Testing Batteries With a Multimeter - AA Battery Test

I`m looking for a resistor to match the 18650 batteries, the one used in Bosch/Makita screwdriver with 3.5 V. Any idea? Thanks!

What resistor would you use for a 9 volt battery?

You can test AA and AAA alkaline batteries by dropping them from an inch on to the negative end. If they bounce they are dead. If they are charged they will not bounce. The density of the battery changes as they are used up. Does not work with MAX batteries. Great multimeter video.

My 10 year old Casio caculator batteri, original battery is at 1.53 V, should be at 1.5V, but assumed it would have dropped after being used for 3 years of high school and 3 years so far of engineering studies, I don't get why it hasn't dropped, it's not a capacitator, and it's not a solar model calculator, just a plane old no thrills scientific caculator...

Thanks! I appreciate that there is no long intro, straight to business and very clear explanation :)

You didn't show the settings on the meter

Does this work to test a car battery? If so, what size of a resistor is required? Also, does the resistor size increase depending on the volts of a battery?

Video should be titled how to check a battery with a multimeter AND a resistor. What if I don’t have a resistor lying around?

He totally forgot too mension that even if the voltage is under the specific 1.5 V for ex aa, or aaa batteries is still usefull, Its when the battery is totally useless the voltage is under 0.8 V and not worth using at any device for ex a remotecontrol for a tv. Soo never throw your batteries away before using them up them totally. Is both good for nature and your less spend money

Thanks so much!

Thank you;)

First of all , the battery inside the multimeter (1.5v or 9v) must be brand new for most accurate results.

If the internal battery is dead, you will be getting false readings like 1.5volts on a nicd/nimh battery, 1.7volts on an alkaline , 240volts AC on wall plug etc...

Why would a battery that's dying still read 1.5V just because it doesn't have a load such as the resistor?

What if the resistor is more than 100 Ohm. I used a small usb music player as resistor having 8 MOhm. Perhaps that is no good, since the current is too small.

Crocodile clips. That's funny. 🇺🇲🐊

Cool tip!

Why did my resister randomly stopped working?

Why does it sometimes read 1.5 but is not good and how is that then helpful knowing it's still 1.5 if it's not a true test?
Also what number is considered "dead"?

Thank you!

I pull the batteries out of lights & such when I put them in storage, in case of corrosion. I end up with a lot of partially used batteries as a result.

If I use the 100 ohm load test described, should anything below 1.5V be recycled? I expect battery requirements will depend on device the device, but I'm looking for a good (not perfect) rule for keeping "good" (used) batteries.

Thanks for posting this!

Why 100ohms resistor how do you determine which is necessary

Hi everyone. I've tried this method. I bought a big bag of resistors from 1 ohms to 40k and despite following this tutorial, the voltage does not drop at all for AAA, AA and 18650 batteries. I've switched to the ohms setting on the multimeter and it does show near enough the right ohms for the resistors.

Thank you.

Is there any way we can measure the current from the battery?

For example, if it's a 25000mAh AA battery, how can I measure the 2500mAh current output from the battery???

Thanks! I've been having issues with batteries passing a voltage no-load test as being good but the devices they powered not working well. I didn't know that inserting a 100 Ohm resistor method would provide such a different result.

tells you very little really

Am I the only one that can’t understand this because they are showing a photo instead of the actual meter?

Can some tell me if the battery is gone

On the battery they written 3.6v

But when i measure it it shows me 2.49

Where and what kind of resistor do I buy

Thank you for the video, okay what about if the result 1.3V OR 1.4V without load?

Hi, amazing video and great info! One question: Can you use the multimeter to test for current without the resistor? I mean, is there any buit in function that will act like a load to measure current? I'm using a regular cheap generic multimeter. Thanks

Great explanation without bs. I think my meter's battery check mode includes some resistance already.

Why isn't it 0 V when it is dead?

Sir, it can be used also on car battery? Thank you..

With many batteries lying around the house, the kids end up mixing them with new ones and they all read 1.5v, a load test will surely help separate them, thanks 👍

The only video I needed to learn about how to test batteries! Thank you!!!

While checking Amperage in aaa battery it's heated itself, why?

Is 1.39 is dead or alive

I have a DCA and a DCV setting on my multimeter. None of those settings give me readings on a brand new battery.

Thank you so much. What a great instructional video 🙂

Well explained - thanks for the video

Good golly, there has got to be a simpler way to test batteries. All this test equipment you'd have to buy at your local hardware store. 🤦‍♂

how low should the voltage be compared to it's rating to consider it dead and not just half used or something?

why 100ohm

I don't understand how the current goes through the wires to the resistor and doesn't just go straight through the battery like it does without the resistor attached.

Thank You

I have recently attached a USB Power supply to my infrequently used Multimeters, to eliminate the possibility of Battery acid leakage inside the meter.

Available in USB 5V DC to
6,  7.5,  9 or 12V Boost &
1.5,  3  or 4.5V    Buck, Converters 
Plug size similar to a USB Memory stick. Cost around US$5 each, on EBay.

For the small inconvenience of having to attache one of these Multimeters to a USB Charger, I don't have to worry about Battery leakage in any of these meters.

okay this is a good video but you missed just one thing a lot of us don't know how to work a multimeter as well as you do and I don't think you mentioned what setting you have to put it on since it's 1.5 volts I think you want to have it on the setting of less than four volts or lower volt setting so that this shows up or maybe your multimeter just does it automatically either way you should mention that just saying