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      02-24-2015, 08:48 PM   #48
Paul_R_Canada
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Drives: MB 2013 GLK250
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Kingston, Ontario

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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmkman View Post
What battery voltage reading should I get ? After a charge. I get 12 volts which I think is low. I thought you are suppose to get 12.4 v or better.
Nice, searched and revived a 3.5 yr old thread - good stuff.

A typical car battery has 6 cells giving 2.1 volts per cell so a fully charged battery should read 12.6v, if your metering 12v (you should use a decent meter to check) its low and about at 50% charge BUT

Your readings will vary based on several factors,
Is it connected to the car or not, is the car running or not if connected, has it been sitting in cold weather for days, recently charged... Etc.

Your car should provide a steady 13.8-14.4v of charge from the alternator..

This WIKI can help with some details , pay particular attention to the terminal voltage section for charge rates http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_battery
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