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What should the resting Battery voltage be... after not having driven the vehicle in a few days? I am trying to determine is one or both batteries (Blue tops) are bad. One read 11.9 and one was 12.05 on the multimeter??? took a drive about 10 minutes then tested it. 12.3 and 12.45v..... uses a battery tester and they are both showing in the green, but I did not load test them yet. I thought batteries should be 12.7?

GenesisOffRoad

All batteries will 'settle' after you turn off the engine. The resting voltage will depend on numerous factors, including the age and condition of the batteries. I have a pair of yellow tops in mine now, and they settle around 11.7v, but I have no trouble starting the engine. You can see this for yourself by watching your multimeter while the engine is running - it should be somewhere near 14v, then while watching the meter, have a friend turn off the engine. You'll see the voltage rapidly decrease, then taper off over the course of several minutes, slowly dropping another tenth at a time. About as exciting as watching paint dry, unless you're an electrical nerd like me.

For a bit of peace of mind, you could take your batteries to your favorite auto parts store and have them tested. I wouldn't be concerned just based on a resting voltage of 11.9 and 12.05.

Hope this helps!
-Shane

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I actually was able to finish this project a while ago it has just taken me a while to get my head above water at work. I still want to do a formal review for my site when I get some time, but in the meantime I wanted to share some shots.

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and last but not least...