TOPDON Battery Tester BT200 | Mechanic Mindset

[@pmtips4482]

I like these testers. The battery health report works real good. My 08 Civic had a 7 year old battery in it and it showed a 70 percent health rating at 75 degrees ambient temperature. Car was starting, running, and charging just fine but it was in the summertime. That fall as soon as we had a below freezing night of probably 27°, the old Civic just grunted, turned over about 2 or 3 times real slow and that was it. A new battery took care of it so the report was spot on in my case. The tester was a Foxwell BT705.

[@MechanicMindset]

Awesome, batteries are really sensitive to temperature! The second battery I tested, didn’t think it was going to last the winter. But me being a typical mechanic, leave it till it fails. It still starts the engine 😂

[@PJANGELES30]

First class presentation. not one wasted word. Comprehensive also.

[@MechanicMindset]

Thanks! So good to hear your appreciation 😁

[@PDR-wb9dq]

I have the TOPDON BT100 very similar all the same functions only slightly smaller and no colour display, I have been very happy with mine and its half the price too...

[@ivandunne6493]

Many thanks, so much better than the manual which I can barely see!

[@9111logic]

Excellent thank you 🙏. I've had an old fashion type for decades but it is on its last leg poor thing so, after watching your video, I will certainly get the BT200 even though I've been long retired from the car game.

[@NortonUnofficial]

Really clear explanation. Just what I was looking for. Thank you.

[@jeffreyherbert91]

I have this model and really like it....though i dont use the charging test as it does not work well for smart charging and found the instructions unclear as test says loaded and unloaded which to me means you need to turn some consumers on....but it goes straight into both loaded and unloaded testing without giving you a chance to switch on consumers. You are correct with your point about connecting direct to the battery even testing a small distance from the terminals alters results..i did some googling for advice re health percentages and it appears 65% health is the point at which to consider replacing the battery

[@MechanicMindset]

Ah good to know, batteries are really difficult to diagnose sometimes. I had this one car where start/stop wouldn’t work. The battery SoC was fine, no issues starting the battery, put a new one on and it was all good. Yes, it only asked for rpm increase and not electrical load... I don’t think this will test a smart charge system, probably best with an scope and amp clamp 👍

[@BabyGangsterIsMe]

why u dont understand load and unload battery testing ? loaded mean your car has the battery already installed .. unloaded means the battery itself ..so easy to understand without the booklet

[@slucas8258]

​@@BabyGangsterIsMe Wrong

[@htownblue11]

Great review, and educational for those who haven’t used a true tester. Like you clearly showed, voltage can be a liar with respect to battery health which has to include amperage delivery into a proper health assessment. The TopDon would be my next purchase for a tester if mine ever goes out. Yet another good video.

[@MechanicMindset]

It's sometimes misunderstood, the voltage gives us State of Charge, but not the internal resistance. We can do a crank test but it's still not totally accurate. Hope you enjoy the purchase, they make some nice equipment! Cheers

[@bleebleblahble8833]

Buy this BT200 one over the BT Mobile Version. I am continuing to work with them to get them to fix the software on the bluetooth version. They had the loaded and unloaded voltage results flipped and the alogrithm for a pass/fail on the charging test was wrong. Should be fixed now but i still have my hesitancy and trusting this versus something like a Midtronics which is the gold standard. Or even better a scope with an amp clamp.

[@MechanicMindset]

I need to do some battery diag with the scope 👌 cheers

[@bleebleblahble8833]

Justin Miller has a great video on it if you need ideas

[@fuseone]

Just was looking at one for home use, definitely will pick one up now.

[@MechanicMindset]

Cool, the voltmeter is an ok method but you will know for sure with one of these! 👍

[@GayorgVonTrapp]

At 2:06 when you get to the 680 EN standard, I’m confused. I have a brand new 12v 100ah Gel leisure battery (from Photonic Universe) and nowhere on the battery or in the docs does it give any info of this nature, such that I can select the correct setting and value. I’ve googled it and can’t find this info. Any ideas?

[@MechanicMindset]

EN was the standard I chose to identify this battery. You should be able to select EN, SAE, CCA or Ah; they are all different spec ratings for batteries and usually the battery tester will give you the option to input the data you have

[@GayorgVonTrapp]

@@MechanicMindset Hi, and thanks. The only info I seem to have is that it is a 12v, 100aH, Gel battery. That’s it. I chose the GB setting (which stands for China?) and set it to 100 (as in aH), and got a battery health of 8% 👀. It says to replace the battery but that can’t be right.

[@MechanicMindset]

@@GayorgVonTrapp not sure I’m afraid, never really work with leisure batteries. The tester should cater for them though as it has Gel setting

[@GayorgVonTrapp]

@@MechanicMindset Yep it should. Thanks for your efforts. If I suss it out I’ll upload a video especially on this subject. Have a good Christmas.

[@dopiaza2006]

A leisure battery will not have a CCA rating as it is not designed for very high current output condtions like engine starting. CCA means cold cranking amps - only really relevant for an automotive battery.

[@mrmorganmusic]

I just bought one of these testers for my deep cycle RV 12Vv batteries. I don’t know much about how these work, and want to learn more. Does this run a load test?

[@MechanicMindset]

Great. It’s not a fully ‘loaded’ test, but it does work out internal resistance. From memory, it checks battery voltage during cranking too (which is a load test of sorts)

[@arthurfricchione8119]

Darren thanks for sharing. Looks like a decent tool. Will check it out. Stay safe and well Artie 😊

[@MechanicMindset]

Cheers Artie!

[@cesargalvan3750]

Good video, one question: I have a winch installed in my truck( with no isolator), should this affects the measurement for crank test, as well charging test? ( for sure not turn on the winch), Regards

[@MechanicMindset]

Hi, if the winch is turned off then no, it won’t affect the cranking or charging test. Cheers!

[@jamesj9325]

Darren, yes this TopDon works well for ICE and un connected batteries. Why does its B test state VOLTAGE TOO HIGH, REMOVE SURFACE CHARGE ie. TURN ON HEADLIGHTS when testing small 12 volt battery connected in Tesla MY? Perhaps it was being charged from big battery and or voltage was found about 13 volts? Curious the similar Tesla Hankook un connected battery tested 100% health and 100% charge at 12.63 volts. James

[@MechanicMindset]

Yes possibly. EVs have an inverter for the 12v system as they have no alternator (ie 400v > 14.5v). This can be active with the ignition on, but also after switching off. There’s also possibility of a slight discharge from capacitors bringing the voltage up a bit.

[@mauricehodgson3143]

Perhaps the small 12 v battery has been recently charged up. This would bring the voltage up to 14 or 13 volts. By turning on lights or waiting 24 hours the battery would settle back to its true voltage 12.6/12.8 volts

[@norbertrivera]

Any comment about using those devices, battery load testers, with solar deep cycle batteries?

[@MechanicMindset]

Sorry not sure, might be best to contact TopDon directly 👍

[@DJ-tn7vj]

Hi D. What's up? Is there any tester that can display the details without looking it up. I saw autel came out with some and there is the high end one that diagnose Dan uses. Is it Bluetooth?

[@MechanicMindset]

Hey, ah ok not sure, will look in to it 👍 this isn’t Bluetooth

[@bleebleblahble8833]

@@MechanicMindset the BT Mobile version does this via the app but the charging test is not the most accurate other than that great tool that also shows internal resistance, ripple, etc.

[@MechanicMindset]

@@bleebleblahble8833 Got you, I did just see it. Interesting the way tech is going. It won’t be long before we just connect the phone to the car with no VCI, via the telematics !

[@stephanevaucelles6378]

Hello thank you for the presentation of this tools

[@MechanicMindset]

Hi Stephan, thanks for watching 👍

[@stephanevaucelles6378]

@@MechanicMindset at work we use my midtronic precaunized by Renault truck

[@TheDutyPaid]

Nice clear short video, I'm going to order one just based on this.

[@MechanicMindset]

It’s a great little unit 👍

[@tonyisme4934]

Ok my Topdon BT100 on the charging test shows NO-OUTPUT and about 9.4V with a brand new charged 12V battery. Battery test passes at 700 CCA. Any ideas? The booklet does not show this reading NO-OUTPUT

[@alrifainidal]

nice to see you again mate

[@MechanicMindset]

Hey Nidal, it’s been a busy winter with terrible weather 👍

[@404notfound.....]

Excellent video, but overall I'm gonna stay with the industry standard which is Midtronic's. One thing I would like to see, test the Top Don with a Volt meter and see if the numbers are the same, typically with overseas testers the algorithms are not correct, the numbers are there, but they are not correct.

[@MechanicMindset]

I would take this test by my meters haven’t been calibrated for 10 years 😂 (I’m not on the shop floor by the way)

[@livefromplanetearth]

thanks for teaching

[@paulwharton1850]

Excellent video - Ordered one.

[@MechanicMindset]

It’s a cool little tool 👍

[@trail_tracker]

can i load test an AGM battery when its not in the car?

[@MechanicMindset]

@@trail_tracker you can use this tester when it’s off the car

[@trail_tracker]

@@MechanicMindset I understand that but can you load test? Load test requires putting a load on the battery. How is it applying the load because I can’t do crank test with the battery out as it asks to start the engine

[@MechanicMindset]

@@trail_tracker This isn’t a load tester, the cables are tiny haha. It calculates state of health and internal resistance which should be equivalent to load test results. If you want to load test to rated CCA then it will need to be on the car or use a old load tester (and charge the battery again after)

[@trail_tracker]

@@MechanicMindset Thank you! I will try to get a cheap load tester on amazon.

[@50450720]

I'd be interested to see the poor battery put through a reconditioning cycle that some of the better battery chargers offer, and then see it retested to see what difference it made.

[@nenadkrneta1551]

I tried it. It almost did nothing from 60 to 65%. Battery tester was still blinking replace battery. I think that the best thing is to use recondition a couple times every year not when the battery is bad. When its bad it so late to do anything.

[@u.e.u.e.]

Hello, does the Topdon also have a German menu?

[@MechanicMindset]

Sorry, not sure. I don’t have it right now. Maybe it is explained in the website 👍

[@pmtips4482]

The 55 % health on your good battery is low. That battery will not be a good battery when temps go below freezing. That's my experience anyway. These testers are only as good as the data entered, sometimes it's hard to get the CCA of the battery. Great video and thanks!

[@MechanicMindset]

I did wonder about that rating; good SoC, low internal resistance. Seemed like a newish battery too. I got the CCA of this one ok, it was the type I struggled to confirm. But that would make sense if all the other readings were ok. Cheers 👍

[@MechanicMindset]

.....a test directly on the battery poles may bring the health reading up 🤔

[@Okie-Tom]

I also thought the state of health was low at 55%. Most everyone will replace a battery before then. My local mechanic says he prefers to replace a battery below 75% health! I just had my car show a warning on the dash and my battery health says 57%!

[@johnholmes6811]

How would this work with a hybrid engine car?

[@MechanicMindset]

If it has a conventional AGM battery, it’s ok. Charging test probably return a fail though

[@patelvivek4888]

Nice video 👍

[@MechanicMindset]

Cheers!

[@surendersingal2192]

Thank you sir.

[@ADDAUTOMOBILESERVICES]

👍

[@Jax281]

Will this work on a leisure battery

[@MechanicMindset]

I think so, they are usually gel batteries and I think it has the setting 👍

[@MechanicMindset]

This might help: kzbin.infokdH4P7szDwo?feature=share

[@tonechowdhury3739]

What he doesn't say is the difference between a carbon volt tester and one of these more modern electric ones is a carbon volt tester you can load the battery up with a lot more it's not limited these modern-day ones are micro voltages so it's more than likely you'll get a false positive to say your battery is okay when it's actually dead

[@robotron17]

BT200 has a color display, and is otherwise the same as BT100, according to Topdon tech support .

[@TGam-wo2vd]

First view, first comment. Good content man.

[@MechanicMindset]

I have this image of you sitting and waiting for me to upload, good work 😂. Cheers!

[@speedysmithy]

Foam Packing!!! Its not a case!

[@waynebeck7801]

If you test the same battery more than once you will probably get different results each time.

[@MechanicMindset]

It was the same with the top end Midtronics battery tester we used to use in the dealer. I had a freind who worked a Varta; he didn’t rate any battery tester, but gives us a rough idea. It’s very sensitive electronics in not so perfect conditions I suppose

[@alexchong213]

Sorry but I have one and while it does test ok, it's got basic spelling mistakes on the screen, product 4 of 5 stars

[@MechanicMindset]

Thanks for feedback!

[@arnobruynen6073]

This battery tester is just a clone of the Ancel BA101 which I've used for like 2 years now. My BA101 has the exact same spelling errors in the menu. And the Ancel is just a clone of another battery tester. Topdon is just another Chinese diagnostic tools manufacturer like there are so many already. They all just copy each others work, change the look and feel a bit and slap their own brand on it.

[@littlereptilian7580]

@@arnobruynen6073 lol. Clone of a clone hahahah. Ahhh these Chinese....

[@dopiaza2006]

It didn't take 2.6 seconds to start the engine, would be surprised if it was more than 1 second.

[@Merssall]

Engine must be on isnt it ??

[@MechanicMindset]

Only for charging test. Follow the instructions on the tool 👍

[@gwynnej3]

Can't crank the engine over in an EV.

[@MechanicMindset]

@@gwynnej3 So you wouldn’t be bothered about ‘Cranking Current’😅

[@GripFreak]

Perhaps batteries are not your area of expertise as you have stated numerous false statements. You're obviously trying to make money off the sells of this device. Knowing the different types of batteries are essential to accurate troubleshooting. Using a digital voltmeter with DC volts accuracy of at least 0.25% is an accurate method if one knows what they are doing. The BT 200 does not account for ambient temperature. This metric is up to the technician to ascertain. The BT 200 is a conductance type tester and does not accurately load test the battery. I have conducted hundreds of controlled battery tests (flooded LA, AGM and Gel) with various conductance type testers and have found that most are not reliable and much of their advertised information is simply false.

[@dopiaza2006]

Gosh, what a guy you are!

[@edgar-valentine]

Harsh

[@totljag1]

So it’s a no to buying this product ? Save my money ?

[@edgar-valentine]

​@@totljag1I bought one of these instead Aicevoos E8188 12V Car Battery Tester, half the price and first impressions are good

[@Tman-xr7xw]

So is it worth purchasing?

[@MAIEMI]

Behhh onestamente non mi sembra un prodotto affidabile, ho il BT200 di questo marchio, batteria tenuta bene e sempre ricaricata, ho una exide premium 64ah con 640 di spunto, dopo 5 anni di utilizzo la batteria ancora va bene, con questo dispositivo mi dice da cambiare perché sta al 66% di vita con 520 di spunto, oggi vado a ricontrollare e mi da gli stessi valori, solamente tensione a 12.49, mentre il primo test stava a 12.59, ma adesso mi da batteria buona, penso che se da , da sostituire, non può dopo dare un esito batteria buona, calcolando che l avevo ricaricata la volta scorsa, e con 12.8 di tensione mi dava ugualmente da sostituire, quindi il prodotto lo ritengo non affidabile

[@FinTra_]

The thing is garbage. Voltage shows clearly wrong. If that is wrong, then the entire calculation is wrong.

[@Mickytdi]

55% health isn’t really a “good battery”

[@MechanicMindset]

I suppose it depends on the scale that is programmed in the tester (i.e. the point it turns to bad). To be honest, I had no suspicion the battery would fail, it was a newish battery on a 2018 car, the static and crank voltage was ok with low internal resistance. Adds up to me, but I know what you mean; it sounds low

[@Mickytdi]

@@MechanicMindset i have a Varta AGM ( 680a) 4 years old and is reading anything between 45-55% ( depending on ambient temp) New batteries are reading 100% in comparison. My battery performs fine, you could leave lights on for ages and the car will still start, the start stop system works flawlessly. However if temps drop below 3 degrees centigrade it does begin to struggle. Also puts errors on the dash etc. If it’s cold out i often get the “ replace battery “ in the summer like now it reads “ good battery”.

[@ANDY-we7mr]

JUST SEEN THIS VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION I GOT ONE OFF EBAY 😀 AND ITS GOT A BUILT IN PRINTER 🖨 PRINTS 🖨 EVERY THING OUT 😊😅

[@ctuagent31]

Just tested my tractor battery that had been sitting disconnected all winter. Initial reading was replace battery. After I jumped it with my Autowit and ran for a while I tested again. It said healthy battery but the display said “check tester “? Any ideas. It doesn’t say anything about that in the manual.