![]() For any load test to be accurate, the battery must be fully charged and left to sit 12 hours before load testing the battery. Your local automotive shop is more than able to load test your battery, but it's quite easy to do at home and all you need is a digital voltmeter. ![]() The majority of replacement battery purchases occur when the original battery has reached this point. At this point, charging alone will not restore the battery to a healthy condition. Charging a sulfated battery is like trying to wash your hands while wearing gloves. Sulfation decreases the potential to reach a full charge, and it self-discharges the battery quicker than normal. This covers the surface area of the plates, removing the chemicals needed to produce power. But if a battery sat, uncharged, severely discharged, and/or drained for extended periods of time, the sulfation will increase in size and harden onto the plates. Naturally, re-charging the battery will reverse the sulfation crystals and turn it back into electrolyte, ready to produce power again. Sulfation is the natural byproduct when the battery discharges. Fully charged (according to the battery charger) but the voltage is 12.4 or less, the battery is sulfated.Cannot reach higher than 10.5 volts when being charged, then the battery has a dead cell.Reading 0 volts, chances are the battery experienced a short circuit.Here's a handy table with the breakdown: State of Charge The voltage of a battery is a good way to determine the state of charge. Even if one cell is brown, it is rendered useless and therefore the entire battery is, too. If your battery has plenty of fluid in the cells, but the color is dark, or brownish, this is also an indication of a bad battery. We strongly recommend checking the water levels prior to charging a wet cell battery since charging a dry battery will burn it up. This can also cause the sulfation that has already occurred to harden leading to a sulfated battery which is the number one cause of early battery failure. When the paste has dried it creates a barrier that prevents the chemical reaction within the battery. When the plates within each cell are exposed to oxygen it can rapidly dry the paste that surrounds the lead plates. But, if the cells within the battery have been exposed to air for a long time, it can cause a problem. If they are low, usually refilling them with distilled water will help. With wet-cell (flooded) batteries, water levels must be maintained. Cracks, splits, and holes will not cause a battery to stop working, but for safety reasons the battery should be labeled unsafe to use. Other signs such as physical openings in the case are often caused by mishandling. If the battery is still intact, but there is a bulge in the case, this is usually a result of being overcharged. That produces a lot of heat, and sometimes even causes the battery to explode. When a battery short circuits, all the power is unloaded in an instant. If a short did occur, there would be some indication of burning or melting. There are a few things to inspect:īroken or loose terminals are dangerous and can cause a short circuit. Sometimes you can tell if your battery is bad by simply taking a good look. How to test a battery: Here are some ways to test your battery at home, and determine if it's bad: 1) Inspect the Battery If your battery is having trouble holding under load, then chances are it's a chemical issue. What we're dealing with is a lead acid battery in a plastic box that encases a delicate balance of chemicals which are ready to interact with each other to produce electricity when the load is applied. Also, batteries don't "leak" power like water can. You can't use up half now, and then wait and use half later. To clear up a misconception: a battery isn't like a water bottle. ![]() ![]() Almost everyday, we receive calls and comments about batteries that "won't hold a charge" any more. Having battery troubles? Yeah, we hear you. ![]()
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