How to Check your Battery

What’s worse than sleeping through your alarm, waking up late, running out of hot water during your morning shower, and then reaching your vehicle only to realize it won’t start? That silence can be deafening, especially when you are in a hurry. For this reason, it is important to check your battery when you suspect something may be wrong or if it’s been some time since your last battery replacement. You can have your battery tested at an automotive part or repair shop or you can do it yourself at home. Here’s how.

Look for Corrosion

Corrosion isn’t pretty no matter what it is on. However, when it is present on your car battery, it can impact the power. Over time, corrosion builds up and interferes with the terminals on the battery. This can keep them from transferring sufficient power. The battery must work significantly harder as a result, which can shorten the battery’s overall lifespan.

Battery terminals can be cleaned, but you must be careful doing so. You can use an old toothbrush and some baking soda to remove built-up corrosion. If corrosion has been on the battery for some time, it may be impossible to reverse the damage. At this point, a replacement is necessary.

Listen for Clicks

When you turn the key over to start your engine, you typically hear a roar. If you hear something different, there’s a problem somewhere. This is especially true if you hear clicks. This is a warning sign that your battery is dead. One click could be a sign of a defective started, but several clicks are related to your battery.

While these clicks don’t necessarily mean that your battery must be replaced, but they are a good sign of such. If you’re able to get your vehicle going with a jump, don’t assume that you’re good to go. Instead, stop by Mason City CDJR so we can perform a full inspection of the battery and ensure you’re good to go.

Conduct a Load Test

A what? If you aren’t familiar with vehicles or you aren’t very tech-savvy when it comes to autos, it may be intimidating to think about performing any kind of test on your vehicle. The good news is that a load test to check your battery is simple and straightforward.

To conduct a load test, you will need to get inside of your vehicle. Don’t start the engine, though. Instead, turn on the headlights. Leave them on for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed, start your vehicle. Keep a close eye on the brightness of the headlights.

If you notice your headlights dim down considerably as you start your vehicle, then the battery fails the load test. During those 15 minutes, your battery should be able to hold enough of a charge to still start. If your car battery is struggling, a replacement should be performed sooner rather than later to ensure you don’t find yourself stranded somewhere with a dead battery.

Test the Voltage

If you have a multimeter, consider checking the voltage of the battery. In fact, this is a maintenance task that should be performed periodically so you can catch problems with the battery early on.

To test the battery’s voltage, you will need a multimeter. Set it to 20 volts and hook it up to both the positive and negative terminals on your battery. Generally, it should read about 12.6 volts if the engine is not running. When the vehicle’s engine is running, the multimeter should produce between 13.7 and 14.7 volts. However, the voltage varies from one vehicle to the next, so check your owner’s manual to confirm the desired battery voltage.

If your multimeter reading is not close to these numbers, the battery is likely bad and needs to be replaced.

Mason City CDJR Battery Checks and Tests

Concerned about your vehicle’s battery? Whether you have noticed some signs of a bad battery, or you just want to keep your battery in tip-top shape, stop by Mason City CDJR and let us test it for you. If you need a replacement, we can take care of that while you’re here before you’re on your way.