Will using an earth / ground connection (for the negative probe, obvs) instead of the negative battery post still give an accurate measurement whilst using a multi-meter?

ALL online info that I can find states to use direct contact with the negative terminal of the battery.

Negative post not easily accessible it seems, at least with just a quick look under the bonnet.

Cheers guys.

The reading will be a good enough reading point unless a connection(s) or cable(s) between the battery terminal post and negative point you use are dirty/contaminated or not fully secure.

If you are trying to establish loss or drop then this missing bit might be important, what are you measuring for?

On 09/06/2025 at 20:38, nta16 said:

what are you measuring for?

Resting Voltage. Just general battery condition .........

Considering purchasing a smart charger.

With my old car / lead acid battery I used a solar charger during the winter and gave it a proper charge every now and again. Original battery plus one new Bosch S5008 lasted me thirteen years and was still good when I sold the car.

Current car needs smart charger if I come to need to charge it.

For resting voltage you want to take the reading as many hours after parking up the car as you can and allow for perhaps a 0.2v or 0.3v drop with the car's computers (obviously more if you have other stuff running live too). As someone pointed out in another thread this doesn't fully tell you battery condition, a load test would be needed for that, but if done reasonably with a known good battery it'll give a good idea from accumulated experience of previous readings and conditions.

If you own an Audi and/or Beemer, particularly if one or both are black (and not just from diesel smoke) then I think it's the law that you have to buy a CTek charger maintainer and they're fine just that I personally think they're overrated and over-valued as well of course as over-priced for normal average car owner use.

I know the £15-£20 ones (Aldi(?) and) Lidl (I always confuse the two stores) are good as so many I've seen have used them over the years and the one my neighbour bought has been fine for a good number of years regular use.

I use a Ring - other makes, models, brands and labelled, and stores are available, possibly for a few pennies less. - Ring Smartcharge 4 (4-amps, I very much favour going as low as reasonable with charging amps, takes longer but more of a Hieneken effect. -https://shop.ringautomotive.com/rsc904-4a-smart-battery-charger-maintainer.html

Do read the car's 'Owner's Manual' and charger maintainer's instructions for what and how to use a battery charger properly on that car. On the Beemers I've seen you'll be lucky if you could get near the battery (or batteries) but they usually have two lugs you connect to, be sure the clips grab the lugs well for a good connection as some hold better than others .

Bosch batteries I was told, when I fitted one to my wife's 2015 Fabia, are Varta.

If you kept a battery going for 13 years you may well already know but if you've not already seen/suffered (I'm reasonably sure I've seen your name in other thread(s)) my usual verbiage on charging/chargers/batteries and you want or need any I can cut 'n' paste any here for you, just ask.

HTH.

Edited 10 June, 202510 Jun by nta16
typos

I have the CTek charger, easy to use but it couldn't tell my battery was duff.

38 minutes ago, Aspman said:

I have the CTek charger, easy to use but it couldn't tell my battery was duff.

It depends on the type of charger but you can usually get a good indications with its use. I like the old analogue swing needle dial or digital number display the two or three colours LED lights are a lot less useful.

As I put I'm not a CTek fan.

I've brought back "to life" a few "dead" batteries with no real effort just use of battery charger(s) and time and patience, the last one or two or both items are often out of stock with some people/garages

There's a bit more to it to tell how good the battery is but using something like the Ring Smartcharge 4 on an over-complicated German marque car like a VW product and interpreting it's use is good start for dealing with such over an internet forum, to begin with at least.

https://shop.ringautomotive.com/rsc904-4a-smart-battery-charger-maintainer.html

Of course prevention is better than cure as true duff batteries are very rare but they are made to be duff by use, abuse, neglect and lack of (or forgotten) knowledge leading to distress battery purchases which are often premature or very premature purchases.

Which is why I promote occasional preventative charging which can give the battery a reliable useful life of a lot longer than the 5 (or 4?, or less now?) years that VWŠkoda state, even perhaps on fully loaded 2025 models.

Have a look at any charger's instructions for its uses and limitations, and some of those you can get around.

Edited 1 August, 20251 Aug by nta16

Purchased a Draper 53489 ......... £32

Awaiting delivery

Prevention rather than a cure.

It's resting voltage read 12.52 volts after circa 72 hours car sat on drive. (me, sat on bike, Lol)

According to info found, probably Ai, this is above 90% charge and indicates that battery is still good after near 4 years ........ I'm assuming it is it's original battery.

Thanks guys.

24 minutes ago, Tilt said:

Purchased a Draper 53489 ......... £32

Awaiting delivery

Prevention rather than a cure.

It's resting voltage read 12.52 volts after circa 72 hours car sat on drive. (me, sat on bike, Lol)

According to info found, probably Ai, this is above 90% charge and indicates that battery is still good after near 4 years ........ I'm assuming it is it's original battery.

Thanks guys.

12.52 volts is a little over 80% SOC for EFB/AGM (slightly over 90% for standard wet type)

Load test while engine is cranked is useful.

@Warrior193

Probably try that next, just for peace of mind for winter ...... I think the battery is in good nick.

I still like the idea of the solar charger but not sure my 12v socket (F40 1 series) remains live.

And I was never actually sure to be honest, if it did anything, It just has a little green led on it, Lol.....

I think it did tho.

19 minutes ago, Tilt said:

Prevention rather than a cure.

Yes a good idea I've been trying to promote this here for a few years now but some take offence to this idea for some reason(s). You don't have to do preventative recharges very often and best to have them get to full recharge for the sake of the battery, if not in one session then in more than one session. Having the charger remain in its box unused until the battery is very low isn't such a good idea.

23 minutes ago, Tilt said:

It's resting voltage read 12.52 volts after circa 72 hours car sat on drive. (me, sat on bike, Lol)

That sounds fine, possibly good or very good.

24 minutes ago, Tilt said:

According to info found, probably Ai, this is above 90% charge

Different places give different figures and they would depend on a few variables and circumstances - and state of charge is not state health for the battery, recharging the battery to full (100% of available) occasionally, or as required, will help to keep the state of health of the battery better and for longer. As put load testing is the real challenge - but then you'd want to recharge the battery to get it back to where it was before draining it.

Figures from my ex-neighbour's Ring battery charger/tester. -

 

12.7v - 100%             12.5v - 90%               12.4v - 80%               12.3V - 70%

12.2v - 60%               12.1v - 50%               11.9v - 40%               11.8v - 30%

11.6v - 20%               11.3v - 10%

 

VW

 

Charge level             No-load          voltage

1.28 g/cm3                 100%              12.7 V

1.21 g/cm3                 60%                12.3 V

1.18 g/cm3                 40%                12.1 V

1.10 g/cm3                 0%                  11.7 V

32 minutes ago, Tilt said:

that battery is still good after near 4 years

In in a modern VW (and BMW I expect) you should be able to get more than 4 years out of a battery, possibly a reasonable amount more years - but some VWŠkoda owners only get 4 years or even 3 years but it's the same as some people use more (and/or more wasteful with) electric in their cars and homes and some can get through their income more, and more quickly and if a car has lots of toys and heaters and you like to use them and perhaps sit in a parked up car chatting on the phone or other entertainment - so many variables with owners/uses let alone the car, weather, etc.

Do bear in mind batteries like 20c weather and at 30c discharge themselves twice as much, and twice as much again at 40c, and when it's hot most use their air-con more so recharging isn't just for winter. If you change from summer to winter tyres and back again those two points would be a good time for preventative recharges to full.

Good luck.

Edited 1 October, 20251 Oct by nta16
typos

On 30/09/2025 at 20:14, Tilt said:

Purchased a Draper 53489 ......... £32

Awaiting delivery

Delivery received today ........

Cheeky b******s sent a 53488 instead.

Maybe it's an honest mistake (but I doubt it as one has a digital display, the other one doesn't). So now I have to (already done it) message the seller telling them how disappointing it is to receive the wrong item and await their response and what they propose to do.

If they do not sort it I will just let the bay sort a refund for me.

I purchase lots of things off of there and mostly without issue.

A little frustrating that's all.

Edited 2 October, 20252 Oct by Tilt

Having a 2-amp charger instead of 4-amp isn't a bad thing other than paying the price difference. The 2 amp will obviously (edit) might take longer but if you have the time and patience it can give more of a Heineken effect but if you use the car everyday then 4-amp is more practical. I've got a 4-amp ring for my wife's 2015 Fabia (60Ah AGM) battery the updated version is as I linked to earlier, if you shop around you can get it at a lower price. I got mine (RSC804) at a lower price off an eBay provider, I dislike Amazon and unusually (not always) find I can get the same products for a lower price on eBay than Amazon.

https://shop.ringautomotive.com/rsc904-4a-smart-battery-charger-maintainer.html

Obviously other products and providers are available.

Edited 3 October, 20253 Oct by nta16
ETA

@nta16

I chose the 4amp as it has the digital display whereas the 2amp only has led display.

I too prefer the bay as generally simpler website and prices.

I have had a few real bargains off ebay local too.

Near £1000 retail dining table and chairs for £70-something quid.

3 month old as new £800 tv for £305 quid.

This wrong item sent issue is a very rare occurrence for me and I have purchased a lot of things off the bay. (seller, the tool stop limited).

Ball-ache to have to send it back though.

Getting more than 'a little frustrating' now as I have to send pics and do not generally use my phone for internet activity.

Important to remember that the charger Amp rating is the max. current capacity available unless it is a 'constant current' type - the charger will rarely (if ever, apart from fully discharged battery) charge at the max. rate, with the amperage progressively reducing as battery SOC increases.

Edited 3 October, 20253 Oct by Warrior193
correction

@Warrior193

It was another reason I chose the 4 amp.

Was going to go for the 10 amp then read about charging at lower levels is possibly better for this type of battery. (as others have also mentioned).

I think my battery is fine but thought get the 4 amp just in case it needs a slightly faster / higher charge rate what with the heated seats etc, for on the occasion that I give it a charge. And the digital display.

I would always try to ensure the battery is fully charged if / when near freezing temperatures are expected.

I may keep the 2 amp IF they give me a good discount on it.

Still I get quite annoyed when people cannot get simple tasks right.

Pointless though, I know. As @EnterName says, I am quite hard on myself too.

Sooooooooo .......... (and just an FYI for anyone interested, nothing more) ....

After ten and a half days with vehicle sat on drive the charge had dropped to 11.9v (I won't let this happen again btw). Thinking 40% charge.

Car started this morning absolutely normally.

A six and a half mile drive to work with a couple of hours stood before testing and a reading of 12.45v.

A return journey of same mileage and a few hours later (left bonnet open an hour or so ago), just read at 12.68v .....

Happy chappy at that but still to sort the charger, they insist on me returning it. I have to speak to ebay.

As an aside, I looked on ECP and although I know their prices can be expensive if no discount, I was shocked.

£395 ........... Wow. I will defo be looking after my battery now, Lol.

Edited 6 October, 20256 Oct by Tilt

44 minutes ago, Tilt said:

£395 ........... Wow. I will defo be looking after my battery now, Lol.

How much?! Flipping heck that's way overpriced IMO. I just looked online here and a Bosch S5 A11 is about €160 (£139)

Even if you have German cars you don't have to have a Bosch (labelled battery, I'm told they're Varta anyway) but if you must Tayna Batteries, (£146.08 =) £137.19 plus £8.89 delivery (as at now). - https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/bosch/s5a11/

Or you could look at other suitable sized batteries, or alternative 115 AGM batteries, to the Bosch S5 A11.

On 06/10/2025 at 19:29, Tilt said:

(and just an FYI for anyone interested, nothing more) ....

Nothing more for you but we don't want other viewers to think a new battery will cost £395, these car part places have some strange pricings - database, algorithm, AI, human error, policy, who knows why.

£146.08 or even Google Euro prices seem better than £395.

I've had neighbours pay about £100+ more to have a battery fitted than they need to, same or even better battery for £100+ less.

Edited 7 October, 20257 Oct by nta16

On 07/10/2025 at 20:36, nta16 said:

Nothing more for you

Good point ....

And thanks for all the input guys ...... (& girls ?) Lol.)