[slowsierra]

hi all just after some figures on what voltage readings i should be getting off my battery when the motor is not running and when it is running. i went to start my car yesterday and it just made a ticking nosie from the fuse box in the engine bay the starter motor didn' tturn over.i starter motor has been sticking a bit lately. i have a 1.6 coil pack baleno engine in a sierra. any help would be great
thanks greg

[royce]

not running 12.8v or more is fully charged, 12.0 is roughly 50%
running about 14.4v over 200rpm or so, should change too much with teh high beam on
idle would be nice to be over 13v, but depends on state of charge in the battery

[slowsierra]

i am getting a reading of about 12.35 v dc and when i turn the key it goes down to 7.42 v dc and the relay in the engine bay fuse box starts ticking.

[royce]

are you measuring on the battery post or on the terminal?

sounds like the battery is stuffed or you have a really dirty connection between the battery and exactly where you measured it

[weaves]

i've got a battery that fell over during transport and it leaked a heap of acid out. it reads its 12.8v but doesnt have the amps the turn the engine over.

sounds like yours is the same. like its dropped a cell.

weaves

[slowsierra]

ok thanks i will try a different battery if i can get my hands on one.
cheers greg

[jdk81]

My battery sits between 12 and just under 13V (i drain it a lot with my stereo when the car is turned off).

When running, my car never goes above 13.8V, and the only time it went under was when my old alternator carked it.