What Voltage Is a Car Battery?

How Long Does a Motorcycle Battery Last?

Introduction

We call the devices that accumulate electrical energy chemical energy and allow it to be used when necessary for batteries. The battery, which can hear also known as “battery,” “accumulator,” “accumulator,” and “current collector” in the market, is the source of electrical energy used by your car.

So, what voltage is a car battery? How do you check the car battery voltage? How do you check if a car battery is good? You can find answers to similar questions in this article.

How Do You Check the Car Battery Voltage?

To check the voltage of your car battery, you will need a multimeter, which is an electronic device used to measure voltage, current, and resistance. Follow these steps:

  1. Turn off your car’s engine and open the hood.

  2. Set the multimeter to measure DC voltage.

  3. Locate the battery terminals. The positive terminal is usually marked with a “+” sign, and the negative terminal is marked with a “-” sign.

  4. Connect the red probe of the multimeter to the positive terminal of the battery and the black probe to the negative terminal.

  5. Read the voltage displayed on the multimeter. A fully charged battery should read between 12.6 and 12.8 volts. If the reading is below 12.4 volts, the battery may be partially discharged and should be recharged. If the reading is below 11.8 volts, the battery may be fully discharged and may need to be replaced.

  6. If you are unable to read the voltage using a multimeter, you may want to take your car to a mechanic to have the battery tested.

How Do You Check if a Car Battery Is Good?

The battery in your car is a high-c value battery designed to give starting energy, called the starter battery. The last generation batteries, which are of good quality than the 60Ah batteries you will usually encounter, can provide electricity up to 10 c, that is, 600 amps.

As a cost of this, the plates of these batteries are fragile and easily damaged. In general, more than 70% of discharge is not desired. Therefore, do not operate high-power devices when the car is not running.

Even if the battery has 10% energy left, it can run your car in the summer (it is also important whether the vehicle is old and has other problems), but a battery that is so discharged will die in a short time. Those who set up the car know how to stay without a battery.

Most have spare batteries and connecting cables. However, they see that even the best quality batteries run out in as little as 3-5 months, and they cannot make sense of it. If the starter batteries are discharged too deeply, they will lose their life in a short time. It is a common belief and is true that a discharged battery will never run again.

You can measure your battery with the method of measuring the capacity of the batteries, but it is not practical since you have to remove your battery for this, and it is something that should not be done most of the time because the radio of the vehicle will be locked since the car’s battery can be disconnected.

Your new battery is not 100% charged. Therefore, it has a voltage of around 13 volts at idle or light load. You may see 14-14.4 volts on a charged and freshly discharged battery, but not for long. So, what voltage is a car battery? The actual voltage of the batteries is 13.6 volts.

If you are reading this value at idle or light load, have no fear. However, running it too often, especially in small cities, reduces the charge level of the battery. Also, since the electrical and sensor load on the vehicle is too high, if you read a value between 13-13.5 volts when the car is not running, your vehicle’s battery is in good condition. In addition, if the voltage of your battery does not go below 12 volts at the start, you can be sure of the good condition of the battery.

What Voltage Is Too Low for a Car Battery?

As the idle voltage approaches 12, your battery is getting older. Unlike alkaline and nickel batteries, lead batteries’ voltage and charge are directly proportional. A battery that gives 12 volts at idle or light load means between 40-50% capacity. It means that the battery has lost at least half of its capacity.

It is difficult to say exactly at what value you should replace your vehicle’s battery because the starter can vary from vehicle to vehicle. In small-volume gasoline engines (e.g., 1300 cc gasoline engines), even a 10-volt battery can start, even a 9-volt battery in summer, even if it has difficulty.

However, if the battery voltage drops below 10 volts at the start, you are at risk and if it is winter, buy a new battery or if you know how to replace it, get a spare battery. Remember that in diesel vehicles, starting is more difficult, so the battery is forced more at the start. This also applies to LPG vehicles.

In this case, if you decide on the idle voltage of the battery and the voltage it gives at the start, you can make very accurate and accurate predictions. The no-load voltage between 13-13.5, 12, and above at cranking: Very well, don’t be afraid. If you do not discharge the battery, it will not leave you on the road.

The idle voltage is between 12.5-13, at the start time between 11-12: it is in good condition, do not be afraid, but do not use it at total capacity, now, leave reserve power in your battery. It means a 30% loss on average.

The no-load voltage between 12-12.5, 10-11 at cranking time: o no more force a sick and old battery. Do not consume electricity for a long time while the engine is not running, and do not leave it without operation for more than 1-2 weeks. The discharge rate is higher.

Is 11.6 Low for a Car Battery?

If you ask at what voltage is a car battery dead, no-load voltage less than 12, less than ten at cranking: the condition is not good. You are now at risk. Even if you wait below 10 degrees or 3-4 days, your battery may die. Charge it often if you can.

Do not take risks and consume electricity while the engine is not running. For small vehicles maybe, but for large vehicles (1500 and above) it would be better if you change it already.

The idle voltage is less than 11, and the start time is less than 9: if you are still not on the road, your vehicle runs for at least 1 hour every day and has a very small engine. Yet you are playing with fire.

Conclusion

It is significant to know how many voltages the car battery has and at what voltage the battery will be close to dead. All car owners should know about the car battery for an uninterrupted and trouble-free journey.

Author

  • Bayram Sarıkaya

    I am very curious about batteries, devices that charge batteries and these topics. I share reviews, comparisons and news for people who are curious about these issues.

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