Rather than get caught out with a dead battery this winter, I thought i would go for a battery check.
Someone told me that years ago, testing the battery (some sort of 'short-circuiting') could actually wrench any final existing life out of it. Anyway i'm guessing things have moved on since then and a test would not likely cause any damage these days?
I See that halfords offer a free battery test. Is this a good place to go for an up to date testing equipment?
Charge it right up then put a load on it such as four headlamps and time it long it takes to run down. That will give you the A/H
Don't listen to 'someone'. There never has been a proper test which involved a short circuit. Just a high load - similar to the starter.
I'd hope so. Decent electronic testers have been around for a while.
If the bod knows how to use it and interpret the reading!
I took my leased company car into Kwik Fit for a new battery because leaving the headlights on for only five minutes would drain it sufficently to prevent it starting.
He put his expensive looking tester across the terminals and announced the battery was OK and he couldn't replace it "as the old ones were subject to spot checks".
I had a cup of tea from their manky machine and left the headlights on. It wouldn't start, so they changed the battery.
I have an ACT Gold I bought ages ago to check batteries I used for other purposes.
Ahem. Dropping a tyre lever across the terminals can prove how good it is, or not.
"Proper test" does tend to imply non-destructive testing...
Vintage?!!!!!
I've used one in the past...
Chris
Like fine wine, we improve with age.
There is a considerable difference between high current and short circuit.
And if it was any good before you dropped the tyre lever, it could be terminally f***ed afterwards.
So, rewriting:
Dropping a tyre lever across the terminals can prove how good it was, or not.
That's better!
Well, blow me down. I guess you misunderstood the words "probably" and "or".
So what does the average grunt tell the average customer about such magic meters?
That such an easy to use meter isn't good for selling new batteries?
And stands a good chance of blowing the battery up either through destroying its internal connections or by such foolery creating Hydrogen which then catches fire.
Precisely!
I don't think for one moment it was intended as a suggestion. Would have perhaps been more accurate to say that it can prove "how good it *was*". ;-)
Tim
I do.
Exactly.
Oh, do f*ck off.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.