9. Figure 9-1 This battery has a CCA of 550 A, cranking amperes (CA) of 680 A, and load test amperes of 270 A as listed on the top label. Not all batteries have this much information.

16. Figure 9-2 Corrosion on a battery cable could be an indication that the battery is either being overcharged or is sulfated, creating a lot of gassing of the electrolyte.

17. Figure 9-3 A visual inspection on this battery showed that the electrolyte level was below the plates in all cells.

21. (Continued) Discharged 11.9 or lower 25% charged 12.0 50% charged 12.2 75% charged 12.4 100% charged 12.6 or higher State of Charge Battery Voltage (V)

23. Figure 9-4 (a) A Battery with only 9 volts is definitely discharged and must be recharged before it can be tested. A

24. Figure 9-4 (continued) (b) This dirty battery is slightly discharged. B

25. Figure 9-5 (a) Voltimeter showing the battery voltage after the headlights were on (engine off) for 1 minute. A

26. Figure 9-5 (continued) (b) Headlights were turned off and the battery voltage quickly recovered to indicate 12.6 volts. B

27. Figure 9-6 A DaimlerChrysler DRB III being used to check battery voltage on a DaimlerChrysler vehicle.

31. Figure 9-7 A Bear Automotive starting and charging tester. This tester automatically loads the battery for 15 seconds to remove the surface charge, waits 30 seconds to allow the battery to recover, and then again loads the battery. The LCD indicates the status of the battery.

32. Figure 9-8 A Sun Electric VAT-40 (voltage amp tester, model 40) connected to a battery for load testing. The technician turns the load knob until the ammeter registers an amperage reading equal to one-half the battery’s CCA rating. The load is maintained for 15 seconds, and the voltage of the battery should be higher than 9.6 volts at the end of the time period with the load still applied.

33. Figure 9-9 Typical battery load tester hookup.

37. Figure 9-10 A capacitance-type battery tester. (a) The up and down arrow keys are used to answer questions about the battery before it is tested. A

38. Figure 9-10 (continued) A capacitance-type battery tester. (b) This battery shows a calculated CCA of 729 A and a voltage of 12.37 volts. The display indicates that the battery is good, but should be charged before returning the vehicle to service. B

39. Figure 9-10 (continued) A capacitance-type battery tester. (c) A test code is displayed for warranty record-keeping purposes. C

42. Figure 9-11 Jumper cable usage guide.

46. Figure 9-12 This battery charger is charging the battery at a 10-A rate. This slow rate is easier on the battery than a fast charge, which may overheat the battery and cause warpage of the plates inside the battery.

49. Figure 9-13 Cleaning a corroded battery terminal using a baking soda and water paste. For best results, the cable should be removed from the battery terminal before cleaning.

50. Figure 9-14 This battery cable was found corroded underneath. The corrosion had eaten through the insulation yet was not noticeable without careful inspection. This cable should be replaced.

51. Figure 9-15 All battery connections should be thoroughly inspected, especially the ground where they attach to the body of the vehicle. Be especially aware of any body work or previous repair that may have resulted in a poor connection between the body and the negative terminal of the battery.

52. Figure 9-16 (a) Memory saver. The part numbers represent components from Radio Shack“. (b) A schematic drawing of the same memory saver.

53. Figure 9-17 This technician cleverly made a tool using an old lantern battery connected to a lighter plug to be used as a memory saver. The technician kept the lantern and simply connected the lighter plug pigtail to the lantern battery terminals. A lantern battery is better to use than a small 9-volt battery in case someone opens the door of the vehicle while the memory saver is plugged in. A small 9-volt battery would be quickly drained, whereas the lantern battery has enough capacity to light the interior lights and still have enough charge to keep the memories alive.

70. Figure 9-18 Measuring battery electrical drain using a multimeter set to read DC amperes. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

71. Figure 9-19 This mini clamp-on DMM is being used to measure the amount of battery electrical drain that is present. In this case, a reading of 20 mA (displayed on the meter as 00.02 A) is within the normal range of 20 to 30 mA. Be sure to clamp around all of the positive battery cable or all of the negative battery cable, whichever is easiest to clamp.

72. Figure 9-20 After connecting the shutoff tool, start the engine and operate all accessories. Stop the engine and turn off everything. Connect the ammeter across the shutoff switch in parallel. Wait 20 minutes. This time allows all electronic circuits to “time out” or shut down. Open the switch - all current now will flow through the ammeter. A reading greater than specified, usually greater than 50mA (0.05A), indicates a problem that should be corrected.

73. Figure 9-21 The battery was replaced in this Acura and the radio displayed “code” when the replacement battery was installed. Thankfully, the owner had the five-digit code required to unlock the radio.

74. Figure 9-22 Here is a clever tool that can be easily built. It combines a memory saver and a battery electrical drain tester in one. By connecting the alligator clips, the lighter plug can be inserted into the lighter receptacle to keep the computer and radio memory alive. To measure battery electrical drain without having to disconnect electrical power, simply connect the alligator clip to the leads of a digital multimeter set on the ampere setting with the leads correctly inserted in the meter as shown. Disconnect the negative battery cable and read the battery electrical drain directly on the meter face. When testing is complete, simply reattach the battery cable and disconnect the lighter plug. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

75. Figure 9-23 Amperes-to-volts converter.

76. Figure 9-24 A voltmeter can be used to measure amperes because the voltage drop across a 1-ohm resistor is the same as the current flowing through the resistor (E 5 I x R; E 5 0.02 A x 1 ohm 5 0.02 volt). In this case, 0.02 A is flowing through the 1-ohm resistor. According to Ohm’s law, this amount of current creates a voltage drop of 0.02 volt; therefore, this tool is sometimes called an amp-to-volt converter.

79. Figure 9-25 Adjustment location for a typical steering column-mounted ignition switch. This style of ignition switch is mounted on top of the steering column behind the dash panel and operated by a rod from the key switch.

80. Figure 9-26 The ignition switch on some vehicles is part of the lock mechanism. The ignition switch assembly has been removed from this Chevrolet Blazer’s attachment location just to the right of the steering column.

81. Figure 9-27 Typical solenoid-operated starter installation.

84. Figure 9-28 Carefully inspect all battery terminals for corrosion. This vehicle uses two positive battery cables connected at the battery using a long bolt. This is a common source of corrosion that can cause a starting (cranking) problem.

88. Figure 9-29 A simple, low-cost handheld inductive ammeter can be used to measure starter amperage draw. Although not always accurate, it does give the service technician an indication of the amount of current flowing through either the positive or the negative cable while the engine is being cranked.

89. Figure 9-30 When connecting a starter tester such as a SUN VAT-40 to the vehicle, ensure that the inductive probe is placed over all of the cables or wires from either the positive or the negative post of the cable. Remember, the same amount of current (amperes) must return to the battery negative terminal as left the positive terminal at the battery.

90. Figure 9-31 Low battery voltage, as indicated here on a Fluke Scopemeter, will cause the inaccurate starter motor testing results. For best results, the battery should be at least 75% charged (12.4 volts or higher).

91. Figure 9-32 Use a DMM and an optional amp probe to measure starter current draw. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

101. Figure 9-33 A typical Ford solenoid on the left; a typical GM solenoid on the right.

102. Figure 9-34 Voltmeter hookups for voltage-drop testing of a GM-type cranking circuit.

103. Figure 9-35 Voltmeter hookups for voltage-drop testing of a Ford-type cranking circuit.

104. Figure 9-36 Voltmeter hookups for voltage-drop testing of a Chrysler brand type cranking circuit.

105. Figure 9-37 Using the voltmeter leads from a starting and charging test unit to measure the voltage drop between the battery terminal (red lead) and the cable end (black lead). The engine must be cranked to cause current to flow through this connection.

106. Figure 9-38 To measure voltage drop, the engine must be cranking so that current flows—111 mV is equal to 0.111 volt. Vehicle manufacturers would allow between 200 and 400 mV voltage drop in the battery cables. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

107. Figure 9-39 Using the “touch hold” feature of the meter allows a service technician to test circuits without the use of an assistant. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

108. Figure 9-40 Starter diagnosis chart.

114. Figure 9-41 A shim (or half shim) may be needed to provide the proper clearance between the flywheel teeth of the engine and the pinion teeth of the starter.

120. Figure 9-42 Rotor assembly of a typical AC generator (alternator). Current through the slip rings causes the “fingers” of the rotor to become alternating north and south magnetic poles. As the rotor revolves, these magnetic lines of force induce a current in the stator windings.

121. Figure 9-43 Magnetic lines of force cutting across a conductor induce a voltage and current in the conductor.

122. Figure 9-44 Sine wave voltage curve created by one revolution of a winding that is rotating in a magnetic field.

123. Figure 9-45 When three windings (A, B, and C) are present in a stator, the resulting current generation is represented by the three sine waves. The voltages are 120 degrees out of phase. The connection of the individual phases produces a three-phase alternating voltage.

124. Figure 9-46 Wye-connected stator winding.

125. Figure 9-47 Delta-connected stator winding.

128. Figure 9-48 Cutaway view of a typical AC generator (alternator).

135. Figure 9-49 The DMM should be set to read DC volts and the red lead connected to the battery positive (1) terminal and the black meter lead connected to the negative (2) battery terminal.

136. Figure 9-50 (a) A simple and easy-to-use tester can be made from a lighter plug and double banana plug that fits the COM and V terminals of most digital meters. A

137. Figure 9-50 (continued) (b) By plugging the lighter plug into the lighter, the charging circuit voltage can be easily measured. B

142. Figure 9-54 A mini clamp-on DMM can be used to measure generator output. This meter was set on the 200-A DC scale. With the engine running and all lights and accessories on, the generator was able to produce almost exactly its specified rating of 105A. Switching the clamp-on meter to AC amperes will allow the technician to check for defective diodes.

143. Figure 9-55 Any DMM can be turned into a high-amperage measuring instrument by attaching an AC/DC current clamp adapter to the meter and reading the amperage on the DC millivolt scale.

146. Figure 9-51 AC ripple at the output terminal of the battery is more accurate than testing at the battery due to the resistance of the wiring between the generator and the battery. The reading shown on the meter is only 78 mV (0.078 volt), far below what the reading would be if a diode were defective. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

147. Figure 9-52 Generator ripple is a small amount of AC riding on the DC output. AC level above 500 mV indicates diode trouble. This illustration shows a normal waveform. To capture this waveform, a low pass filter was used to reduce noise. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

148. Figure 9-53 To test for a possible defective diode, disconnect the generator output cable from the generator and test using the procedure shown. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

152. Figure 9-56 Voltmeter hookup to test the voltage drop of the charging circuit.

156. Figure 9-57 A diagram showing the location of the charging system wiring of a typical vehicle. The best location to check for the generator (alternator) output is at the output wire from the B+ (BAT) terminal. Notice that the generator supplies all electrical needs of the vehicle first, then charges the battery if needed.

163. Figure 9-58 Typical hookup of a starting and charging tester.

164. Figure 9-59 The amperage rating of most GM generators is stamped on the drive-end housing either facing the front (pulley side) or on top behind the small threaded mounting lug.

170. Figure 9-60 The fusible link (or fuse) rating for the charging circuit should be greater than the generator output by 20%. Therefore, the maximum generator output should be 80% of the fuse rating or 64 A.

171. Figure 9-61 When connecting an inductive ammeter probe, ensure that the pickup is over all wires. The probe will work equally well over either all positive or all negative cables, because all current leaving a battery must return.

172. Figure 9-62 The inductive pickup displays the actual charging system amperage output on the digital meter face set to read millivolt (mV). The reading of 062.0 mV on the display means the generator is charging 62 A. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

177. Figure 9-63 Normal generator scope pattern. This AC ripple is on top of a DC voltage line. The ripple should be less than 0.50 volt high.

178. Figure 9-64 Generator pattern indicating a shorted diode.

179. Figure 9-65 Generator pattern indicating an open diode.

180. Figure 9-66 Generator ripple displayed on a DSO. (Courtesy of Fluke Corporation)

181. Figure 9-67 If the rear bearing is magnetized, the voltage regulator, generator brushes, and rotor are functioning.