Battery - the most important thing in any car.It is this element that gives inrush current to the starter. It is thanks to the battery that the engine starts quickly and without any problems. But this is not always the case. In order not to experience difficulties with the start, you need to periodically check its charge level. This can be done in several ways.
How to check car battery charge at home? You will find the answer to this question later in our article.
Methods
There are several ways to check car battery charge:
- by indicator;
- using a load fork;
- multimeter;
- by measuring the density of the electrolyte.
Each of them has its own characteristics. Let's look at the listed methods in more detail.
Built-in indicator
Most imported batteries havebuilt-in indicator by which you can check the charge. For the first time such batteries appeared in Japan. Then, a similar chip began to practice European manufacturers.
В чем заключается его суть?On the lid of the battery there is a transparent window (a certain peephole). If you look at it, you can see that it is colored green. But this is not always the case. A green tint in the window will be only if the battery is fully charged. If the window is transparent or white, then the battery has lost some of the charge. The worst case is the black window. In this case, the battery sat "at zero", and it needs to be urgently charged.
Note this is one of the easiest wayshow to check the battery charge of a car without a voltmeter and other devices. After all, all you need is to open the hood and look into that very window. But It is worth noting that such an eye is not on all batteries (especially when it comes to domestic). Therefore, to determine the level of charge, you need to know other methods.
Load fork
This is probably the most professional way.check battery status. Typically, this method is used in the workshop. What is its essence? The device connects to the battery terminals and gives a short circuit current.
That is, the load fork simulates the workthe starter and shows how much volt the battery sags when the driver tries to start the engine. Today it is the most accurate scheme for checking the status of the battery. To read the reading correctly, remember that after loading the voltage on the battery must be at least 10 volts. If the battery sags to 9 and below, then it is already weak. Such a battery will be quickly discharged in the winter.
We use a multimeter
Это незаменимый прибор, который должен быть у every motorist. It allows you not only to check the voltage level of the battery, but also the resistance of the sensors, the load of the on-board network in real time and many other important parameters. You can purchase this unit for 300-700 rubles, which is 2-3 times cheaper than a load fork. It is very easy to use this device.
How to check car battery charge with multimeter? First you need to collect it. Perform the following actions:
- We connect two wires with positive and negative polarity to the corresponding connectors.
- At the ends of the wires will probes. We apply them to the battery terminals.
- Pre-set the device to the voltage measurement mode and set the rotary switch to 20 Volt.
- Connect the leads of the multimeter to the battery and look at the result. In this case, the ignition of the car should be turned off.
Read data from a multimeter
What indicator is normal for a battery?Experts note that a fully charged battery should produce a voltage of at least 12.5 volts. In case the multimeter showed a figure of exactly 12V, it means that the battery is half discharged. The fact that the battery needs to be urgently charged indicates an indicator of 11.5 volts and below.
Electrolyte
There is another way to checkcar battery charge with your own hands. It is especially relevant in the run-up to winter. As you know, with a drop in temperature, the density of the electrolyte decreases. Accordingly, the charge and battery performance drops. How to check car battery charge? For this we need a hydrometer. Below is a detailed instruction:
- So, open the hood and use the minus screwdriver to unscrew the “banks” of the battery alternately. There are only 6 of them.
- Immerse our hydrometer inside and wait until it is filled with electrolyte.
- Further we get outside the device and we look at indications.
- After a short time, the floatpops up to the desired level. There will be several tick marks on the scale. A normal indicator is 1.23-1.27 grams per cubic centimeter. If the density of the electrolyte is 1.2 grams, then the battery is about a quarter discharged. A deep discharge is indicated by a figure of 1.1 grams or less per cubic centimeter.
It is also worth checking the level of electrolyte in each of the "cans". If it is insufficient, it should be renewed. This can be done with distilled water (it also dilutes the coolant).
Do not ignore insufficient electrolyte level.in the battery. This can lead to frequent loss of charge and shedding of lead plates. As a result, the battery will become unusable, and any attempt to recharge the liquid will boil.
How to check the battery charge of the car charger?
Each memory has a scale definingbattery voltage. In the absence of a multimeter, a load plug and a hydrometer, you can also use it. How to check car battery charge in this way?
It's very simple - we connect the terminals of the memory to the terminals of the battery and press the test button. Connect the device to the outlet is not worth it - in this case, it will charge, and the readings will be no lower than 13 volts.
Can I charge at home?
In the absence of a garage, the possibility ofrecharging the battery in the apartment. But do it better on the balcony. During this process, the electrolyte emits sulfur dioxide gas and oxygen chloride harmful to humans. Inhalation may cause dizziness and nausea. Therefore, we charge in the most remote and well-ventilated area. Also monitor the state of the electrolyte.
Do not allow the battery to boil.This reduces its resource. On average, a lightweight 60 amp battery charges in 7-8 hours. At the same time on the memory you need to set the minimum amperage. Stress loads are harmful for batteries. If the battery takes a long time to charge, or one of the cans boils in half an hour, then it has become unusable.
Finally
Итак, мы выяснили, как проверить заряд car battery. One of the easiest ways is a multimeter. As for the hydrometer, this is a preventive measure. Yes, with such a device you can measure the "life balance" of the battery. But, for the most part, it is a diagnostic device (equivalently, like a load fork). Therefore, each device is good in its own way.
