Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting A Manual for Boatowners and Marine Technicians

testing batteries, charging systems, and starter circuits 19

Starter Circuit Test

The Micro500XL can perform a complete

starter circuit test, including measuring for

minimum cranking voltage. Attach the red and

black leads to the cranking battery as you did

for the battery test (red to positive and black to

negative), then follow the meter’s instructions

(see photos page 20).

Note that the cranking voltage test is only

one of several tests that can be used to trou-

bleshoot starter circuit problems. Current draw

tests and voltage drop tests are also frequently

used. We’ll look at how these are done using

another high-tech tester later in this chapter.

A typical battery label showing CCA and MCA ratings.

The meter displays the battery’s state of health in graph
form. A reading of less than 80% indicates you should
replace the battery fairly soon; at 60% or below, you
should replace it immediately. In this case, the situation
looks grim, since the battery is barely giving a reading.

The meter displays the state-of-charge (SOC) test, the results

of the CCA test, and the battery’s CCA rating. In this exam-

ple, the 600 CCA battery tested at 149 CCA, with a state of

charge of 11.78 V. Based on these results, the unit’s recom-

mendation is to “charge & retest” the battery (top of screen).

(Note: In some test situations, the battery being tested may

have such a low state of charge that the results will be

skewed, confusing the battery tester’s microprocessor. In this

case, the unit’s recommendation will be “charge & retest.”)

At the end of the test, the unit can generate and print a report.
Make sure that you disconnect the battery before printing.

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