Title: Module 3: Conductance Test - Activity
Course: ASE A6 Battery Service > Section: Module 3: Battery Testing

Q: A conductance tester evaluates battery health by:
- Drawing heavy current from the battery for 15 seconds
- Measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte
- Sending a small AC signal through the battery and measuring internal resistance
- Comparing the battery's voltage to a reference battery
A: Sending a small AC signal through the battery and measuring internal resistance

Q: Before pressing the test button on a conductance tester, what information must the technician enter?
- The battery's voltage and manufacturing date
- The battery's CCA rating and type (flooded or AGM)
- The battery's reserve capacity and weight
- The vehicle's year, make, and model
A: The battery's CCA rating and type (flooded or AGM)

Q: A conductance tester displays "CHARGE AND RETEST." This means:
- The battery has failed and should be replaced immediately
- The battery appears discharged and the tester cannot determine health at this charge level
- The tester is malfunctioning and needs to be recalibrated
- The battery is fully charged but has high internal resistance
A: The battery appears discharged and the tester cannot determine health at this charge level

Q: Which of the following is an advantage of conductance testing over carbon pile load testing?
- It gives a definitive pass/fail result that replaces all other tests
- It measures the battery's actual cranking capacity under load
- It is non-invasive, fast, and does not draw heavy current from the battery
- It can detect every possible type of battery failure
A: It is non-invasive, fast, and does not draw heavy current from the battery

Q: A conductance tester reads "GOOD" on a 3-year-old battery rated at 700 CCA but measures only 480 CCA. What should the technician do?
- The battery passed — no further testing is needed
- Replace the battery immediately since it lost CCA
- Perform a load test to confirm the battery can deliver adequate capacity under real current draw
- Recharge the battery and run the conductance test again
A: Perform a load test to confirm the battery can deliver adequate capacity under real current draw

Q: Using a real battery at your workstation that has already passed the OCV test (at least 12.4V with surface charge removed), perform a conductance test. Before you begin, confirm the battery's OCV reading and identify the battery brand, CCA rating, and type (flooded or AGM). For the following questions (7–11), describe what you did during the test.
Feedback: The student should confirm the battery's OCV is at least 12.4V and identify the brand, CCA rating (e.g., 600 CCA), and battery type (flooded or AGM) from the label.

Q: What did you enter into the conductance tester before running the test?
Feedback: The CCA rating and the battery type (flooded or AGM) as found on the battery label.

Q: How did you connect the tester to the battery?
Feedback: Connected the positive (red) lead to the positive (+) battery post and the negative (black) lead to the negative (−) battery post.

Q: What result did the tester display?
Feedback: The student should report the actual result from their test — GOOD, CHARGE AND RETEST, or REPLACE — along with any measured CCA value displayed by the tester.

Q: What does your result mean?
Feedback: GOOD means internal resistance is within acceptable range and the plates are not obviously degraded. CHARGE AND RETEST means the battery appears discharged and must be charged before retesting. REPLACE means internal resistance is too high and the battery has failed.

Q: Based on your conductance test result, would you perform any additional testing? Why or why not?
Feedback: If the result was GOOD, a load test should still be performed because conductance testing only measures internal resistance — it cannot verify that the battery can deliver its rated capacity under real current draw. A GOOD conductance result is a screening pass, not a final answer. If the result was REPLACE, no further testing is needed — the battery has failed. If the result was CHARGE AND RETEST, the battery must be charged first and the conductance test repeated.