Battery Test Help
 

OK, this isn't the most exciting question, but if just one person could tell me how to test my battery with my Sears pocket-size digital multi-meter, I would be much obliged. I charged the crap out of it, tested it with a specific gravity tester with the floating balls (75% - 100%), but the battery died on me.
Please help!!

Multimeter won't really tell you. Take the thing to an autozone type place - they'll load test it for free.

If I am understanding correctly,you have a meter and that will only give you volts.You can't load test the battery with that.A battery can show good voltage and still be junk.Sometimes the bigger parts stores will test for free and I think even Walmart has a free tester in some of there stores.If its more than three seasons old its probably junk.

Thanks for the suggestions - yeah, it's more than several years old. Perhaps it's time. Again, appreciate the responses.

A load tester is not real expensive but is a very handy thing to have around the house. Boats ,cars, cycles, all can be tested. They pull a load with a toaster like winding and a gauge tells you the condition. If you do this test, make sure the battery is not hooked to another batterry. They must be tested seperately

dodgeman, never heard of that, but a great idea. I'm tired of guessing, and my specific gravity tester has apparently let me down. This is a battery for my tractor (sorry, didn't know where to turn for help), but I did get a self contained battery for the Baja that I can't test the specific gravity, so a load tester sounds like something I need.

If it died on you then you already tested it. You need to replace it. I've seen batteries load test OK, and fail within a week. You can use a multimeter to check the charging system and for parasytic draw. If those things are OK, you are pretty safe in assuming the battery is bad.