Confused about how to charge a car battery? A car battery needs to be charged, but how long does that take? Unsure if a car battery needs to be disconnected in order to be charged?
To charge a car battery: you need to prepare the battery, turn off all electronics, remove the negative cable first, then positive, clean the battery terminals, connect the car battery charger, and remove the charger after charging is complete.
Keep reading.
How to Charge a Car Battery?
Follow the step-by-step guide:
Prepare the Battery
The battery needs to be prepared before you can begin charging it. To do this, first, decide if you need to remove your car’s battery in order to perform the charge. While some car batteries can be charged without needing to be removed from their holding trays, others can. In most conventional vehicles, you will likely not have to remove the battery to charge it.
If you must remove your battery in order to charge it, do so before you begin the charging process.
Turn Off All Electronics
Once your battery is prepared for charging (if necessary), make sure that all electronics in your car are powered down, including any accessories such as the interior cabin light or the stereo. The battery may experience an electrical arc while charging if any electronics are left running. Again, make sure all power and electronics have been turned off!
Remove the Negative Cable First, Then Positive
- The negative cable is almost always a black cable marked with a “-” symbol on the terminal.
- The positive cable is almost always a red cable marked with a “+” symbol on the terminal.
If the terminals on your battery are covered with plastic caps, pry the caps off to release the cables. Then carefully loosen the negative cable and pull it away from the battery. Place the negative cable far from the positive cable to prevent a charge from transferring between the two sources (trust us on this one). The positive cable and terminal should then be used in the same manner.
Clean the Battery Terminals
It’s a good idea to clean your terminals before you begin charging your battery. You can do this by using a terminal cleaning brush, which resembles a tiny toothbrush and is used to remove dirt and corrosive debris from the terminals. You can make your own battery cleaning solution by combining baking soda and water, or you can use a commercial battery cleaning solution.
As you charge the battery and reconnect the terminals, cleaning the terminals will neutralize the battery acid and stop malfunctions from happening.
Always wear face and eye protection for safety when cleaning the battery terminals.
Connect the Car Battery Charger
NOTE: Your charger may have specific instructions for its operation, so you should always follow those instructions if they contradict these guidelines.
Make sure the car battery charger is turned off first. Next, connect the charger’s positive cable to the battery’s positive terminal. The negative cable should be treated similarly. The positive cable must be connected first; do not perform these steps backwards.
With both cables connected, it’s time to turn your charger on. Start by defaulting it to the lowest rate. If your charger has a timer, set it for the appropriate charge time.
Note: Consult your owner’s manual or look up your vehicle’s specific timing requirements online for information on how long to charge your car’s battery.
Remove the Charger After Charging is Complete
You can unplug the charger’s cables from your car battery once the charging cycle has finished and it has run for the predetermined amount of time. In some cases, the charger might have a meter or indicator that lets you know when it is okay to charge.
To safely remove the charger, make sure to power if off before touching any of the other controls on the unit. You should only remove the cables once the charger has been turned off. Remove the positive cable first, then the negative, after the power has been turned off.
Remember to replace the cables on your car battery’s terminals after removing the old ones. In addition, use your wrenches to tighten any necessary nuts or bolts before replacing the negative cable and make sure to reconnect the positive cable first. If you completely removed the car charger, you must put it back into its tray and change the hold-down clamp.
Reestablishing contact ends the process. All there is to it is that!
Things to Remember
It’s very easy to charge your battery, but batteries can release hydrogen gas while doing so, especially if a fast charger is using a higher voltage to charge them. Ensure that the battery is not left with anything on top of it and keep the charger away from the battery.
Your battery’s lifespan can be extended with regular care and maintenance, which will ultimately save you money. Regularly using a smart charger can help you avoid having to buy a new battery more quickly since it can fix any existing problems as it charges and work to prevent any further harm.
Also remember that batteries don’t last forever and if your battery is losing charge, it may have reached the end of its life. In order to determine whether a replacement is necessary, Halfords will check your battery for free.
How Long Should You Charge a Car Battery?
It will take around 12 hours to fully charge a battery with 400–500 cold-cranking amps if the battery voltage is below 11.85 and your charger is operating at a 5-amp charge rate. If the charge rate is 10 amps, it will take the same battery about 6 hours to fully charge. The battery will take longer to charge the lower the open-circuit voltage and the higher the number of cold-cranking amps.
How to Jump a Car Battery?
Ensure that the lights, including the interior light, are off and that all accessories are removed. The battery may arc while you are working with it if you have anything on.
Remove the negative or ground cable before reaching the battery. This is always the black cable unless someone replaced the cables with the wrong colors. The ground cable will have a negative (-) sign, and the power or positive cable will have a plus (+) sign, so if you look on top of the battery, you can tell which is which.
To neutralize the acid in the batteries, clean the terminals with a terminal cleaning brush and a solution of baking soda and water. If there is a lot of acid buildup on the battery terminals and posts, wear goggles and a mask to prevent contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth from airborne corrosion. Don’t touch your face until after you’ve washed your hands.
Check the water level after carefully prying off the battery’s removable caps, if there are any. Do not overfill the battery; only add distilled water if a cell appears to be low. Most batteries today are “maintenance-free” so you won’t be able to open them to check the acid level.
This guide will go over how to wash a car at home and some frequently asked questions about best practices for washing cars in order to assist you in keeping your car clean.
FAQs
Which Battery Terminal Do I Charge First?
Positive first, then negative. When disconnecting the cables from the old battery, disconnect the negative first, then the positive. Connect the new battery with the positive terminal first and then the negative.
Can a Car Battery Recharge Itself?
Sometimes, yes. When you drive, your car battery is kept charged, either by an alternator on more recent cars or by a dynamo on older cars. Driving the vehicle will actually recharge the battery if it had been flat and you had been able to jump start it.
How Long Should I Let My Car Run to Recharge a Dead Battery?
Remember: After you’ve done a jump-start, you’ll need to keep the vehicle’s engine running for around 30 minutes to allow the alternator time to charge the battery sufficiently.
What Happens If You Connect Negative First?
The negative (–) terminal on your dead battery should never have the black cable connected. This is very dangerous, could result in a possible explosion. When jumpstarting your car, be sure to follow the directions in the owner’s manual.
Summary: How to Charge a Car Battery?
To charge a car battery: you need to prepare the battery, turn off all electronics, remove the negative cable first, then positive, clean the battery terminals, connect the car battery charger, and remove the charger after charging is complete.
It should be fairly obvious that charging a car battery isn’t a particularly difficult task now that we’ve described the procedure and you’ve seen it for yourself. As long as you are sure to handle the cables in the correct order and you use the proper charging equipment, your battery should be charged up in no time.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment. KV Auto tries to give you the best car industry information. Thank you for reading.
