How to properly charge the car battery: nuances and tips

The process of charging the car battery depends on whether it is serviced or not. Serviced battery - a model where you need to periodically refill the liquid (electrolyte). The fluid evaporates during battery operation and needs to be topped up on time. In maintenance-free batteries, the amount of electrolyte remains stable and does not need to be added.

Charging rules:

• A maintenance-free car battery is simply plugged into a charger.
• Before you can charge a serviceable battery, you must check the fluid level. It should not be connected to the charger if the volume of electrolyte is insufficient.

The process of preparing the serviced battery for charging:

• The battery is removed.
• Lids and contacts are cleaned with a soda solution.
• If electrolyte does not cover the plates, distilled water is added.
• The density of the electrolyte is determined. It should be within 1.26-1.30 g/cm3.

After the preparation you can connect the serviced battery to the power supply. The charging process depends on what current is needed for a particular device - constant or regulated.

Constant current charging

It is suitable for serviceable car batteries. Charging proceeds as follows:

• Connect the battery's minus terminals to the charger's minus terminals, and the plus terminals to the plus terminals.
• The charger voltage should be 13.8-14.0V. If the voltage is too low, it will take too long to charge.
• An amperage that is 10% less than the battery capacity in A/h will be optimal.
• It is important to consider that a fully discharged battery will take approximately 10 hours to charge.
• If bubbles appeared on the surface of the electrolyte, the battery is fully charged.

Charging with controlled current

This is a method for charging maintenance-free batteries. The voltage and amperage is regulated automatically. The charge level is displayed on a scale.

The charging process is as follows:

• The voltage is between 13.8 and 14.5 V. The higher it is, the faster the battery is charged.
• In the first hour the charge level reaches 60%. In the second hour 15 to 20% is added, in the third hour only 7-8%.
• By the end of the fourth hour the battery will reach 96%. You should not keep the battery connected to power for longer, because you will have to wait up to 6 hours to reach 100%.

Other factors to consider

The car battery charging is influenced by such nuances:

• The capacity of the battery in A/h. It determines how much energy the battery can hold and how long it will take to charge.
• Starting current in Amperes (A). The higher this value, the more powerful the battery.
• If the battery, completely discharged, it should be connected to power as soon as possible. This is especially true for acid batteries.
• When the battery is discharged, you should not use connection cables to start the car and "light" the battery. This shortens the battery's battery life.
• It is good if the charger has a fuse and a charge indicator. When the battery is charged, the charger should turn off.
• The charger should only be turned on when it is connected to the battery.
• If the charger gets too hot, it should be disconnected from the battery and unplugged immediately.

It is best when the battery is charged from a vehicle alternator. However, this is not always possible, especially if the car is rarely used. Therefore, the battery is additionally charged. If this is done correctly, the battery will last a long time.