Starting/Charging System Testing; No Load Battery Test; Engine Off Battery Current Draw - Bosch FIX 7677 Mode D'emploi

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
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
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.
Red
Black
test lead jack.
Voltage
12.60V
or greater
12.45V
12.30V
12.15V
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 acces-
sories 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.
Fig. 20
15
Percent
Battery is Charged
100%
75%
50%
25%
Black
Red