Battery Reserve Capacity

[swx1042 10+ year member]

When companies refer to Reserve Capacity (i.e. RC: 60 minutes),

Is that how long you can use electronics and still be able to start your car?

or is that how long until your battery is rendered useless and your car ends up needing a jump?

Click to read more...

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

thats how much it stores after the car is off/electronics still on to use.. so if you don't start your car or turn all off after about 50 minutes you will have a hard time starting and 60 minutes it won't without a jump..

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

thats basic electronics though.. radio low levels.. lights.. etc etc..

 

[swx1042 10+ year member]

gotcha, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

don't try and run a system on high levels though.. or you will be toast.. basically look at cca.. say they are 550.. if you have a system bumping it can pull anywhere from 100-300amps+ and you will have a few minutes MAX

 

[swx1042 10+ year member]

haha, its all good. i don't have any high power equipment. but i am in the market for a new battery.

 

[Gebrochen 10+ year member]

Google is your friend:

What is reserve capacity?

Reserve Capacity, (RC) is a battery industry rating, defining a battery's ability to power a vehicle with an inoperative alternator or fan belt. The rating is the number of minutes a battery at 80 degrees F can be discharged at 25 amps and maintain a voltage of 10.5 volts for a 12 volt battery. The higher the reserve rating, the longer your vehicle can operate should your alternator or fan belt fail.

 

[swx1042 10+ year member]

Google is your friend:

What is reserve capacity?

Reserve Capacity, (RC) is a battery industry rating, defining a battery's ability to power a vehicle with an inoperative alternator or fan belt. The rating is the number of minutes a battery at 80 degrees F can be discharged at 25 amps and maintain a voltage of 10.5 volts for a 12 volt battery. The higher the reserve rating, the longer your vehicle can operate should your alternator or fan belt fail.

haha, thanks man.

i saw that page and read it, but i wasn't clear if 10.5 volts worth of a charge would start a car (and to what conditions you'd end up at that said 10.5 volts)