How to properly charge a car battery - with what current and voltage

What current should I use to charge a car battery?

Charging a car battery, at first glance, may seem difficult, especially for a person who has not previously charged or repaired batteries with his own hands.

General principles of battery charging

In fact, charging the battery will not be difficult for a person who did not skip physics and chemistry classes at school. The most important thing is to be careful when studying the technical characteristics of the battery, charger, and know what current to charge the car battery with.

The charging current of the car battery must be constant. Actually, rectifiers that allow voltage or charging current adjustment are used for this purpose.

When purchasing a charger, familiarize yourself with its capabilities. A charger designed to service a 12-volt battery should provide the ability to increase the charging voltage to 16.0-16.6 V.

This is necessary to charge a modern maintenance-free car battery.

Battery charging methods

In practice, two methods of charging a battery are used, or rather, one of two: charging the battery at a constant current and charging the battery at a constant voltage. Both of these methods are complete if their technology is followed correctly.

Charging the battery at constant current

A feature of this method of charging the battery is the need to monitor and regulate the charging current of the battery every 1-2 hours.

The battery is charged at a constant value of the charging current, which is equal to 0.1 of the nominal capacity of the battery at a 20-hour discharge mode. Those. for a battery with a capacity of 60A/h, the charging current of the car battery should be equal to 6A. It is precisely to maintain a constant current during the charging process that a regulating device is required.

To increase the charge level of the battery, it is recommended to reduce the current in a stepwise manner as the charging voltage increases.

For batteries of the latest generation without holes for topping up, it is recommended to increase the charging voltage to 15V, and once again reduce the current by 2 times, i.e. 1.5A for a 60A/h battery.

The battery is considered fully charged when the current and voltage remain unchanged for 1-2 hours. For a maintenance-free battery, this state of charge occurs at a voltage of 16.3 - 16.4 V.

Charging the battery at constant voltage

This method directly depends on the amount of charging voltage provided by the charger. With a 24-hour continuous charge cycle of 12 V, the battery will be charged as follows:

at a voltage of 14.4 V by 75-85%;
at a voltage of 15 V by 85-90%;
at a voltage of 16 V by 95-97%;
The battery is fully charged when charging for 20-24 hours and the charging voltage is 16.3-16.4 V.

As a rule, the criterion for the end of charging in these chargers is to achieve a voltage at the battery terminals equal to 14.4 ± 0.1. The device signals with a green indicator that the battery charging process is complete.

Experts recommend that for an optimal 90-95% charge of maintenance-free batteries using an industrial charger with a maximum charging voltage of 14.4 - 14.5 V, this method requires at least a day of charging the battery.

Good luck, car lovers.

Source: https://carnovato.ru/kakim-tokom-zaryazhat-avtomobilniy-akkumulyator/

How to properly charge your battery

The most common lead-acid batteries periodically require recharging from a 220-volt network. For this, various chargers are used. This article will help you determine the optimal charger and create the right charging algorithm that will extend the life of your battery.

How to determine the charge and condition of the battery

There are two indicators of battery charge - electrolyte density and terminal voltage. However, these indicators apply only to serviceable batteries in which the lead plates have not crumbled. If the plates are damaged, then the density of the electrolyte and the voltage at the terminals will not say anything about the battery charge.

A working battery differs from a damaged one in that it is capable of delivering high current for a long time. Even a weakly charged battery can spin a cold engine for at least one minute. A fully charged battery can spin the engine for at least 3 minutes.

Even after the battery has “dead” and is unable to crank the engine, after 3-5 minutes of rest it will again be able to crank the engine without voltage.

The electrolyte density of a fully charged battery must exceed 1.22 grams per cm³.

To measure the density of the electrolyte, you need to use a hydrometer, which can be purchased at any auto store.

Given the huge number of hydrometer models, it is impossible to give a universal recommendation for their use. Therefore, carefully read the instructions that come with the hydrometer.

How to charge a working battery using the constant voltage method?

If you use this method of charging your battery, you must ensure that the charger maintains a voltage between 13.8 Volts and 14.4 Volts.

Charging is performed automatically: the device independently sets the current, relying on the battery capacity, and changes during the charging process. The charging current should not exceed 10% of the battery capacity.

Excessive current will lead to boiling of the electrolyte, a decrease in its level and a drop in battery capacity.

Excessive charging current will damage the lead plates of the battery .

Charging is complete when the battery voltage (with the charger disconnected) is 14 volts. Thus, the charging process becomes more comfortable and does not require constant monitoring.

The process of gas evolution is completely eliminated, and the electrolyte does not heat up to dangerous temperatures.

Charging time is also determined by the technical characteristics of the battery itself. On average, this figure comes down to 4-5 hours. During this time, the battery manages to charge 90-95 percent and ensures the normal functioning required for operating the car.

The only drawback of this method is that it is not possible to fully charge such a battery. This is due to the fact that the voltage supplied by the charger does not exceed 14.4 Volts, and the required voltage required to fully charge the battery should be about 16 Volts.

How to deal with a discharged or dry battery

Modern chargers have built-in short circuit protection, so charging current begins to flow only after a voltage of at least 8 volts is applied to the electrodes of the device.

A completely discharged battery cannot create such a voltage, so the charger will not start charging it.

To start charging, you need to connect the electrodes of the charger to the battery , and then (observing the polarity) connect a charged battery of any capacity for 1 - 2 seconds.

Before charging a dry battery, the electrolyte level must be restored . To do this, you must first measure the density of the electrolyte residue. If the density is noticeably higher than normal, then it is necessary to add distilled water in small portions (200 - 300 ml), then mix the contents of the battery and measure the density again.

After the density has reached the required value, fill the battery with ready-made or homemade electrolyte. The finished electrolyte, as well as the components for making a homemade electrolyte, are sold in a car shop. When mixing sulfuric (battery) acid and distilled water, do not forget that it is necessary to pour the acid into the water.

An attempt to pour water into the acid will lead to boiling and strong splashing of the latter. Use a glass container to mix acid and water and constantly check the density. As soon as the density of the solution reaches the required value, pour it into the battery. The electrolyte level should be 1.5 - 2 cm below the top of the battery.

Then charge it in the same way as a working battery.

Is it possible to charge a “full” battery?

Many car enthusiasts are familiar with the phenomenon of battery overcharging. It occurs when, for some reason, the voltage regulator starts to work incorrectly, so the voltage at the generator output exceeds 14.5 Volts. The optimal voltage of a fully charged battery is 14 Volts.

When the voltage difference between the generator and the battery exceeds one volt, the latter begins to absorb additional energy, which leads to boiling and evaporation of the electrolyte, as well as destruction of the lead plates. As a result, the electrolyte level first decreases, then the battery capacity decreases.

After a short time (depending on the generator voltage), the drop in capacity becomes irreversible and cannot be restored by adding distilled water.

If the generator voltage regulator is working normally, then the voltage is maintained at 14 - 14.5 Volts, due to which the battery avoids overcharging.

All this fully applies to stationary battery charging, which is carried out using a special charger.

If the voltage at the output of the device does not exceed 14.5 Volts, then the battery will take the amount of electricity that is necessary to change the density of the electrolyte.

When the voltage of the generator and the charger are equal, the rate of absorption of electricity will drop so much that further charging becomes meaningless. Even if the battery sits on the charger for two days, its capacity and charge will not change. If the voltage at the charger output exceeds 14.5 - 15 Volts, then overcharging will begin, which will lead to a decrease in battery capacity.

If you are using a charger that displays charging current but not voltage, consider the following. The charging current of a fully charged battery should not exceed 1 percent of its capacity.

As soon as the charging current has dropped to 1-2 percent, it is necessary to disconnect the battery from the charger to avoid damaging it. Do not charge the battery from a charger without a voltage indicator if the charging current is less than 5 percent of capacity.

This will extend the life of the battery and protect it from premature damage.

Source: http://VipWash.ru/elektrika-avtomobilya/kak-pravilno-zaryazhat-akkumulyator

Proper charging of a car battery - what current should I charge and what voltage should it be?

Hello, dear motorists! The topic of battery maintenance and repair is not of interest to the driver as often as, for example, the condition of the brake pads or the performance of shock absorbers.

Nevertheless, proper charging of a car battery is, although rare, but relevant. Especially when it comes to the uninterrupted operation of the battery in the winter season.

We have already talked about how to choose the right battery and the types of chargers for servicing it in the materials on the site. And, it’s time to work together to understand how to properly charge a car battery: with what current, what should be the voltage and charging time of the car battery.

Typical rules for charging a car battery

Video - how to properly charge the battery

Like any technological process, proper charging of a car battery depends on your knowledge of the rules for carrying out this very charging. It seems that everything is clear: there is a car battery that does not hold a charge, there is a super new charger, connect it and let it charge until the morning. But it's not that simple.

So, the conditions necessary for proper battery charging:

the room must have good ventilation, because When charging a battery, a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen is released;
it is for this reason that try to exclude the presence of open flames, and preferably smoking while charging;
Before charging, be sure to check the level and density of the electrolyte. The level is checked by the mark on the case (if there is no level, make sure that the electrolyte covers the plates by at least 10 mm), and the density is checked by an ariometer;
Be sure to clean the surface of the battery case from dirt;
For the battery being serviced, unscrew all plugs from the filler holes;
Clean the ventilation holes in the battery housing.
The charging current needs to be constant. The charger is designed for exactly this purpose - to regulate the voltage or charging current.

Ways to charge a car battery:

There are two ways to charge car batteries: constant current charging and constant voltage charging.

Charging the battery at constant current

The charging current of a car battery using this method throughout the entire time should not exceed more than 1/10 of the battery capacity (this is the rule for lead-antimony batteries).

Batteries manufactured using hybrid technologies and with silver and calcium alloying can be charged at higher currents at the first stage of charging. In this case, the charging time of the car battery may increase, and charging will be more efficient.

At the first stage of charging with constant current, the current is 0.1 of the battery capacity with a charge mode of 20 hours. Second stage: when the voltage in a 12 V battery reaches 14.4 V, the charging current must be halved to 0.5. In this case, the electrolyte “boils” at the end. The charging process must be stopped when the electrolyte temperature reaches 550C.

Charging the battery at constant voltage

Typically, this charging method is used for maintenance-free batteries. Throughout the entire battery charging period, the charger voltage must remain constant.

The car battery charge indicator will show that the charging current decreases during charging due to an increase in the internal resistance of the battery.

The battery charging time using this method is approximately: for a maintenance-free charger with voltage stabilization up to 15V – 14-16 hours. A regular lead-antimony battery requires up to a day to fully charge.

With any method of charging a car battery, you must strictly follow the instructions for the charger, and charging must also be carried out under supervision.

Good luck with charging your car battery.

Source: http://CarTore.ru/131-tok-napryazhenie-zaryadki-avtomobilnogo-akkumulyatora.html

Charging a car battery: rules, process + 4 tips

The car battery is charged using special chargers. To correctly carry out this process, you need to know the type of car battery, its characteristics, and also choose the right type of charger.

Car battery device

Most cars have lead acid batteries. The design consists of six jars, which are placed in an insulating housing made of material. A special plastic that is resistant to sulfuric acid is selected for the housing. The jars are connected in series.

They contain positive and negative electrodes, which are designed as lead grids coated with an active mass. The electrodes are placed in an electrolyte. Over time, during operation, the plates fail, which leads to a decrease in battery capacity.

The smaller the capacity, the faster the battery discharges.

Battery types

There are two types of batteries:

Serviced.
Maintenance free.

The serviceable batteries have caps on the jars that you can unscrew yourself. In such batteries it is possible to check the electrolyte level, its quality and, if necessary, it is possible to top it up.

But it is not recommended to do this on your own, without experience in this procedure. All operations to check the quality of the electrolyte, its level and topping up should be entrusted to a specialist.

This work is not expensive, but in some cases it can revive the battery.

The maintenance-free battery has no caps and is completely solid. Its repair and resuscitation are not possible.

Also, motorists often add distilled water to the battery, thereby diluting the electrolyte. This can be done, but only if necessary. If you unscrew the caps on the jars, the electrolyte level will be visible; if it is below the electrodes, then topping up is necessary. The level should be the same in all six jars.

Do not add water or electrolyte to the battery yourself. Before doing this, you should measure the quality of the electrolyte with a special device. But if you still decide to add water, then add only distilled water and in small portions.

Based on the type of charge, devices are divided into:

Charger with constant voltage . In these chargers, the charging voltage is constant, and the current can be adjusted using a regulator.
Charger with constant current. In such devices, the current is constant, and the voltage is changed by the regulator. Using this type of charging, you can fully charge the battery, but you need to carefully monitor the process. With prolonged use, the electrolyte may boil, and this can cause the battery to short-circuit and even catch fire.
Automatic (combined). These modern chargers first charge the battery with a constant constant current at a varying voltage, but then, as the battery is gradually charged, the voltage is fixed and the current gradually decreases. When the battery is fully charged, the device turns off automatically.

Checking the car battery

There are several ways to check the condition of the battery:

Using a regular tester. The tester is set to voltmeter mode and the voltage is measured with the car turned off. If this procedure is done with the engine running, you will find out whether the generator is charging. The voltage when the car is turned off should be close to 12 V.
Load coil. By design, it represents a resistance of 0.018 - 0.020 Ohms with a voltmeter connected in parallel. This unit is connected for 5 - 7 seconds and then readings are taken from the voltmeter.
According to the indicator on the battery. Some types of batteries have a hydrometric indicator, which is a small peephole. In this eye, the colors of the indicator change. If the color is green, then the battery is charged. If it is white, the battery needs to be charged, and if it is dark, the charge is at a minimum and the electrolyte may need to be topped up.

Since a car generator is not able to fully charge the battery, but only 60%, it is recommended to charge the battery at least once a season, before the cold weather. You should also monitor the readings of the hydrometric indicator, if there is one.

The first sign that the battery needs charging is when the car starts. If the starter spins quickly, then everything is fine. If it is slow and the rotation speed seems to be fading, this indicates a low charge.

Battery charging process

What to pay attention to and precautions

Since the battery uses sulfuric acid, you need to be careful and follow safety precautions. Charging should be done in a ventilated non-residential area at an ambient temperature of +10 degrees Celsius.

The question is often asked: is it possible to charge the battery without removing it? Yes, you can. But at above-zero temperatures. If you charge at negative temperatures, the charging efficiency decreases. In addition, when the battery is left in the cold for a long time, the electrolyte may freeze.

That is why the battery should be brought into a warm room, where it will “defrost” and only then should charging begin.

Preparing the battery for charging, removing it from the car

Before charging, it is advisable to wipe the battery with a soda solution, this will make it possible to remove acid residues from the surface. The solution is simple to prepare: one tablespoon of baking soda per glass of water. If the solution begins to hiss when rubbed, then acid residues are present.

After removing the battery from the car, you need to unscrew the caps from the jars and put them on top. This will allow the electrolyte to evaporate when heated and not splash out of the jars. You should also check the electrolyte level.

It can be determined by eye. If all the plates are completely immersed in the electrolyte by 0.5 cm, then the level is normal. It is also worth paying attention to the levels in neighboring jars, they should be the same everywhere.

If the level is less than required, you can add distilled water.

If the battery is maintenance-free (that is, there are no caps), we ignore this procedure.

Connecting the charger

When connecting the charger, observe the correct polarity. The positive terminal of the charger must be connected to the positive terminal (“+”) on the battery.

To the negative (“-”) we connect exactly the negative of the charger. If the polarity is reversed, it will lead to a short circuit and damage the charger and battery.

Therefore, you should be careful. The terminals are marked on both the battery and the charger.

On most chargers, the positive terminal is painted red and the negative terminal black.

Charging duration, process control

It is recommended to charge the battery with low currents; this will allow all plates to distribute the charge evenly and prevent the electrolyte from overheating. You should use no more than 1/10 of the battery capacity. It is indicated on the body and designated “A/hour”.

If the charger is automatic and does not have control levers, then it is impossible to make your own settings. Typically, such devices are equipped with indicator lamps indicating at what stage the battery is charging. And when fully charged, the green light comes on.

If the charger has a built-in ammeter, then charging will be considered completed when the device's needle reaches zero.

The time directly depends on the charging current. If the battery needs to be charged urgently, the process can be carried out using high currents, but this reduces the battery's operating reserve. If there is no rush, then charge with low currents. With such charging, the process usually does not take more than 8 hours.

Monitor the electrolyte; if it begins to boil, reduce the current.

After charging is complete, disconnect the charging wires, screw on the caps on the jars and wipe the battery with soda solution again. When charging, droplets of electrolyte evaporate from the jars and settle on the body.

If you do not remove the electrolyte from the surface, current may leak through the case and the battery will quickly discharge. This problem is very common, since 80% of car enthusiasts simply do not know this.

The electrolyte on the body is not particularly visible; it lies in a thin film, but this is enough for the current to pass through the body of the device.

When connecting, pay attention to the condition of the terminals and their tight press to the battery terminals. They should not be oxidized and should fit tightly.

If the charger is missing and you urgently need to charge it, you can use the following methods:

Using a portable jump starter. It resembles a small battery, the charge of which is enough to start the engine.
Assemble a homemade charger if you have the necessary elements on hand. This requires a diode bridge, a resistor, a multimeter and a light bulb, as well as some knowledge of electrical engineering and skill with a soldering iron.
If the battery does not show signs of life in the cold, it should be removed and placed in a warm room for 30 minutes. The electrolyte will warm up and you can start the car.
Use the device to charge your laptop. At the output it produces 18 V. You need to insert a light bulb from the headlight in series into the circuit, it will act as a resistor. Then the current will not exceed 2 A, but it will take about 20 hours to fully charge the battery in this way.

Conclusion

When charging the battery, use all the tips given above and do not forget about safety precautions.

Protect your eyes from getting acid from the battery, wash your hands thoroughly after contact with battery caps and jars. Charging should be done in a warm room with good ventilation, away from children.

Choose a charger only from trusted brands based on the characteristics of your battery, and then it will serve you faithfully for a long time.

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Source: https://motorsguide.ru/system/kak-pravilno-zaryadit-avtomobilnyj-akkumulyator

How to properly charge a car battery

While the car's power plant is inactive, the on-board network is powered from an external power source - the car battery. Also, the power plant itself is started using the battery's electricity.

A motorist should know how and how to charge his car battery correctly.

The need to properly charge a car battery

But the battery does not generate energy to power the network, it only stores it within itself, releases it when necessary, and then restores its charge from the car’s generator.

The charge-discharge cycle does not benefit the battery itself; over time, its charge decreases, that is, the battery is slowly discharged, it is not possible to completely restore the amount of energy from the generator, and eventually the battery charge will no longer be enough to start the engine. In this case, the question arises: how to charge the car battery.

This operation is performed using chargers.

But before describing how to charge a car battery, let’s figure out what types of batteries there are, their main parameters that are taken into account when recharging, types of chargers, the principle of their operation and how to properly charge a car battery and what should not be done when performing the operation.

Video: Battery explosion

All batteries are structurally similar. There is a set of plates that play the role of electrodes, some are positive, others are negative.

In order for a chemical reaction to occur between the plates, which results in the release of electricity, the space between the plates is filled with electrolyte.

Depending on the type of battery, the electrolyte is either a solution of acid with water or a solution of alkali with water.

Types of batteries

The following types of batteries are used in cars: acid, alkaline and gel. There is another type of battery - lithium-ion, but due to their characteristics, these batteries cannot start the engine, so in cars they are currently only used as an additional battery.

This is how a car battery works

Acid batteries have electrodes made of lead, which contains additional impurities. Lead as an electrode material is used because this material has good energy capacity and can produce high currents in a short period of time. The electrolyte in these batteries is an acid solution. These are the most common batteries used in cars.

Alkaline batteries do not have lead plates, but nickel-cadmium or nickel-iron plates. And the space between them is filled with a solution of caustic potassium. These batteries are not often used in passenger cars, since their current strength is lower than that of acid batteries.

Gel batteries appeared relatively recently. In fact, this is the same acid battery, only its electrolyte is in a jelly-like state. These batteries are promising, but a number of technological features of these batteries do not allow them to be widely used, and they are not very expensive.

In addition, batteries are also divided into serviceable and maintenance-free. Acid batteries are serviceable only. And all because during a chemical reaction, part of the water from the solution evaporates. In order for the electrolyte to have the appropriate density, it is necessary to periodically check the condition of the electrolyte and add water if necessary.

Gel batteries are maintenance-free. They have a sealed housing. During a chemical reaction, their water does not evaporate. Therefore, it does not require topping up.

Types of chargers for charging the battery

In the future, we will consider how to properly charge a car battery using the example of common acid batteries. But for now let's go over the chargers.

Battery charger

Any charger is an electricity converter. The simplest charger circuit is a step-down transformer and a diode bridge. The principle of operation is as follows: an alternating voltage of 220 V, passing through a transformer and a diode bridge, is converted into a direct voltage of 14-15 V, which is required to charge the battery.

Often, the design of the charger includes additional control sensors - ammeters and voltmeters, voltage and current regulators, fuses. Although there are chargers in which the current and voltage for each battery are selected automatically.

Features of car battery charging

Before you charge your car battery, there are several battery charging parameters to consider.

The most optimal current for charging the battery is 10% of the rated energy capacity of the battery. That is, with a battery energy capacity of 60 Ah, the current should not exceed 6 A.
The optimal voltage at the charger terminals is +10% of the rated voltage of a fully charged battery. For example, a fully charged battery has a terminal voltage of 12.6 V. 10% of the rated voltage is 1.26 V, add it to 12.6 V and get the optimal voltage of 13.86 V.
It is possible to quickly charge the battery. Such charging is performed with high currents - 20-30 A. But such charging damages the battery, so it is better to refrain from such charging.
When charging a gel battery, it is important not to exceed the critical voltage for such a battery, which is usually 14.2 V.

These are the main criteria taken into account in order to properly charge a car battery. Let's move on directly to how to charge a car battery.

Preparatory work for proper battery charging

First you need to make sure that the battery is really discharged. To do this, you need to remove it from a niche in the car.

In addition to the natural discharge of the battery due to its operation, the cause of the discharge may be damage to the battery case, as a result of which the electrolyte leaks out and the chemical reaction does not take place in it.

Therefore, after removing it, you need to clean it from dust and dirt and carefully inspect the battery case. If there is a crack and electrolyte has leaked through it, such a battery cannot be used further.

You can determine whether the battery is discharged using a color indicator, which is often installed on the case cover. The colors in the indicator may be different, so you should pay attention to the explanation sticker, which is usually pasted next to the indicator.

You can also check the state of charge of the battery by the voltage at the terminals. To do this, you can use a regular tester. When the battery is discharged, the voltage will be lower than rated.

Before charging your car battery, you should also check the electrolyte. Through the filler plugs you can monitor the condition and amount of electrolyte; in normal condition, the electrolyte should be clean, transparent and free of impurities, and its level should be above the plates. If the level is lower, you need to add distillate.

You should also check the ventilation hole in the battery cover. It should not be clogged, otherwise there will be no escape for the fumes.

How to properly charge a car battery? Charging process

You can then charge the battery directly. An important point is the evaporation of the electrolyte during recharging, so you should not do this in a residential building.

Also, first connect the charger to the battery, and only then to the network.

Care must be taken to ensure that the charger is connected correctly to the battery, otherwise, if the connection is incorrect, the charger fuses will fail.

Video: How to properly charge a car battery

The process of charging the battery with a charger is carried out using two methods:

with the first method, charging is carried out at a constant voltage value, usually 14-16 V. And the current strength is a variable value. At the beginning of charging, the current strength is high, can reach 25-30 A, but as charging progresses, the current strength decreases.
with the second method, the current is constant, but the voltage varies. This method is more complex, and you need to fully know how to properly charge a car battery with this charge.

Correctly charging a car battery

The problem of a dead car battery will sooner or later confront every car enthusiast. Not many people know how to properly recharge a battery.

Motorists often ask the following questions: is it necessary to remove the battery from the car during charging, how to remove it, what type of device is used for recharging? Let's deal with these questions in order.

Conditions for high-quality battery charging

Let's look at what devices are used for charging and take a brief look at the device. The batteries are charged using a direct current source. So, the charger, or, in other words, the rectifier, converts alternating current into direct current.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtO7sVfU7ck

Many rechargers have an adjustment switch for charging batteries (12 and 24 volts), as well as a current or voltage regulator. When charging a 12-volt battery, the device must provide a charging voltage in the range of 16.0-16.5 volts.

Otherwise, the charger will not be able to provide a 100% charge to the battery. Chargers, regardless of their power and configurations, have an electrical wire with a plug, a converter (rectifier) and two output wires marked “+” and “-”.

Features of the charging process

It is possible to charge or recharge the battery without removing it from the car. For example, if you are limited in time, full charging takes a long period of time, then you can simply recharge the battery using a charger so that there is enough charge to start the engine.

From this video, it will become absolutely clear to you how to properly charge a car battery. We recommend viewing!

You need to remove both wires from the battery terminals, both “ground” and “plus”, connect the charging wires according to the markings, namely, “+” to the positive terminal, and “-” to the ground terminal. Then you need to set the current regulator to the optimal value and turn it on for 20 minutes.

Just be sure to connect it to the battery, and then plug it into the network! Then you need to disconnect the charger, connect the wires to the terminals and start the engine. If the charging relay in the car is working properly, at high engine speeds, you can see on the ammeter the amount of charging current that flows into the battery.

Further charging of the generator is carried out automatically as the vehicle moves. If you have enough free time, it is better to remove the battery from the car and fully charge it.

To do this, you need to disconnect the wires from the battery and remove it from under the hood.

Charging the battery using a charger

You need to take the battery into a dry room, garage or home. Connect the charger wires: “plus” with the positive terminal, and “-” with the negative terminal, set the current regulator to the lowest current, plug in and leave the battery to charge overnight (8-10 hours).

Full battery charge is determined by the position of the charger arrow. Full charge corresponds to the arrow position at “0”. Before installing a charged battery into the car, you need to remove all condensation from its body by wiping the cover with a rag.

In this video, they will tell you and show you how to charge the battery using a charger.

Let's look at some features of chargers that you need to know to choose the correct charging mode. In practice, two battery charging methods are usually used: one charges based on constant current, the second based on constant voltage.

Their influence on the durability, as well as the performance of the battery, is basically equivalent. But let’s try to figure out which one to choose. Charging the battery, which is carried out using the constant charging current method, requires constant adjustment to maintain the required amperage.

For example, with a battery capacity of 60A*h, the current is 0.1 of the capacity (with a 20-hour discharge), that is, 6 amperes. To charge in normal mode, you will need to monitor it after 1-2 hours and, if necessary, adjust the charging current. Thus, the final stage of charging is accompanied by abundant gas evolution.

To reduce the volumetric amount of gas emissions and increase charging efficiency, it is more advisable to gradually reduce the charging current accordingly with increasing charging voltage. Having reached a voltage of 14.4 V for a 60A*h battery, the charging current should be halved, to 3 amperes.

Current batteries do not have holes for adding water and are not serviceable. Therefore, as soon as the charging voltage reaches 15 Volts, the charging current will decrease by another 2 times, to 1.5 amperes. The battery will be charged if the current and charging voltage remain unchanged for 1-2 hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENS19zpCIM

Table of car battery charge indicators

The disadvantage of this method is the need to constantly monitor the charging progress, which is not always convenient. Charging using the constant voltage method indicates the battery charge level is directly proportional to the charging voltage.

For example, a continuous charge for 24 hours at a voltage of 14.4 volts will provide 75-80% battery charge (12 volts). By increasing the voltage to 15V, the efficiency will already be 85-90%. And at 16.3-16.4 volts, a full charge is made within 24 hours.

The beginning of the charging process is accompanied by the achievement of a current strength of 40-50A, therefore all chargers have circuits that limit the charging current within 20-25A. At the moment of charging, the voltage at the terminals tends to compare with the voltage of the charger, the charging current decreases, tending to zero.

This charging method does not require supervision or human presence. This process is carried out automatically.

The charging end signal is a voltage at the terminals of 14.4 V with the green indicator on the charger lit. The second method is more preferable, since it does not require control over the ongoing process. So, the voltage of a charged battery is 14.4 V.

If you need to purchase a charger, it is recommended to use trusted online stores that have an assortment of these products. Excellent chargers can be selected at a cost of 950 rubles; it is not recommended to tinker with low-quality chargers: this can lead to a reduction in battery life. The amount of battery charge is determined by the density of the electrolyte.

Hydrometer for cars

When fully charged, the hydrometer will have a density of 1.28 g/cc. cm. When the battery is discharged by 50%, the density decreases to 1.20 g/cubic meter. cm. With a completely discharged battery, the density will be 1.10 g/cubic meter. cm.

The hydrometer indicators are the same in the battery banks, amounting to 1.28 g / cu. cm, they say that the battery is charged and there are no internal short circuits. With an internal short circuit, the density of the electrolyte in one jar is 0.10-0.15 g/cubic meter lower. cm, compared to other banks.

To accurately measure density, it is recommended to have a hydrometer with replaceable densitometers, or a hydrometer with five floats that are designed for different densities. Only the purchased battery needs to be recharged. Since it has been in the store for some time, it has a reduced density and a low charge.

A new battery should be charged at minimum current, 1-2 hours. If the charging device has a charge end indicator, then charging should be carried out until the green indicator lights up.

Tips for charging your battery

When carrying out all battery maintenance work, extreme caution must be taken. We must remember that there is acid in the jars! It is required to use rubber gloves; the acid should not come into contact with the skin. Especially when measuring the density of the electrolyte.

It must be remembered that during the chemical reaction that occurs in the battery banks during charging, emissions of arsine, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride and other substances that are unsafe for humans enter the air.

If charging is carried out in an apartment, and even in a small room or in a corridor, then at the end of this procedure the concentration of all harmful substances in the air of the room will exceed all permissible standards.

The most dangerous thing is the released hydrogen. When current passes through the electrolyte, the air is saturated with a large volume of hydrogen. And when it combines with oxygen, it gives not just water, but an explosive mixture, the amount of which only needs a small spark to explode.

Thus, charging should be carried out in a garage, or, if there is none, in a room with good ventilation and limited presence of other people. You should not leave the charger turned on in the apartment unattended.

Prolonged charging can cause household electrical overload.

It is worth using tips for properly charging a car battery, then the electric heart of the car will serve you for a long time and stably!

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Source: http://natapku.ru/obsluzhivanie-remont/kak-pravilno-zaryazhat-avtomobilnuy-akkumulyator-2.html