In a standard 12V automotive battery there are 6 positive plates and 6 negative plates. All plates of the same polarity are connected to same polarity terminal. All positive plates connect to +BATT. All negative plates connect to -BATT.

The battery in this illustration shows the 6 positive and 6 negative plates each as one large battery plate for purposes of illustration. The DMM is measuring battery voltage.

Question #1: What is the desired range of terminal post voltage for a fully charged automotive battery on the shelf, regardless of battery chemistry?

Question #2: . An automotive battery stored on the shelf has a terminal post voltage higher than 12.9xV. What do you do next?

Question #3: What causes battery self-discharge while a battery is stored on the shelf? [Fig 1 Battery at Rest]

Vince Fischelli
Educator/Instructor/Technical Writer
Veejer Enterprises
Garland, Texas, USA

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