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Checking Open Circuit Voltage
OCV may be used to estimate the Lawn and Garden battery state-of-
charge. Observe the following guidelines:
Use a voltmeter that has been verified as accurate. An
inaccurate meter will give inaccurate results. The meter should
read to the nearest 0.01 volts.
When checking OCV, the vehicle engine and all current drains
must be OFF. Any current flow into or out of the battery will
cause an incorrect voltage reading.
The battery must be stabilized before reading the OCV. If the
battery has been charged or used in a vehicle in the past 12
hours, remove the surface charge (apply a 300amp load for 15
seconds). If the battery has just been discharged, allow at
least 15 seconds for the voltage to stabilize, then read the
OCV.
Use the following table to estimate the state-of-charge based
on the battery temperature:
*Estimates Only. Batteries vary +10% by model.
Keep batteries at 65% of full charge or higher. If the OCV falls
below 12.4V, recharge the battery.
IMPORTANT: When a battery needs charging, always charge
it fully. If you don't:
:
Stabilized
% Charge*
OCV (Volts)
at 0°C (32°F)
12.75
12.70
12.60
12.45
12.20
Retests with electronic testers may be inaccurate.
Full shelf life will not be available if returned to
storage.
% Charge* at
25°C (75°F)
100%
100%
100%
90%
90%
75%
75%
65%
65%
45%
INSTRUCTION SHEET
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