Starting/charging system testing, No load battery test, Engine off battery current draw – Actron AutoTroubleShooter CP7677 User Manual

Page 15

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15

Starting/Charging System Testing

The starting system “turns over” the engine. It consists of the battery, starter motor,
starter solenoid and/or relay, and associated wiring and connections. The charging
system keeps the battery charged when the engine is running. This system consists
of the alternator, voltage regulator, battery, and associated wiring and connections.
The digital multimeter is a useful tool for checking the operation of these systems.

No Load Battery Test

Before you do any starting/charging sys-
tem checks, you must first test the bat-
tery to make sure it is fully charged.

Test Procedure (see Fig. 19):

Fig. 19

Black

Red

1. Turn Ignition Key OFF.

2. Turn ON headlights for 10 sec-

onds to dissipate battery surface
charge.

3. Insert BLACK test lead into COM

test lead jack.

4. I n s e r t R E D t e s t l e a d i n t o

test lead jack.

5. Disconnect positive (+) battery

cable.

6. Connect RED test lead to positive

(+) terminal of battery.

7. Connect BLACK test lead to nega-

tive (-) terminal of battery.

8. Turn multimeter rotary switch to

20V DC range.

9. View reading on display.

10. Test Results.

Compare display reading in Step 9
with the following chart.

Percent

Voltage

Battery is Charged

12.60V
or greater

100%

12.45V

75%

12.30V

50%

12.15V

25%

If battery is not 100% charged, then
charge it before doing anymore starting/
charging system tests.

Engine Off Battery
Current Draw

This test measures the amount of cur-
rent being drawn from the battery when
the ignition key and engine are both off.
This test helps to identify possible
sources of excessive battery current
drain, which could eventually lead to a
“dead” battery.

1. Turn Ignition Key and all accesso-

ries OFF.

Make sure trunk, hood, and dome
lights are all OFF.

(See Fig. 20)

2. Insert BLACK test lead into COM

test lead jack.

3. Insert RED test lead into "A" (or

"mA") test lead jack.

Black

Red

Fig. 20

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