You need to check the car battery at least twice a year. This is one of the best things that you can do to prevent your car battery from going dead while you are driving. You can use a multimeter to test the car battery. Set the dial of your multimeter to 20. Hook up the probes. The positive end needs to be hooked up to the positive terminal, and the negative end needs to be hooked up to the negative terminal. If your battery is healthy, then the voltage should be around 12.6. Test the battery again if you get a number that is less than 12.6. If you still get a low reading, then the battery likely needs to be charged. Let the battery charge fully with the charger and then allow it to rest overnight. Visit our service center today at Sterling Ford in Opelousas, LA.