Battery Load Test

TOOLS REQUIRED
J 39200 Digital Multimeter

CAUTION: Wear a safety face shield when load testing a battery to prevent possible personal Injury.

IMPORTANT: Do not load test a frozen battery.

1. Connect a J 39200 and a battery load tester (2) across the battery (1) terminals.
2. Apply a 300 ampere load for 15 seconds to remove the surface charge from the battery.
3. Remove the load and wait 15 seconds to let the battery recover.
4. Apply 190 amperes to the battery.
5. Measure the battery voltage after 15 seconds.
6. Remove the load.

Battery Load Test:

7. If the voltage does not drop below the minimum voltage listed, the battery is good and should be returned to service. (The battery temperature must be estimated by feel and by the temperature the battery had been exposed to for the preceding few hours.)
8. If the voltage drops below the minimum listed, replace the battery.

Battery Load Test Voltage
Estimated Temperature Minimum Voltage
21° C (70° F) 9.6 VDC
10° C (50° F) 9.4 VDC
0° C (30° F) 9.1 VDC
-10° C (15° F) 8.8 VDC
-18° C (0° F) 8.5 VDC
Below -18° C (0° F) 8.0 VDC