The reality is that like almost every component under the hood, a car battery has a finite lifespan and will conk out on you eventually. Weather conditions, corrosion, electrical shorts, charging ...

Key fob batteries always seem to die at the worst times. Learn a simple way to test a coin cell, plus which results you'll ...

The Topdon BT200 Battery and Charging System Tester showed up at exactly the right time. I’ve gotten a couple of sporadic check engine lights from a low-voltage code with no noticeable difficulty ...

Measuring rise time for a power source. Voltage vs. time signals measurements via a scope. A practical setup for battery testing. I was recently asked a question about a dc power supply, aka a voltage ...

Testing your battery regularly will prevent a dead battery from ruining your day. There’s only one way to answer the question, “Is it my battery, or something else” when your car won’t start: Hook up ...

Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or ...

Parasitic drains can be extremely annoying, but they're not impossible to identify. Here are some ways to find a parasitic drain in your car.

Battery-capacity testing is an essential part of battery maintenance. But how do you do it effectively? How do you know your UPS will have "enough battery" to provide the electricity your operations ...