Dig,
I wouldn't have the foggiest idea what a batt test would show at 32 degrees, because I be huggin a heater somewhere or in the coffee shop telling bike/fish lies !
We all know cold temps make a difference,....but I never get that tech-ie about stuff. Most all the general info I give here comes from my many years in automotive shops, and a few years in a commercial mower shop, where we tested and sold lots of batteries.
Being as you mentioned it, I never did like heavy-load testing a battery, or loading it much more than the starter draws, it just don't seem necessary,.....or good for a battery. But over the years we probably all develope our own ideas from our own experience, and that doesn't always agree w/ the "websites supposedly Gospel"
My main battery motto,........
Keep it as fully charged as possible at all times, and it will last an unbelieable long length of time. And that means when its not being used often, its on a float voltage of 13.4 max in warm weather, and 13.8-14.0 in cold weather.
Digger wrote on 10/24/10 at 20:58:17:Routy wrote on 10/24/10 at 06:23:19:Digger Quote:
How would you go about doing a load test on a 190 CCA battery using a 50 amp load tester?
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About the same way as using a 100 amp, except hold it for 30 seconds instead of 15, and use a 10.5 min voltage instead of 9.5. This has never failed to find a bad battery. If it passes a 50 amp test at double time, you can bet it will pass 100 amp at 1/2 the time. If not, I have never found the time.
The advantage of a 50 amp (price?) is that "one fits all".... it can also be more safely used on smaller batteries that don't have.....and are not designed to put out hi CC amps, such as smaller bikes, and like my 12/24 volt mower, and my battery powered P/A music amplifiers.
Rout,
Good stuff. Is the 10.5 volts good for all temps? The reason I ask is that I've sometimes had to do load tests when the battery case temps were pretty low, like in the low 30's F.
Also, is there a reference for the modified load testing technique so's I could bone up on it a little? Sounds as if it might be a little easier on the battery than the standard load test.
TIA!