Carbon Pile Load Tester
A carbon pile tester basically tests a battery by putting it under a load for several seconds to see it it’s in good condition. It’s the grand-daddy of electronic testers and, to some, it’s still considered the best battery test.
“This type of testing is still the ‘gold standard’ for battery testing and is what most battery manufacturers use for warranty purposes,” says Associated Equipment's Mackey.
But to use a carbon pile tester, you need to have a battery that’s at least 85 percent charged, says Jim O’Hara. It’s a huge waste of time to put a battery on a charger only to find it’s bad, when a digital tester can tell if a discharged battery will hold a charge.
A carbon pile tester is generally at a price level that makes it a shop purchase.
Tech-Level Digital Testers
This level of digital battery testing uses conductance or resistance and special algorithms to test a battery and give back a reading in just a few seconds.
On an entry-level digital tester, the tech just enters the cold cranking amps (CCA) of the battery, says O’Hara. In a few seconds, the technician gets a decision: good, bad, charge or charge and retest. A temperature button compensates if the battery is below 32 degrees F for better accuracy. The most current digital testers have special settings for AGM and gel batteries. ”
The average tech will spend from the mid-$100’s the mid-$300’s street price for a technician-level tester. More techs are buying a tester in this price range, says O’Hara. Printouts and more advanced testing, on the other hand, may require a “shop-level” tester.
Shop-Level Digital Testers
These testers range around $400 to $900 street price, and offer full system testing and built-in or remote printing capabilities, says Cox.
Most shop-level testers can test the battery, starter and alternator. This can help a shop sell not just more batteries but also cables, parts, starters, alternators and more to their customers.
Printers are a great add-on for the shop to show and sell more to customers. Printouts create greater trust with the customer when making service recommendations.
Batteries found in a heavy duty fleet operations require specialized testers with a higher CCA range, says O’Hara. There are testers designed especially for that market, but those are outside the scope of this briefing.
