Is Your Car Battery Dead? Quick Way To Check Battery and Test Alternator 

I haven't seen the video yet, but I can tell by the dog in the first frame that this is exactly what I'm looking for!

My wife is a Postal Carrier...I have her carry a jump box with her when she delivers...can be a bit pricey but is a lifesaver if you find yourself with a dead battery with no one nearby to help. Great video Eric!! 10 year Gardenfork fan here!!!!!

Thank you for making this interesting and informative. I don't know anything about cars so this is wonderful thank you!

Thanks for making this video! You saved me a lot of money by mentioning something that other battery diagnostic guides didn't. My car's battery is only 2 months old, but wasn't turning on yesterday. But it didn't quite fit the criteria for dead battery or faulty starter - no clicking, and the voltage measured fine with the multimeter. However, the battery would die when I turned the ignition, pressed the brake pedal, or turned on the headlights. But it wasn't consistent and the power sort of 'flickered' before turning off. I popped the hood and had my boyfriend turn the ignition while I watched the battery. Whenever he attempted to start the vehicle, or pressed the brakes, the battery started smoking a little bit at the negative terminal. I suggested cleaning the terminal attachment. He said he doubted that was the problem, and I agreed, but we grabbed the socket set and some sandpaper. I detached the terminal attachment and sanded it like you showed in the video, and popped it back on. I hopped back in the car and turned the ignition and much to our surprise it started perfectly! Now tow, no jump, no mechanic needed. Not a dollar spent! Thank you! 🤗

That was much easier than I thought it would be. For my first time I think I’ll get a professional but I feel much more confident that whenever I need to do this again, I can do it myself! Thank you!

you are such a good instructor, you anticipate all my questions and answer them ... thanx to you both, good team!

This is the best video I have seen about battery maintenance. A year ago I bought a Super Start Power Pack Portable 12V Power Source and that has been a life saver.

Thank you very much for this video. You make it so easy to understand, and you also include little tips.

Thank you for sharing. You were very informative. Well done my friend.

My battery is a little iffy, looking at videos on RU-vid about car batteries and your video popped up and I thought that voice sounds familiar and at some point you said Garden Fork. Used to listen to you about 7 years ago, good to find you again, subscribed.

Great video Sir, thank you! Nothing like a clear and pleasant explanation

Hey Eric, Love your channel and podcast. Always look forward to seeing what you are up to. I’ve learned a lot from your experience and experiments. Good choice on the Deka battery. I am a quality control tech for East Penn Mfg Deka batteries and I stand behind the quality of our product. I’ve had my battery going on 6 years now. Also, when jumping, it is important to connect just the red to your battery. The black on your end should go on an unpainted metal part of your car. This will ensure that you don’t short your batteries. Have s great day. 👍

I love you ! You make thing look and are easy . You are my new car repair guru !

Thank you for your tips, looks like i need to clean the terminals

Very informative without any fluff, just to the point good info. Thanks a lot

You are so right about having quality jumper cables, it can be the difference between being stranded and getting back on the road. Smaller the cables the less current flow of electricity through them.

Great job. That pup loves the tub!

Very useful video with scientific approch in simple language.

Ok Brother, I'm going to give you the real-deal college degree solider in the field "it must work or WRF'd" lesson. 1. Car batteries last longer in the "South" (temperate climates) because they don't have to work as hard as those places where it snows. Cold weather lessens the life of the battery. Cold makes them work harder. So the AGE of the battery can make a difference, but there is no rule on exactly when you "must" change the battery. 2. Your can easily destroy your batteries with bad maintenance. If it is not a sealed battery, it may need additional "distilled" water added . . . once in a great while. Also, (sealed or not) maintenance includes inspecting the terminals and removing any sulfated corrosion. Baking Soda/ Water is a good neutralizer, but the corrosion must be (sanded, brushed, or grinded off.) Once cleaned, a little smear of petroleum (Vaseline), bearing grease, or even motor oil will prevent excessive corrosion. [ Once in a pinch, I used a can of Coca-Cola to rinse & remove enough corrosion to get the vehicle started in the field! ] 3. Assuming it's a 12 volt system, all good automotive batteries have a resting voltage of 12.5 to 13.0 volts, while installed, and the motor is not running. The alternator/generator will generally increase the resting voltage by 1 or 1.5 volts when the motor is running. So, a battery with a 12.5 voltage reading from terminal to terminal may read as 13.5 volts with the motor running. BUT problems may still exist. [What if the alternator is outputting 14.5 volts but the battery is receiving only 13.5 volts???] 4. First test: With the battery "fully charged", pull the "ignition fuse" and the "fuel pump" fuses. Attaching a multi-meter to the terminals of the battery, crank the engine for at least 6 seconds while measuring the voltage. This is a "simulated load test". If the battery voltage falls below 9.6 volts, the battery MAY be bad. 9.6 volts is the industry standard for functional ignition systems. (if you try to push start your car and the battery is less than (around) 9.6 volts. . . good luck.) 5. If the battery had 9.6 volts or greater, AND the motor "seemed" turn "slowly", perform a voltage drop test on the positive and negative battery cables. To perform a simple "voltage drop" test, place a lead from your multi-meter to each end of the cable, and try to crank the motor as in step #4. If the voltage reads 0.1 volts (1/10 of a volt) or higher replace the cable(s) & terminal(s). [ An old farmer version of this test is to wiggle the cable around. If it's not as wiggly as a boiled lasagna noodle, replace the cable. Stiff hard cables have high resistance. The theory is "resistance builds heat, and heat builds resistance, A vicious cycle that ends in disaster ." This makes the cables hard and inflexible, and the additional resistance creates a blockage in the circuit that not only impedes engine startup, but also the recharging of the battery. The alternator can be outputting as much as 14.5 to 16.9 bolts at the "alternator out-put stud", but the resistance in the cable drops it down to less than 12.0 volts at the battery, causing three conditions. (a) the battery never fully charges, (b) the alternator is continually overwork and is destroyed, and (c) the battery cables over-heat and melt (or even cause a fire !!). ***"Bad battery cables" are easy to replace, and cause the alternator and battery to mimic certain problems that are not real. Go "old-school" and ensure the battery cables are well maintained and not highly restive. A $5.00 cable is a lot easier to swallow than a $150.00 battery or a $350.00 alternator. 6. If all the above tests passed with flying colors, your next alternative is to test or replace the starter motor . . . they do wear out. Especially under the conditions cited above. Good luck folks. And if any of you'all feed the need, please buy a good automotive trade-school textbook and prove me wrong. P.S I'm writing this on my cellphone, and the spellchecker is kicking my butt, so please forgive the grammar.

Awesome video, thx for the tips

Great video thanks!

Could of used thisvideo two days ago, my battery only had one amp but that wasn't the only problem found out that the alternator was the culprit, but liked your vlog anyway thanks. Larry

Thank you so much for this! My husband is technically challenged. I, on the other hand, am all about DIY (from reglazing the tub to installing ceiling fans) . When his super old Dodge truck died in the bitter cold I was concerned that it was the alternator. Jumped the truck and pulled out my multimeter and everything was fine. Turns out the truck had like almost no antifreeze in it 😖

Thanku. Do you have a how to jumpstart cars? I like how you teach. I understand it and the camera person is very good showing the details

Your meter leads are backwards. Indicated by the negative reading on the meter. Makes no difference except when reading voltage drop. Great video as always! Have a great day.

My dashboard lights began flickering on the drive home today - with it being wet (had wipers on), headlights on (it was daylight but bad weather) and also had the fan and heater on. Would you say it is the battery - car is 7 years old now (less than 20,000 miles on clock) and as far as I am aware have never had a new battery. Or could it be the alternator? Many thanks in advance :)

Thanks for sharing God bless you 🙏

nice video. thank you.

Good stuff thank u! 🙂

Good video! I know a lot of people that have no idea how to change a battery.

does any body knows what happens if theres 1 or 2 bad cells ? the battery can still show 12 . something v. right ? but will the car star since im in a situation mecanic wants to replace starter and i want to make sure i m not over looking the battery i took it to auto parts and he says its only 40 % charge but why didnt work when i use the cable to jump star? thanks ( i have been having flicking lights and finally car is only doing a click thats it ( all the lights and radio work )9 i dont see videos talking about bad cells in your battery..thank you

Was the bump on your head from the mesquites or something else?

Lucky you! In fifty plus years many times I've prayed for my "Camera Operator" to have laryngitis. Thought; Grease (axel or even Vaseoline, or motor oil) the terminals as you reinstall.

Your awesome do more videos ☺️

I jumped a lot of cars when I was policing. Can't tell how many cables on older cars came apart in the middle when I gave them a tug. The cables look pretty good. But Acid finally corrodes through under the insulation.

Hi There.. Great video and I have a few questions with my story background that may help my problem with the battery. Couple of days back I bought a car from a private owner. I went about 120miles with my friend who helped me drive there. We started and drove around for a short distance, checked standard things like engine sound, alt belt change, service history etc and it all went fine. As the car started immediately, we didn't anticipate any battery problem( Btw, it would help if someone like you comes up with a video with a proper checklist of things to do before buying a car). Coming to the issue - I drove back home and left the car close to 2 days to sort out the insurance and taxes. Yesterday, when I tried to start, it didn't. I panicked and my friend said there must be something using the battery. We started with Jump and it started. I went around and came back. Again this morning it didn't start. I started getting worried and again started with jump. Left it running for 15min, stopped and then started. I didn't start. I messaged the seller (She didn't lift my call earlier once). Fortunately she called back after a while. I explained the situation. She opened up saying she had the same problem for the first time just before we went to buy since she had the car. She had to jump start it. And she said she didn't reveal it as she thought because she left it unused last 2 weeks in rain the battery may have discharged and should be fine now. She also said she hasn't been using it for 2 months and only used once 2 weeks back. The weather has been damp and raining here for several weeks now. She thinks it must be because of the dampening of the wiring in general and connections to the battery that may be causing it. The power windows are not totally closing at the top due to this is there is no battery while locking and rain water is seeping in through those edges. So, please advise what could be the problem here and what can I do. I lost all the excitement of buying this car now. :( 1. Battery or Dampness or Alternator or anything 2. Is there anything called electric wiring dampness. If so, how to remove that dampness 3. How to find the exact problem and fix. Truly appreciate it.

Thanks man

I'm assuming you didn't try the jump start on the Forecourt. Battery chargers will chrage a Lead/Acid battery to 14.4 Volts because a fully charge one will be 13.2 Volts, but it won' t stay there very long. A useful way of checking if the alternator is working without a volt meter is to virw the head light while someone blips the throttle form tick over to say 1500rpm. The light should brighten. I have a Li-Ion jump stater/power pack just a little bit larger than a large sized Paperback novel which works OK. Mine is OK for a 3L engine so it may be a little small for USA gas guzzlers :-)

It's late during a school week. Why am I watching this? I don't even have car lol. but dam is your voice relaxing to listen to

Super useful video, thank you. I’m in UK but hey, cars is cars ! Went on to randomly watch your video about a generator and I LOVE your advice ..... don’t do this in the basement , you’ll die 😆. I’ll be back, if only for the humour.

Just throwing this out there that if you don't have baking soda ( 7:12) use coke .It will clean the clamps and posts very well.I clean my clamps & posts every fall ,to ensure i have the best chances of getting started in the winter.Nothing worse than cleaning battery cables in -15 below zero weather & 40 mph winds ..

Might I add, buy the best battery you can afford. A good battery can allow you to drive a bit longer when/if your alternator bites the dust suddenly. (Which happened to us last week.) Great video! Thanks, Eric!

If you hold the multimeter test leads to both terminals of the battery and have a friend attempt to start the engine you can watch the volts drop. Anything less than 8 volts while the engine is being cranked the battery is bad. A bad battery can show 12 volts but under load it may fall out to 5 volts or less when they go bad.

My batteries I change every 7 years. Yes nice to have a camera operator with larengitis. Talk and talk and no poking or hahaha at you. Although I do miss that. I appreciate her humour.

I know that this is a dumb question, but can a brand new battery go dead if you leave your car parked for just over 2 weeks? I had a new one fitted a month ago and haven't been able to use my car much since. I tried to start my car tonight (cold outside) and it won't start. Don't know what to do now. It did need replacing (the other one) - I'd had it for 7 years.

well done.

I have a jumper box we use it all the time I run spray rigs with it. we have jumper cables in all trucks.Dont leave home with out them.

only thoughts to add , low water in cells, might have been a good training moment to explain about maintaining / adding distilled water to extend battery life. . plus a a terminal spray to reduce terminal post gunk build up. I have seen 100k sports cars dead in the lot because of a 1/64th post film build up. Thanks for what you do and share . :)

Clicking usually lets you know it's the battery. But I like the idea of being able to test myself. I just had to replace my battery. I threw a belt while driving, just to get to the place to get the belt was too long running on battery only and it killed my battery.

Batteries have a shorter lifespan in warm climates. A "cheap" battery will have thinner electrodes and it won't last as long. If you have a lead acid battery in your car don't change it to an AGM. Your car may overcharge the battery on long drives.

My truck gas a volt meter in the dash cluster that always jumps up to 14 when the truck is running so I guess that tells me it is the battery and not the alternator

So when you jump a car with a dead battery and the car dont turn on, is it time to replace the battery?

9 tiem out of 10 it's the battery that is dead, but what most people don't realise is that often, the battery is liteally dried, they now make sealed ones, but if you can , you add a lttle water, preferably distilled, and it will start making ions again, and when they didnt made em so weak, you could even deoxydize the plates , change the acid and just recycle the batt

I hear a heart beat in my bmw. The radio works every other time and my auxiliary not at all. Help

What was the wd40 for at the end?

That car is filthy! I’m-LEAVING-NOW! Lol, thanks!

I didn't understand how you know that it was NOT the alternator. If it was the alternator then what would be the reading on the meter. I mean if the battery reads 12.V whether or not it is dead ... then?

30 year mechanic said that if it was the alternator that the car would die immediately after disconnecting the jumper cables. Mechanic also stated exactly the same story that Batteries only last 3 years up to 5 years if lucky. He sounds convincing.

This is too complicated ughh is there a way to know without popping the hood pls

Concerning time 5:15 - "Are you happy". Of course - she's in muddy water. That's Nirvana for any water dog!

Lol it’s the doggy he so cute

Too bad for me I had my keys in it when I started it and it made the doors lock

I don't have any tools. I think I have a hammer. What tools do I need? I have money, just no experience.

What if nothing turning on? No headlights, no dashboard lights nothing.

That didn’t show how to test alternator

As someone said though...an alternator is not magic....its not going to charge a dead battery. So I still dont know if its my battery or my alternator. Or maybe even something else. I just dont know enough about cars. And I know thats my problem....lol.

My battery's 10 years old and done 140000 miles. Think is just gone.

Good tutorial except for the following. Black is the hot wire, not the red. You can buy a small unit that plugs into the lighter socket to provide power to the radio, and more importantly, the computer while you change the battery. I have had a number of cars with batteries that have lasted 6-8 years.

cute lab

Alternator Does not charge battery it maintains it

Lame. Car doesn't start - jump battery. Learned that at age 16.

Useless video is you don't already understand all the things mentioned.

wrong on multiple levels.

You know it's not good when the ads start out with Biden is on a roll WTF

You are being too casual, not able to understand much, you are a poor teacher - an beginner in learning these things