How do you diagnose your battery if it starts to show some performance problems? Measuring the voltage of a fully charged battery will allow you to assess the storage performance and operating condition of the battery, and it will also allow you to predict the service life of the battery. In this article, we will introduce you to the voltage range of 12V batteries and how to measure the voltage of a 12V battery.
1. What is the reading of a fully charged 12 V battery?
The voltage range of a fully charged 12V battery is from 12.5V to 13.1V. However, this voltage range is the ideal voltage range under normal operation of the battery, the actual voltage range of a fully charged 12V battery may be different, and different types of batteries may have different voltages.
For example, the voltage of 12V lithium battery after full is 12.6V, while the voltage of 12V lead-acid battery after full is 14.46V. However, the voltage of the battery after full is within the above mentioned range, which can ensure that the battery can work normally in all kinds of conditions, and at the same time, it also provides a guarantee for the performance of the battery.
2. How to measure the voltage of a 12V battery?
2.1 You should remove all metal objects on your body and put on insulated gloves. Prevent safety accidents. And make sure that the measurement range should be dry, and do not wear shoes with conductive soles.
2.2 Turn off all connected electronic devices at both ends of the battery to bring the battery into a de-energized state, including the engine or household appliances.
2.3 Set the multimeter to DC voltage and adjust the testable range of the multimeter to about 12V for accurate measurement data.
2.4 Connect the red connector of the multimeter to the positive terminal of the battery and the black connector of the multimeter to the negative terminal of the battery.
2.5 Wait until the voltage stabilizes and the reading on the multimeter is the battery voltage. After reading the battery voltage, disconnect the connector of the multimeter from the battery in time to prevent the multimeter from being damaged due to long time working.
3. Precautions when reading the multimeter
Firm connection: In order to make sure the reading of the multimeter is accurate, you must connect the connector of the multimeter with the positive and negative terminals of the battery completely and firmly.
Let there be an interval between two measurements: the multimeter can not measure the voltage of the battery for a long time continuously, because it will heat up in the process of measurement, which may affect the fine components inside the multimeter. Therefore, let the multimeter rest for 5 to 15 minutes between measurements.
Multiple Measurements for Average: For such a delicate measuring device as a multimeter, it is inevitable that it will malfunction. So you also need to take multiple measurements to avoid accidents.
4. Voltage that affects the voltage of a fully charged battery
Battery life: With the degradation of the battery, the battery capacity is also gradually reduced, even when the battery is full, the old battery voltage will be lower than the new battery voltage.
Battery usage pattern: When you are using the battery, different usage habits will also affect the voltage of the battery when it is fully charged. If you use the battery frequently but don’t charge the battery on time, it will accelerate the discharge rate of the battery and eat the lower voltage after the battery is fully charged.
Battery type: different batteries will have different voltages when fully charged, such as lithium iron phosphate batteries and lead-acid batteries, their capacity is the same, but their voltage and capacity of the corresponding relationship is not the same, which mainly depends on the use of different materials inside the battery.
Ambient temperature: When the temperature is too high or too low, the battery charge controller will reduce the charging speed of the battery, which further affects the voltage of the fully charged battery.
Conclusion:
The voltage range of a fully charged 12V battery is about 12.5V to 13.1V, but there are many factors that affect the exact voltage of a fully charged battery. You can use a multimeter to measure it accurately. If you can check the voltage regularly to ensure the performance of the battery, so as to extend the life of the battery.
