how much is a car battery

What voltage should a car battery be?

A fully charged car battery voltage should be 12.6v or above, this is with the engine off. To get a true voltage reading of the cars battery it is important to measure the voltage after the car has been sat for a period with the engine off, preferably overnight, this provides you with the “car battery open circuit voltage” or also know as the “resting voltage”. Measuring the voltage shortly after the engine has been running can give you a higher, misleading, reading.

Why is it important to know the voltage of a car battery?

Knowing your car batteries voltage is important in understanding the condition of the battery and the likelihood that it could fail. Your car battery provides your vehicles electrical needs when the engine isn’t running. And importantly it provides the necessary “spark” to get the engine turning over when starting your car.

What happens to the battery when you start a car?

Voltage when the car is starting. When you start your car, the battery provides the necessary power to the starter motor to turn over the engine. During starting the batteries voltage will decrease for a short time, before going up to the running voltage (see below).

What happens to the voltage of a battery when it is charged?

State of charge: The voltage of your battery will change as it is charged and discharged. Understanding at what point it is in a charge cycle is important when determining what the voltage should be. If the cars engine is running or not: The batteries voltage will be higher when the engine is running.

What does it mean when a battery is below 12.6V?

If the voltage is below 12.6v it indicates that the battery isnt fully charged or has a fault. The voltage doesn’t have to differ much from 12.6v for it to indicate a discharged battery. At 12.2v the battery is in effect 50% discharged.

Why is it important to know what point a charge cycle is?

Understanding at what point it is in a charge cycle is important when determining what the voltage should be. If the cars engine is running or not: The batteries voltage will be higher when the engine is running.

Why does my car have a higher voltage?

When your car is running the cars alternator is charging the battery, this is why you should see a higher voltage. If you’re readings are significantly higher or lower than these then it would indicate a fault with the battery and/or the alternator.

This is an article about how much is a car battery. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below.