You should have your car battery checked at regular intervals to ensure that your vehicle will always start.
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There are few car drivers test the car battery – and this also on a regular basis. That the car battery defect If the battery is dead or no longer charges properly, you will only notice this when the car no longer starts. Then the car battery must be changed. A battery change is basically associated with a small effort. Nevertheless, the change of the car battery should be carried out by a specialist in the workshop.
When to have your car battery tested?
If the car no longer starts properly, it is usually already too late. A stuttering and trembling when starting the engine are the first signs that a defect on the battery is present. If you notice the first problems when you start the engine, have your car battery tested as soon as possible.
Have car battery tested for starting problems
Even if your car starts today, it doesn’t mean it will start tomorrow. A test the battery in the workshop, a multimeter test is quickly carried out and provides certainty as to whether the fault really lies with the car battery or whether there is some other damage to your car.
Functions of the car battery
A car with a typical internal combustion engine has at least one battery. If several exist, the battery serves as a so-called starter battery. this starter battery is primarily necessary for starting the vehicle. While driving, the battery serves as a kind of compensation reservoir for energy, which can be used to cover the radio or headlights, for example, until the energy can be generated by the alternator. The car battery is therefore an essential component of your vehicle. A defective car battery should and must be replaced immediately.
Suspicion of defective car battery? Have your car’s battery checked at the workshop (source image: alfa27/stock.Adobe.Com)
Car battery testing in the car workshop
With a test of the car battery in the car workshop can be determined quickly whether a new starter battery must be installed. the test device (multimeter) checks voltage between the poles of the car battery as well as acid level and the starter. But you don’t have to wait until the engine sputters before testing the battery. During vehicle checks before a vacation or an inspection, the condition of wear parts such as the car battery can also be checked and, if necessary, replaced at an early stage.
How much does it cost to change a car battery??
The cost for the change of a battery are to a large part by the costs for the new car battery determined. The necessary requirements for the battery are primarily determined by the type and size of the engine. Engines with more cylinders or a larger displacement need a larger battery. The same applies to diesel engines, which need a larger starter battery than gasoline engines. Certainly the cost of changing the battery varies from one garage to another. A comparison is worthwhile. If you would like to send a non-binding inquiry about the costs of battery replacement to a garage in your area, you can do so here: garage inquiry
Why test and replace the car battery?
A car battery ages. In addition, the battery loses capacity over time due to deep discharges. After a certain point of aging, the battery no longer has enough energy to start the vehicle. Because the capacity of a car battery is additionally reduced at minus degrees, the battery is often changed in winter.
Test the car battery yourself?
There are a number of inexpensive test devices available on the market for testing batteries testing the car battery. These testers are connected by cable to the positive and negative terminals of the car battery. Unfortunately, the results of the testers are often not very accurate and do not give any real certainty about the condition of the car battery. To find out if the battery can provide the necessary energy to operate your vehicle, a high current test by multimeter is necessary.
Battery testing with multimeter
A multimeter is a professional measuring device that allows you to accurately test the voltage of a car battery. Normal values for the test are approx. 12 to 13 volts. If the voltage values of your battery are below 11.5 or above 14 volts, you should visit a workshop. The battery may need to be replaced.
How to test the car battery with a multimeter?
To begin with, the battery in the car must be uncovered. In most cases the battery is located in the engine compartment in the front part of the car. Then the negative and positive terminals must be exposed. Before testing can begin, the multimeter properly adjusted. To measure the voltage of the car battery, set the multimeter to direct current (DC). The measuring range must be around 12 volts. Now the battery testing can begin. Make sure that the red cable is plugged into the V/ohm socket and the black cable into the COM socket. Finally, attach the red cable to the positive terminal and the black cable to the negative terminal of the battery. If the voltage of the battery is not around 12 volts, it must be checked in a workshop or replaced completely.
If the battery of your car is broken, you should replace it with a new car battery as soon as possible (source picture: oleksii nykonchuk/stock).Adobe.Com)
Test car battery without multimeter
A simple- even if inaccurate- testing the battery can be done in this way: If the car repeatedly starts with difficulty, the battery may be damaged and should be checked at the garage.
Another way to test the battery: place the car in front of a wall in the dark and switch on the dipped headlights with the engine switched off. If you notice after a short time that the light on the wall is getting weaker, this can also indicate a defective battery.
Car battery may be dead?
Problems with the car battery do not necessarily require testing or even replacement. The battery may simply have discharged. If the lights, radio, air conditioning or heater are running for a long time, this can have a negative effect on the state of charge. This does not mean that the battery is damaged. Get a jump start with a charging cable from a second vehicle. After a successful engine start, the battery is soon charged again.
warning: dead battery causes car breakdowns
Especially in winter, damaged or old batteries cause a large proportion of car breakdowns on german roads. measure your battery as a precaution to avoid breakdowns.
tips to save the battery of your car:
- Regularly drive longer distances to fully charge the battery
- battery should always have a sufficient amount of distilled water
- rub the negative and positive terminals of the battery with special grease from time to time (vaseline, pole grease)
- Regularly check the position of the terminals on the battery
- clean the poles and housing of the car battery with an antistatic cloth from time to time
- Before starting the car, other devices (heater, air conditioner, radio, etc) should be connected to the battery.) to be switched off
Types of batteries
Of the many different types of batteries, only the car battery in the form of a lead-sulfuric acid accumulator has prevailed to date. Essentially, it consists of positive or negative plate sets per cell, the separators and the necessary parts for assembly and connection. In which an electrolyte (i. D. R. Sulfuric acid), there are several plates of different polarity, which consist of a lead grid and an active mass. between the individual plates there is also an insulating material. In accordance with the DIN standard, the nominal voltage of a single cell has been set at 2 volts. To achieve a nominal voltage of 6 volts or. to achieve 12 volts, it is therefore necessary to connect 3 or more batteries in series. 6 such cells to a battery. To realize a 24-volt battery for trucks, two 12-volt batteries are connected in series. In the case of maintenance-free car batteries, a distinction is made between "maintenance-free starter batteries to DIN and maintenance-free starter batteries, which some manufacturers call "absolutely maintenance-free starter batteries" be designated. With the maintenance-free starter batteries according to DIN standards, the amount of acid is usually sufficient for the entire service life of the battery. Nevertheless, self-discharge also takes place, depending on the age of the car battery daily between 0.2 and 1% of the total storage volume. it is necessary to refill distilled water. They have a filler plug provided for this purpose for filling up the acid quantity. Absolutely maintenance-free car batteries are completely sealed, because the amount of acid is sufficient for the entire lifetime and therefore no water needs to be refilled. If the car battery should be then nevertheless deeply discharged, with bad care this can happen a car battery change must be made, since charging does not help here any longer. The capacity of a car battery is expressed in ampere-hours (Ah). An ampere-hour is the amount of charge that could provide a constant current of 1 ampere over a period of one hour. A starter battery with a nominal capacity of z. B. For example, 50 Ah can supply an average current of 1 A for 50 hours, an average current of 2 A for 25 hours, and so on.