How to Check Your Car Battery Voltage
As the heart of your vehicle, your car’s battery is essential to its performance. By keeping your automobile equipped with a strong battery charge, you’ll get the jolt of energy needed to get you moving over the roads of Panama City, Springfield, and Callaway with ease.
However, to ensure that your battery has the proper voltage to surge over the highway, we’re here with this guide to how to check your car battery voltage created by the team at Honda of Bay County. This guide will go in-depth about the following steps on checking your battery voltage:
- Pop the hood to find the battery
- Set up your equipment
- Read the multimeter results
Thanks to the above simple steps, you’ll be ready to examine what’s under the hood of your vehicle and set sail down the road.
Checking Your Car Battery Voltage: Step by Step
Before we begin our voltage-testing venture, there’s a few things you’ll need on hand, such as safety goggles, a digital multimeter, and a pair of rubber gloves.
If you don’t own those items, all you have to do is visit your local service center to get the accessories required for checking your battery charge.
After you get those items, you’re ready to get started on checking your battery! Here are the steps:
Step 1: Pop the Hood and Find the Battery.
Depending on the type of automobile you own, your battery may be located in a few different places. For the most part, you’ll find the battery under the hood.
However, some other models store the battery in the trunk or other areas of the car. To determine exactly where it is, check your owner’s manual. That way, you can get to work on your car battery check.
Step 2: Set Up the Equipment.
First and foremost, you want to make sure that your safety gloves and goggles are on properly. By wearing protective gear, you’ll avoid getting battery acid in your eyes or on your hands. Once your gloves and goggles are secured, you’re ready to get started.
To begin, set the multimeter to 20 DC volts. Then, place the negative battery terminal against the negative meter probe. Likewise, touch the positive battery terminal to the positive meter probe.
From there, you’ll see a number illuminate on the multimeter screen, which provides you with the battery’s charge reading. Finally, write down the number you see on the multimeter, so you can evaluate the volt percentage, and you’re done!
Step 3: Reading the Results.
Before you close the hood on your vehicle, you want to translate the number on the multimeter screen to a percentage that’ll tell you how much life your battery has left.
To give you a sense of your battery’s charge, a reading of 12.6+ equates to about a 100% voltage, while a 11.8+ charge means that your battery is running low on energy. If your battery’s voltage is anything below 50% or 12.2+, it’s time to equip your automobile with a new battery!
Does it seem like you just got a new battery and now need another one? Check out our tips for keeping your battery long-lasting to help you keep your battery running for years to come!
Schedule Your Battery Service Today!
At Honda of Bay County, we want to help you keep your car performing smoothly along the roads of Panama City, Springfield, and Callaway.
So, if you’re in need of a new battery or would like to have a professional check its charge, don’t hesitate to reach out to the professionals at our state-of-the-art service center.
Whether you want assistance installing your battery or are looking for another service, feel free to visit our maintenance facility or schedule your service appointment today!
Contact Us
Have a question? We’ve got the answer!
* = Required Field
