How to Handle Battery Problem

Use a charger.

1. Connect the red cable to the positive terminal, black to negative. If you have got a "inexperienced eye" charge indicator on the battery, charge until it turns inexperienced. If not, disconnect the charger for [*fr1] an hour and check the voltage (engine stopped) - 12.6 Volts indicates a full charge, 12.three Volts [*fr1] charged. Use a multimeter set to a DC Voltage vary bigger than 12 Volts full scale.
2. Touch the red probe to the positive side of the battery, black to the negative aspect. A typical 5 amp charger may take more than 8 hours to charge the battery. A lot of powerful chargers are for skilled users, as a result of they'll amplify the battery! A little one amp cigarette lighter charger might be left connected indefinitely.

 

Make sure the battery terminals are clean.

1. A buildup of white powder between the terminal and therefore the cable prevents a giant current from flowing to the starter. Clean with a wet rag with baking soda sprinkled on. Use fine sandpaper if necessary. Be terribly careful when using metal tools near the positive terminal - avoid shorting the terminal to any metal part of the automotive.

Test the charging system with a Voltmeter.

1. With the car running put the multimeter on a DC Voltage range larger than fourteen Volts and bit the probes to the battery terminals. The Voltage ought to be between 14.0 and 14.5 Volts for effective charging. If below fourteen, you most likely want a brand new alternator. Above, you would like a mechanic to regulate it.

If you think current is leaking and discharging the battery, check it with this measuring part of a multimeter. This may be a little additional difficult. Engine off for all this!
Cover the positive battery terminal with a rag thus you can't accidentally bit it.Use a wrench to disconnect the cable from the negative battery terminal.Set the meter to the largest DC current range (at least 10 Amperes; this may involve plugging the probe wire to a totally different jack in the meter).Use clips to connect the red probe to the disconnected cable and the black probe to the negative battery terminal. The present can then flow through the meter to the automobile, enabling the meter to live the current. When first connected, the current may be giant. An open door will draw at least 5 amperes for the interior lights, and the lights might stay on for many minutes once closing the doors.If you have got an under hood light-weight, disconnect it or take away the bulb. This ought to go down to close zero. Most cars draw only 0.010 Amperes (10 mA) for the clock. Anything beneath 50 mA is alright. Whereas watching the meter, rock the automotive, pat the fuse box, wiggle the doors (while not gap). A current of even 0.5 an Ampere indicates a downside.

The current could be too small for the highest range of the meter. 

1. If you know the present is less than 1 Ampere, you'll be able to switch the meter all the way down to the one Amp vary. Be careful with lower ranges like one hundred mA - it's terribly simple to burn out that vary on the meter with excessive current. If you have to move the probe cause a totally different jack on the meter, you want to use a clip lead to attach the black and red leads to each other throughout the move therefore the automotive maintains its association to the battery and doesn't draw its larger initial current when connected again. At a current of .05 amperes (50 mA), a battery can take 70zero hours (30 days) to half discharge. If your automotive's current is that low, you are doing not have a discharge downside. Do ensure underhood light to make positive it explodes when the hood is closed. Or leave it disconnected.