The answer to that question is yes! A car battery with 12 volts doesn’t necessarily mean that the battery is good. It’s important to look at other factors such as voltage drop, cold cranking amps (CCA), and reserve capacity (RC) in order to determine if a car battery will meet your needs. This blog post will discuss how you can assess a car battery before buying it, so you don’t have any issues down the road.
Can a car battery test good but still not hold a charge?
There are several reasons this happens. One reason could be that the alternator or voltage regulator has gone bad and isn’t charging properly, to begin with. The voltage in the battery is created by chemical reactions between lead plates and sulfuric acid solution inside of them. This means that when you test it with a voltmeter, there will be a difference due to small imperfections on each plate or just an unbalanced state from one side to another. So the voltage in the battery could be higher on one side and lower on another. This can still read out as a good 12 volts, but it doesn’t mean that all of those cells are equally charged or working well together to give you full power.
Another reason for this is if they have corrosion build-up at the poles or connectors, causing resistance which essentially is taking away from the power that should be going to the starter and your electricals.
A bad connection or loose cable can also drop voltage output. Some people will think their battery has gone bad when it could really be a simple fix like tightening the cables up at both ends of them where they connect onto the terminals on each end, which saves you money.
Is 12 volts on a battery good?
A good 12-volt car battery has enough power for starting and operating your engine when it’s cold outside (less than 24 degrees F). But, a 12-volt battery may not have enough power to start an engine when the outside temperature is above 80 degrees F. If your car is having trouble starting up, the problem may be more than just a low battery.
A bad 12-volt car battery will not be able to provide sufficient voltage or current during cranking to turn over the starter motor within certain temperature limits. This can cause your vehicle’s electrical system damage as well as other problems like excessive heating of wiring harnesses, connectors, and batteries themselves. In addition, continued undercharging makes lead sulfate build up faster, which reduces the overall performance and life expectancy of the entire charging system.
A car battery can have 12 volts and still be bad. With a digital voltmeter, the voltage on a car battery is measured in terms of its service or cranking amps. If there are no major issues with your vehicle’s charging system, you should see at least 12 volts when testing your battery. However, if you notice that your headlights are dim or that you have trouble starting your car, this may be a sign of low voltage. It is important to use the right tool for testing if 12 volts on the battery is good.
Can a car battery have a bad cell?
The question is not as simple to answer because there are multiple parts of a car battery that can cause problems or make it appear like the whole thing has gone bad.
When you have 12 volt car battery on your multimeter but still no juice coming out of the battery charger when plugged in, you will need to take apart the battery and check each cell individually. But this work requires special equipment and full knowledge of how to use it.
If you do not have the tools or technical background, then take your car in for service and let a professional make sure that everything is in working order before hitting the road again. If you are confident at taking things apart yourself, please proceed with caution; this work can be dangerous if done incorrectly.
It might also be helpful to know what the proper voltage should be at any given time between charging cycles. If the voltage readings are not within .05 volts for each cell at all times, then there could be an issue with one or more of those cells being weaker than normal, which is why it would be best to replace them as soon as possible.
At what voltage is a car battery no good?
You can have a bad cell or two in your automotive battery, but that doesn’t mean the entire thing is no good.
Depending on how low those particular cells go will determine if the car needs to be taken into service as soon as possible or not.
A 12v battery should still power most electrical components of your vehicle, so if it’s not even powering those things, then there is definitely something wrong with the battery.
When your car battery has 12 volts but still won’t start a vehicle, that means that one or more of its cells are bad and need to be replaced as soon as possible.
In conclusion, bad batteries can cause all sorts of problems with your vehicle, so it is best to keep up with the maintenance. Be sure you are getting proper voltage readings at all times and make an appointment if something seems off or faulty after checking over everything else. When you replace your old one, make sure to get a suitable replacement. If your mechanic tests the battery and it is bad, ask them to show you why.
