off. An electronic suspension module, ABS module or keyless entry module may remain active long after it should have powered down.
An accessory such as a DVD player, game console or cell phone charger left plugged into a rear seat power receptacle may be pulling power from the battery. So before you spend a lot of time trying to figure out where the amps are disappearing, check all of the vehicle’s power receptacles to see if something is plugged in that may be using power.
Need Battery Service Let Us Help
If your battery tests return less-than-ideal results, contact Honda of Slidell for further investigation. We can provide more specific tests and help you determine where the issue lies-whether its the battery, the alternator, or a parasitic draw.
If you need battery service in Slidell, Picayune, or St. Tammany Parish, schedule your appointment now!
Also Check: What Kind Of Car Did Columbo Drive
How Do You Perform A Load Test
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 . This test must be done with a true load 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.
How Often Should You Test Your Battery
Cars need regular maintenance, and as part of this, you should be checking your batterys health.
For any battery, even one that doesnt show any signs of wearing out, it is recommended that you test once every six months.
Of course, if you think that the battery is showing signs that it is coming to the end of its life, you should also test it. This will help you establish whether the problem really is coming from the battery or if there is some other fault somewhere in your cars electrical system.
Finally, if you leave your car sitting for an extended period for example, you have a car that spends the winter in the garage you should test the battery when you bring it out and start using it again.
Note also that as part of testing your battery, you should also inspect it visually. A build-up of corrosion will cause it to function less efficiently, and if you dont catch it early enough, it may damage the battery beyond repair.
Also Check: How Much Does A Car Salesman Make Per Car
What Are The Ampere Ratings
The ampere ratings of a battery basicallytell you its storage capacity. Typically, the larger the battery, the higherthe amp rating. The internal chemistry of the battery will also affect the amprating. Most car batteries have a capacity between 550 and 1000 amperes.
Matters are further complicated by the fact that youll see two-ampere ratings on most batteries: the crank amps and cold cranking amps . Usually, the CA rating will be higher than the CCA rating.
Pay more attention to the cold cranking amps when youre figuring out how many amps is a car battery. This is the power youll get when the battery is at -4°F and is a truer measure of the batterys actual power.
Is 122 Volts A Good Battery
If your voltmeter is showing a voltage anywhere between 12.4 and 12.8, that means your battery is in good shape. Any voltage above 12.9 volts is a good indicator that your battery has excessive voltage. But if youre voltmeter is reading anything below 12.2 volts, you should consider trickle charging your battery.
Read Also: How Much Does A Car Salesman Make Per Car
How To Test Battery Voltage Of A Car
You canutilize a voltmeter to establish the volt of a auto battery. It can assist inevaluating the measurements with past results to construe the batterys state.
To testthe battery voltage of a car, you can position the reading device to its highestvalue and contact the batterys terminals. A functioning device will indicateprecise readings.
To knowhow many volts are car batteries, it is paramount to use a voltmeter. However,if you are unable to get a voltmeter, you should be capable of still test outthe batterys form by offing the engine and putting on the headlights.
How To Test A Car Battery With A Multimeter
When your car doesnt start, often a low or dead battery is the culprit. Unfortunately, most vehicle owners do not check their battery until it fails. As preventative maintenance, the suggested best practice is to conduct a car battery voltage test regularly at least twice per year using a multimeter.
A multimeter is an electronic measuring instrument that is used to gauge volts, amps, and resistance from an electrical source. The most common automotive application for a multimeter is to test the strength of a car battery. When used properly, it will provide voltage information to a high degree of accuracy on a digital readout. Understanding the data provided is vital in determining whether the battery is strong and healthy or should be replaced.
Recommended Reading: How To Fix Clear Coat On A Car
