How Do I Check If My Car Battery Is Dead. Common Problems to Look For. To check battery leakage with a multimeter you should do the following steps.
Test the battery voltage. Without a functioning alternator the vehicle quickly uses up all of the batterys capacity leaving it drained. Turn the vehicles key to the run position and check the multimeter.
If your multimeter is not autoranging set it to 20V DC.
The temperature outside affects the voltage of the battery. If a jump starts and keeps your car running but the car cant start again off of its own power a dead battery is likely your answer. When you do this test on your car you want to see about 124 to 126 volts. Usually a jump start booster pack or battery charger is all thats necessary to revive the car battery and get the car.
