Normal Car Battery Voltage- Normal Voltage, Testing, and Voltage Range

Everyone has a car nowadays and these cars use a battery that helps in cranking the engine and using the electronics of the car while the engine is not started. Although the battery of the cars does not get a lot of attention, they are a very important part of a car.

The real importance of the car battery is felt when it stops providing the necessary power. This is usually because the battery of the car is not cared for properly. If you want to stay safe from the situations where you are unable to start your car because of its battery, you must regularly check the battery of your car.

Here we will discuss some very easy to conduct tests that will tell you a lot about the battery of your car and its health.

What is the normal voltage rating of a car battery?

It is very important that everyone consider the voltage of their car battery. While the batteries come labeled with 12 volts, it can get higher or lower depending on the charging conditions of the battery.

In both cases, the charging of the battery is abnormal, and you must get the charging system repaired as soon as possible. Here we will tell you about the normal voltage of a car battery.

Normal voltage of the car battery when the car is sitting idle.

So, if you are measuring a fully charged battery of the car while the engine of your car is sitting idle, this means that the battery must give 12.6 volts. Only when it is fully charged. If the battery gives 12.4 volts it means that the battery is not fully charged, and it is charged only 70-75%.

Getting this idea about the voltage of a car battery helps the car owner to know when it is time to replace the car battery because it has almost finished its life.

Normal voltage of the car battery when the engine is running.

As you know about the voltage of the battery when the engine is sitting idle and the battery is not being used. You must also know the normal voltage of the battery when the engine is started, and the battery is being charged. In this situation, when you measure the voltage of your car battery, you will get results more than the voltage rated or the battery.

In normal situations, you can get readings up to 14.5 volts. This is only because the battery is being charged and the voltage provided by the charging mechanism of the battery is higher.

How do you test the voltage of a car battery with a multimeter?

Everyone must know about the proper and right way to measure the voltage of a car battery. As you know the normal voltage of the car battery, knowing how to test it by yourself will save a lot of time and money for you. Here we will discuss everything related to testing the battery voltage that may help you.

Car Battery Terminals Identification

It is very important that before you connect the terminal of the battery to the multimeter probes, you must know about the polarity of each terminal. This will help you in getting the most accurate reading of the voltage for your car battery

Setting a Multimeter

On a multimeter, there are several settings. For testing the voltage, you must know which setting you should use. In the case of a car battery, you will have to set the option to DC voltage for the 20 volts option. This is because the voltage of the battery will never be in AC and above 20 volts.

Testing and Repeating the Procedure for Exact Measurements

For checking the voltage of your car battery, you must get the surface cleaned where you are going to touch the probes of the multimeter. For testing, you must keep the probes of the multimeter touched to the terminals of the car battery for 5 to 6 seconds.

This will provide you with a stable voltage reading. You can note this reading as final, but it is a good practice to repeat the process 3 times and take the average voltage as the final reading. Here the chances of getting an error will also be reduced.

What is the voltage range of a car battery?

As it is very important to know about the voltage of the car battery and knowing to test it by yourself also has vital importance. You must know the voltage ranges of the car battery. This is because if you know the voltage ranges of the car battery, you will be able to tell the health of your car battery and you will also be able to tell when it is time to change your car battery.

Voltage range of the car battery when the battery is fully charged.

If your car battery is 100% health and it is fully charged, then the voltage reading it must provide will be 12.6 volts. This is the voltage reading that tests you that not only your battery is fully charged, but it also has the health to store charges around 100% of its rated capacity.

The Minimum Safe Voltage of The Car Battery

All of the time the battery will not hold full capacity. With usage its voltage will drop over time, this is because the battery is losing its charge holding capacity. This will lead the battery to the time when it will not be able to crank start the car and to know the voltage is the best way to stay safe from any difficult situations.

When you measure the voltage of your car battery and it gives values near 9.6 volts, this means that the battery needs to be changed. If the voltage reading is below 9.6 volts, it means that the battery is not now safe to use and you must replace it as soon as possible.

Conclusion.

Knowing about the voltage of the car battery can keep you safe from many difficult situations. It is better to keep track of the voltage of your car battery. That is why we shared some important and easy checks for your car battery voltage.