How to Accurately Determine the Health of a Car Battery
A car battery is a vital component that plays an important role in providing electrical energy, such as starting the starter, lights, and even the car audio. So if your car battery is weak, the electrical components may be disrupted.
Therefore, to ensure your car battery is always in prime condition, it must be checked regularly, so it does not interfere with the electrical components, which could have fatal consequences.
Checking the car battery is important, especially if you rarely warm up the car engine, which results in the battery not supplying enough electricity, thus causing the battery's performance to be less than optimal.
On this occasion, we will discuss how to accurately determine the health of a car battery. Here is the discussion.
How to Accurately Know Battery Health
Many cases are still underestimated by drivers today, namely when the vehicle suddenly stops on the road.
Did you know that this is caused by an unmaintained battery? Yes, this is one of the consequences if the battery is not checked for health periodically.
Therefore, as a wise car driver, you should check your car battery at least every 2 weeks, especially the water level and battery terminals.
You should know that a healthy car battery ideally has a voltage range of 12 - 12.5 volts, but it is difficult to know in more detail whether the battery is still good or not within that range.
Read Also: The Dangers of Recharging Car Battery Water with Acid Water
To determine whether it is good or not, here we explain how to accurately know battery health.
Using a Battery Checker
The health of a car battery can be determined using a battery checker, which is a tool used by technicians in workshops. Usually, a battery checker is done when you come to an official workshop for car service.
When both battery terminals and the tool are connected, the battery checker will analyze the condition of the car battery. Through this tool, the technician will see the voltage, battery amperage, and charging up to the CCA (Cold Crank Ampere) number.
Through the analysis conducted by the battery checker, the results will appear on the LCD screen, and the results can be good battery, recharge battery or replace battery. The results shown will later be printed out, so you can easily and quickly know them.
Using a Hydrometer
A hydrometer is a tool used to measure the acidity and clarity of water. The way to use this tube-shaped tool is to insert its tip into the battery electrolyte.
It should be noted that a hydrometer has 2 main parts, namely a glass tube and a float. The glass tube is used to hold the electrolyte liquid, while the float is used to measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte liquid in the car battery.
After being inserted into the battery electrolyte, you can check the electrolyte liquid in the glass tube of the hydrometer by reading the scale. The correct way to read it is to look at it perpendicularly and at eye level.
A normal result should be between the values of 1.250 – 1.280; if the value shows a red scale, it means the battery is low on current. Thus, you need to recharge it.
If you feel unsure about using it yourself, go to an official workshop to get accurate results. In addition to being accurate, they also understand what steps need to be taken. Thus, you can be more at ease knowing your car is in the right hands.
Knowing the health of the battery accurately is very easy, isn't it? To ensure it is reliable, safe, and accurate, take your car to an official Daihatsu workshop immediately. Make a service booking on our website.
Also, find tips, events, and other services by visiting the Daihatsu Indonesia!
