Battery No Load Test

Battery No Load Test

A battery open-circuit voltage (no load) test will show the approximate state-of-charge of a battery.

Before proceeding with this test, completely charge the battery, refer to the appropriate battery charging procedure.






- Before measuring the open-circuit voltage, the surface charge must be removed from the battery. Turn on the headlamps for 15 seconds, then allow up to 5 minutes for the battery voltage to stabilize.

- Disconnect and isolate both battery cables, negative cable first.

- Using a voltmeter connected to the battery posts (see the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the voltmeter), measure the open-circuit voltage.

This voltage reading will indicate the battery state-of-charge, but will not reveal its cranking capacity. If a battery has an open-circuit voltage reading of 12.4 volts or greater, it may be load tested to reveal its cranking capacity.