![]() ![]() The Solar's verdicts are "pass", "pass but recharge needed" and "fail". The tester applies a load, determines the as-tested CCA, and gives a verdict. An electronic load teste (like aforementioned Solar BA9) will test the battery's health: you need to connect directly to the battery posts, enter some info about the battery (battery type, Cold Cranking Amp spec), then run the test. Too: voltage alone, while better than nothing, does not tell you much about the battery's "health". Still, bottom line, with battery of 6~7 years age, depleted due to accidental drain, just replace it. Dealerships will likely charge 1/2 hour labour to test (for 5 minutes work.), while automotive retailers typically will do the test for free. Something to that effect.ĭealerships, and automotive retailers selling car batteries, will often have electronic load testers these days. An electronic load tester (like aforementioned Solar BA9) will test the battery's health: you need to connect directly to the battery posts, enter some info about the battery (battery type, Cold Cranking Amp spec), then run the test. Any car, hybrid or not, will show similar (high) volt reading when on. The 14.5 reading is meaningless, the car is showing you the 12 volt reading when the car is fully on (aka Ready), getting helped by the hybrid battery. 12.7 is the sort of reading you'd expect from a battery in good shape, measured independently of the car's dash displays. The one I bought from Harbor Freight no longer seems to be available, but I see similar ones on Amazon for about the same price.Both the voltages are measuring the 12 volt battery. With the 10W total power under the most ideal conditions that you have, I would think I would want to have a charge controller. To be on the safe side, I also bought a charge controller from Harbor Freight for about $25, which worked adequately but was eventually found to be unnecessary, particularly since neither of the locations where are cars are parked get direct sunlight all day long (maybe 4 hours during the winter or summer, but the angle is more direct in the summer, of course). Unfortunately, 2 of the 4 stopped working after a month or 2, so I bought 2 of the 5W panels referenced above and they have been doing the job for a couple of years now. 1.5W from one panel was not enough to keep a battery fully charged in the winter, although it was adequate during the summer. ![]() I bought 4 of these: 1.5 Watt Solar Battery Chargerīecause I needed 2 for each car. Addendum: Hmm, just checked ours, its at 12.4 volt, not so good. Anything lower than 12.5 volt you want to keep an eye on. My first attempt at using solar panels to keep 12V batteries charged was a "fail". If you hook up a multi-meter, either at the battery posts or at the under hood jump start point, a 100 battery will be around 12.6 volt or higher. Like you appear to be, I am a person who is interested in trying out the newest technology, especially when it points the way to a lower carbon future, but I am also wary of paying too high a price for what I'm getting, or in the case of battery charging, risking damaging the battery with something that is unproven. Which have been working well with the amount of winter sunlight we get in either downstate New York or Southwest Florida. ![]()
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