Battery Charger Says Fully Charged But Car Won’t Start, What’s The Problem?

It can be frustrating when your battery charger says fully charged but the car won’t start. You may be at a loss as the symptoms don’t tell you where the problem is.

Well, the problem can be in the battery or the connection. Without a thorough inspection, you can’t really tell where the problem is.

In this article, I am going to tell you how to inspect different parts alongside the battery to pinpoint the reason for the issue.

What to Do When Battery Charger Says Fully Charged but Car Won’t Start?

Using our common senses, we can deduct that the problem is either in the battery or in the connection.

I have already told that in the introduction above. But the explanation is in this part.

Here, I am going to describe 3 things.

How Do I Know When My Car Battery Is Fully Charged?

Using a simple voltmeter, you can test the level of charge the battery has. All battery boxes come with voltmeters.

Simply connecting the battery to it will show you the voltage. There is a chart of voltage ratings relating to the level of charge.

It is ideal for deep cycle and AGM batteries. But the chart information is correct for all other types with slight variations.

Level of Charge	Voltage
100%	13.00V
90%	12.75V
80%	12.50V
70%	12.30V
60%	12.15V
50%	12.05V
40%	11.95V
30%	11.81V
20%	11.66V
10%	11.51V
0%	10.50V

Is the Problem with Your Car attery?

You can use a multimeter to test the battery voltage and know whether the battery is fully charged.

Before opening the hood, you can do a quick and simple test by turning on the ignition.

Tip: Keep the headlights on for about 2 minutes to drain any surface charge. It will help measure the battery and get a correct reading.

But the concern here is whether the battery is capable of providing cranking amps. To do the test, turn on the engine without disconnecting the multimeter.

If the voltage drops below 10, you will know that the car battery is not fit for starting the car. 

And, seeing a value below 5 or 6 means that the car battery is completely dead and there is no way of reviving it.

If It Is Not The Battery, Where Is the Problem?

Well, before you move on to inspect other parts of the car, turn the ignition on and try to hear a clicking sound.

Not hearing the clicking sound means that the battery is dead. And, hearing that sound but not starting the car leads us to the next step.

After checking the battery voltage level and charged state according to the previously explained methods, move on to checking the starter.

Locate that particular engine part under the hood, and inspect whether the starter is getting enough electricity to operate.

After that, check the ignition for any broken or damaged pieces. If you can turn the headlights on but not the engine, the problem may be in the ignition.

Finally, check out the fuel tank. In case the tank has no gas, or the fuel filter is blocking the fuel to reach the engine, your car won’t start.

I recommend you to take the car to a mechanic and do a thorough checkup. It will help find out the tiniest problems and ensure smooth running.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs):

Conclusion

So, having such problems where the battery charger says fully charged by car won’t start is not a big deal.

You can find out where the problem lies with the simple methods mentioned in the discussion above.

But sometimes, several parts are damaged making it harder to solve. In that case, try to consult with your mechanic.

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