However, it’s not the most precise tool since it only uses lights to tell you what’s going on. It’s both lightweight and portable, so you can store it just about anywhere too. It works for both 12 volt and 24-volt batteries, and it also checks your vehicle’s alternator. If you don’t test a ton of batteries and don’t need the most in-depth battery tester out there, the 12/24V DC Automotive Battery Tester can get the job done for you at a minuscule cost. It’s the best possible combination of price and performance, and you won’t find a more affordable deal out there. The only real issue with this battery tester is that it doesn’t provide a printout of the results, but if you’re using it for your home garage, that’s an extra feature you don’t need. It’s small and portable so it’ll fit in any garage, or you can even store it in your vehicle’s glovebox. Not only does it check and analyze the current state and charge of the battery, but it also checks the charging system and starting system at the same time.įurthermore, it comes with reverse battery connection that protects the charger if you accidentally hook up the leads backward. No matter the type of battery in your vehicle, this tester and analyzer can handle it. Not only that, but it can test AGM, lead-acid, gel batteries, and more. It works on just about any battery you throw at it, with the ability to switch between 6, 12, and 24-volt batteries. On some cars ECU has digital comunication with alternator's charging regulator.If you’re looking for the best combination of price and performance for a battery tester for your home garage, look no further than the OBDMONSTER BM550. ECU knows battery voltage with much better accuracy compared to what you measure on the cig.lighter. It shows you some stuff read by digital bus from the Engine Control Unit (ECU). This means you should make additional wiring just for the voltmeter.Īnother solution for a modern car (over 2000's) is to buy an OBD display. This kind of fault can be seen by measuring battery voltage directly on its terminals. Although rare, I recently had both of these problems on my Ford Mondeo MK3 equipped with Visteon alternator. Of course there are cases where alternator can charge poorly and the actual battery voltage is 13.2-13.6V or can overcharge (more than 15V) but it happens quite rare. If your alternator fails and stops charging you will read values of about 11-11.5V or less. If you see anything over 12V-12.5V it charges and in most cases it charges OK. The main purpose of such a meter is to know does you alternator charge or not. I don't know the exact product, but most chinese meters may have difference of about +/-0.3V. Second - you can't be sure of this meter's accuracy. Any load (like stereo, GPS, dashboard illumination, etc.) drops a bit the voltage you will read on the cigarette lighter jack. There are ground losses thorough car's chassis, losses of "positive" as it goes through couple of relays, fuses and wiring. Sidenote, I use one in my car due to alternator issues and it's as accurate as my free harbor freight multimeter.įirst of all the voltage at cigarette lighter jack is always somewhat less than actual voltage on battery terminals. For the most part, this may mean it's off by a fraction of a volt. But the lower the quality of the item, the more likely that the resistor is not a very precise, and the Analog to Digital converter in the microcontroller they used will not be very accurate. It will have a resistor divider to bring the voltage down to the microcontroller voltage level. As mentioned, 13.7 is a typical voltage for a car under load while the alternator is running.Īs to the accuracy though, keep in mind that the trinket you got is a cheaply made mass produced item. In any case, aside from the negligible voltage drop across the fuse and wiring, is an accurate measuring point for the voltage in the car. Sometimes it is connected through the main switched power relay. A car cigarette lighter or 12V power outlet in a car is, like most everything else, connected directly to the battery positive/alternator output, through a fuse (typically 10 Amp).
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