How many hours to charge a car battery

How long does it take to charge a car battery?

How long does it take to charge the battery? This question arises among motorists when purchasing a new or dismantling an old power source. No master can determine the exact number of hours. After all, the charging time of an effective car battery depends on various aspects.

Types of car batteries

The process of preparing a car battery and charging time depends on the type.

Maintenance free type

Inside such power supplies there is a “sealed” electrolyte. During charging, it turns into steam, then into condensate and again into a liquid state. Therefore, there is no need to check the level of electrolytic composition and its density.

Type served

The case of such a battery is not sealed. Therefore, you need to periodically replenish electrolyte reserves. It is difficult to charge a serviced car power supply at home. After all, you need to monitor the electrolyte condition, level, and other parameters.

Charging the car battery

Before determining how long to charge a serviced car battery, perform the following steps:

Dismantling the battery. Charging the battery in a vehicle is prohibited.
Cleaning. Using a rag, oil and electrolytic leaks and dirt are removed from the battery case. Contacts are cleaned with soda solution to remove oxide and condensate.
Checking the level and condition of the electrolyte. When decreasing, distilled water is added to the composition. This is important for charging, the condition of the plates, and leads.

When connecting the charger, the specified polarity must be observed. When connecting the crocodile clips to the terminals, you need to disconnect the power cord of the charger. You should connect it to the network only after checking all connections.

After the procedure is completed, the charger is turned off in stages. This is the only way to eliminate the possibility of sparks and explosions.

Video about charging the battery.

To charge the power supply you need:

Charger. After all, it is easier to recharge the battery from a charger.
Hydrometer and multimeter.

Safety precautions when working with batteries are important. After all, the electrolytic composition includes sulfuric acid. Therefore, the work must be carried out in special glasses and protective gloves.

You need to charge a new car battery with a charger in a room with a ventilation system. A welding machine or heating equipment should not be located in the immediate vicinity of the power source.

Before determining how long to charge a modern car battery, a charging method is selected.

Charging the battery at constant current

In this mode, you need to charge the car battery according to a certain scheme:

When determining the current, you need to take 0.1 of the installed battery capacity. For example, the capacity of a standard battery is 60 Ah, then you need to set the current to 6 amperes using a multimeter.
The voltage should be 14.4 V. With this indicator, electrolysis increases and hydrogen is formed. As a result, the charging current is reduced (by 2 times).
As soon as the voltage increases to 15V, the current should be reduced again.
If the voltage does not change further, the battery is disconnected from the charger.

With this method, it is difficult to calculate how much to charge the car battery being serviced. It all depends on:

Battery age
Activity of the sulfation process.
Capacity sizes.

If this method is used to charge a new battery, the process takes 1-2 days. The operating power supply charges within 12–16 hours.

It is worth charging a maintenance-free type battery at a constant voltage (about 14.4V). The charger turns off when the current reaches 0.2 A.

Constant voltage charging

This method involves maintaining a stable voltage (about 14–14.4V). The charging current value is determined automatically. And this parameter depends on the temperature of the electrolytic composition, the condition of the battery, the charge level, and compliance with the requirements regarding operation.

Charging at a stable voltage is acceptable in many cases. During the charging process, the electrolyte does not heat up, and practically no gas is released. Even when charging a completely discharged battery, the current will be commensurate with the capacity.

When determining how long the battery should be charged, you need to consider:

During the first hour, the charge level increases to 60% of the installed capacity.
During the second hour – up to 20%.
During the third – up to 8%.

Due to lack of voltage, the power supply cannot be fully charged.

The popularity of this method is due to its ease of implementation and high speed. Even novice motorists can implement it with minimal training and choosing the appropriate memory.

It is also possible to charge the battery from the electrical network of another vehicle. How long it takes to charge the power source in this case depends on weather conditions. It is not recommended to use the “lighting up” technique.

Accelerated battery charging

This method is implemented if it is necessary to start the engine at once. This mode is present only on modern charging devices. In this case, you need to charge a maintenance-free car battery for 20-30 minutes. Exceeding the established period may cause battery failure.

Some chargers are not equipped with this mode. In this case, the current is adjusted to the required value manually. The set charging current should be no more than 25–30% of the standard value. Excessive excess negatively affects the performance of the battery.

Frequent use of the accelerated mode is not allowed. After all, it depends on how long the battery will be used, how many hours or years.

How to set the charge level of the battery?

You can check the voltage level using a multimeter and a load fork. Such actions are carried out using all methods.

A hydrometer is used to determine the density of the electrolytic composition. After all, this indicator allows you to determine the degree of charging. The density is checked in each jar to ensure compliance.

How long to charge the battery at constant current or fixed voltage depends on the correct determination of this indicator.

Look at the battery density test.

Safety precautions when charging a car battery

All actions are performed in a closed, well-ventilated room at an acceptable temperature. After all, the process releases harmful substances that can cause significant harm to health.
It is not allowed to place heaters or heating devices near the battery. Substances released when recharging the battery may detonate when in contact with fire or sparks.
A flat, dust-free surface is used to place the power source. Otherwise, the electrolyte will leak to the surface.
It is prohibited to turn the battery over while it is charging for a long time.
All work is carried out wearing protective gloves. There should be no rings or other metal products on the fingers. After all, even minimal contact with the findings will lead to unpleasant consequences.
When connecting terminals, pay special attention to polarity. Incorrect connection will result in deformation or damage to the car battery.
All valves located on the battery open before connecting the charger. After all, in a sealed housing the pressure will increase quite quickly.
You should not use homemade devices for recharging. After all, they can fail at any moment. In addition, it is difficult to determine how long to charge the battery.

When choosing an effective way to recharge a car battery, it is important to take into account the conditions in which the work will be carried out and how quickly everything needs to be implemented. To simplify the charging process, you can use an automated charger. It is distinguished by the presence of several modes and automatic shutdown.

By following simple rules, you can extend the life of your car battery.

Video about charging the battery and its charging time

Source: https://akbzona.ru/zaryadka/skolko-neobhodimo-zaryazhat-akkumulyator-avtomobilya

How long to charge a car battery

During the operation of any car battery, it is important to know how long the battery needs to be charged. It is also important to remember that the battery must be well prepared and not started in a hurry to avoid unpleasant consequences.

It is known that there are potentially dangerous chemicals inside any battery. Careless handling of them can have a sad effect on both the car and its owner.

Therefore, when asked about how long to charge a battery, it should be noted that high-quality and complete charging and preparation for it require a certain amount of time.

How to prepare the battery for charging

Wherever the car battery is charged, the main thing is that the room for this is as safe as possible. When the battery begins to charge, it begins to release toxic chemical fumes.

Therefore, the room should be well ventilated and ventilated. Also, you should not charge the battery where there may be problems with electrical wiring in the form of periodic power surges and power outages.

Of course, any operation with a battery is carried out where there are no open sources of fire or flammable substances.

It is necessary to charge the car battery by first cleaning it from dirt and dust, and also completely discharging it before charging. Quickly discharging the battery is easily done using a load in the form of light bulbs. One or two are connected to the terminals, and then you have to wait until they go out.

How to do it right

To the question of how long it takes to charge a car battery, you can give a precise answer: on average, this process lasts 10 hours, no less . Experienced motorists recommend increasing the charging time with low currents to 15 hours in order to “pump” the battery properly.

Of course, this is quite a long time. But only this charging time ensures full and high-quality battery operation. By the way, to ensure that the time does not drag on for the car owner for too long, you can leave the battery to charge overnight, having previously adjusted all the necessary indicators.

To do everything as correctly as possible, without consequences, it is best to disconnect the wires from the battery and completely remove it from the hood of the car (the battery is allowed inside the car, but only as a last resort). The charging process must not be interrupted : this will negatively affect the battery capacity level. This is how to properly and safely charge a car battery.

Express battery charging using constant voltage method

In order to understand the essence of the matter as best as possible and understand how long it takes to charge a car battery, it would first be a good idea to remember the fastest and most common charging method, which is called universal for modern battery models classified as maintenance-free.

In this case, the charger controls the charging current automatically, and the process itself is safe due to the fact that the formation of gases and the release of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere is minimal.

When using such simple technology, motorists, as a rule, do not “bother” with the question of how long to charge a car battery. It is known that the charging time in this case is no more than five hours, and the battery capacity is replenished by 50% in just an hour. In the next four hours, the battery will be charged more than 90%.

This is how the battery is charged by motorists who do not have the time or desire to take it out of the car. It is, indeed, almost safe, but it is more suitable for extreme cases. In order to “pump” the battery more efficiently and gradually, thereby ensuring the best performance, you need to use a different type of charger.

Important clarifications and calculations

How long does it take to charge the battery if you want to get a longer service life from it without causing harm? The fact is that any fast charging with high currents can contribute to a decrease in battery capacity , since we are talking about the use of one or another type of charger. It is with them that the confusion occurs. And not only for novice drivers, but also for those who fundamentally do not want to dive into the study of a simple topic related to such concepts as voltage and current.

As you know, there are six “cans” inside the battery. The output voltage of each of them is about 2 V, for a total of 12 V.

However, this indicator is conditional and not entirely accurate:

the real U of a well-charged battery should be at least 12.6-12.7 V ;
if it is 12 V or less , the battery is at least 50% discharged;
if the voltage is 11.6 V or less - a deep discharge, urgent charging is necessary.

Capacity always remains the most important value and depends on how the battery is regularly charged, maintained, and how the battery is operated. The very concept of capacity can be briefly defined as follows: this is the time during which the battery can operate continuously, provided a certain amount of current is supplied.

For example, the most common capacities for car batteries are 55 Ah and 60 Ah. This is followed by batteries with higher ratings of 75 Ah and higher.

The elementary calculations here are as follows (we start from a capacity of 55 Ah, dividing it by the strength of the supplied current):

When loaded with a current of 55 A, the battery will work for 1 hour;
when the load is less (for example, 27 A), the battery works longer, 2 hours;
at a load of 13.75 A, the work will already be 4 hours - and so on.

Of course, a strong current load is not applied to the battery under normal conditions. This is important to know in order to understand the concept of safe current. The safe current figure used when charging the battery should be 10 percent of the battery's rated capacity. Thus, you can calculate the battery charging time in the most basic way.

If calculating percentages is difficult, you can use a calculator:

It is very easy to calculate these indicators. They will help you understand that a five-hour express charge for car batteries is clearly not enough.

In order for the battery to last longer and not have to be changed frequently, you should understand how to charge the battery in such a way as not to “dead” it ahead of time. It is important not only to achieve a real indicator of a charged battery of 12.6-12.7 V.

It is important to ensure that this U lasts as long as possible while maintaining optimal capacity.

Two types of battery charger

There are two types of chargers:

Direct current.
Constant voltage.

Constant voltage memory

The so-called express charging of the battery lasting 5 hours is usually carried out with a popular Chinese charger, which uses the principle of constant voltage (14.4 V).

When this device is connected to a battery, it provides more than 10 percent of the current rating: 25-30 A in the first hour of charging. The battery will withstand this current and will charge very quickly, but it will also run out much faster.

The current drops in the first 3-4 hours, but the voltage remains constant. In five to six hours the battery will be charged to 90-95 percent.

It is recommended to use such devices only in extreme cases when fast, emergency charging is necessary.

However, many car enthusiasts, unfortunately, prefer not to calculate voltage and amperage, but simply buy a Chinese charger that does everything “by itself”.

You should not use this method constantly, since in the first hour it gives a very high amperage, which only drops towards the end. If you charge the battery so quickly all the time, it will fail much earlier.

DC memory

In order to properly charge a car battery at home, experienced drivers recommend purchasing a Russian-made DC charger. Both the voltage and amperage on it can be checked very simply - of course, if you know what indicators should be based on.

A current of 10% of the nominal capacity of the battery, of course, will not charge the battery in a short time, but will allow it to minimally consume its resources throughout the entire charging process. It is low currents (for example, 5.5 A for a battery with a capacity of 55 Ah) that are optimal and most humane for batteries.

There is various talk among drivers that such precise chargers no longer exist in nature. But in fact, it is quite possible to buy it. Fashionable Chinese “chargers” are certainly more convenient and easier to use. But sometimes it doesn’t hurt to take some actions yourself, even in those conditions when it seems that constant haste is necessary.

If the battery is not completely dead yet

How long should a lead-acid battery be charged if, for example, the voltage has not yet dropped to critical levels? It is known that U 12 V means that the battery capacity is already 50 percent or less. But in this case it is not necessary to keep the battery charged for 10-12 hours.

Here are a few more short calculations:

at a voltage of 12 V, charging time can be reduced to 7 hours, but not less ;
If U is 11.6 V or less , it is better to charge for 12-15 hours .

During the charging process using a DC device, the voltage changes - up to 13.8-14.4 V. The voltage must be greater than the rated charge of 12 V, otherwise the current from the charger will not flow into the battery.

If the battery is completely discharged, in 5-6 hours its charge will be 90-95 percent.

In any case, you will have to wait up to 10 hours to reach 100 percent, because the current gradually becomes smaller towards the end of charging.

In conclusion, for novice car enthusiasts, it can also be noted that there is no specific time for charging batteries with different capacities.

Everything depends only on the current and voltage indicators, the meaning of which should be understood in order to treat your car’s battery as carefully as possible.

With the help of simple calculations and logical conclusions, you can understand that 5-6 hours is not enough time to properly charge the battery. It is better to wait the required amount of time in order to maintain the productive performance of the battery for as long as possible.

Source: https://batteryk.com/skolko-zaryazhat-akkumulyator

How long does it take to charge a car battery?

Inexperienced car enthusiasts often ask how long it takes to charge the battery. This question cannot be answered unambiguously by naming a specific value in hours. In such a situation, much depends on the condition of the battery, its capacity, how worn it is, etc.

It is important to know how to charge car batteries, how and in what situations they are used. And the charging time of the car battery will be determined depending on the condition of the battery. In order to find out the charging completion time, there are control methods, which will be discussed below.

Before charging the battery

Before charging the battery, you need to perform a number of steps. First, unscrew the terminals and remove the battery from the car. On the Internet you can find a number of tips for charging the battery directly on the car, without even removing the terminals. Remember not to do this. The battery, of course, is not a light thing, but it’s better to take the trouble to remove it from the car for charging.

Then wipe the battery case with a rag. When it is under the hood, dust, dirt sticks to it, oil gets in, electrolyte evaporates from the cans and condenses on the lid.

All this forms a conductive layer, which increases the self-discharge of the battery. All this is of no use to us, which means we wipe it clean.

A car battery case will help to partially get rid of these contaminants during operation.

What you need to properly charge the battery:

Charger;
multimeter;
hydrometer.

To understand how long to charge a car battery, you need to know about the basic methods of charging the battery. Conventionally, three methods can be distinguished:

DC charge. This method is well suited for deep battery discharges. It allows you to restore the battery capacity to the maximum. The charging time is quite long;
constant voltage charge. Most chargers use this method in automatic charging mode. Easier and faster than the first method;
accelerated charging. This mode may be needed in a situation where there is no time to fully charge the battery. Using this method, the battery quickly gains the capacity needed to start the engine.

Now let’s look at these methods in more detail and find out how long it takes to charge the battery in each of them.

We also recommend reading the article on how to properly charge a car battery with a charger.

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How long does it take to charge a battery with direct current?

The point of this method of charging the battery is that the process is divided into several stages. At each stage, a constant current strength is maintained.

The inconvenience of this option is that the process must be constantly monitored, the voltage must be measured and the current must be adjusted. That is, “switch on and forget” will not work.

In addition, this will require a charger with adjustable current.

Therefore, arm yourself with a multimeter and proceed according to the following scheme:

first stage. The current is set to 0.1 of the nominal battery capacity. For 60 Ah batteries common in passenger cars, the value should be set to 6 amperes. This current must be maintained to 14.4 volts. Use a multimeter to control;
second stage. The value of 14.4 volts was not chosen by chance. When this voltage is reached, the electrolysis of water increases sharply, as a result of which water breaks down into oxygen and hydrogen. Therefore, in the second stage, the charge current is reduced by half. In our case, up to 3 amperes;
third stage. When the voltage on the battery increases to 15 volts, the current must be reduced by another 2 times (1.5 amperes). At this stage, check the voltage every 1-2 hours. If it remains constant and active gas evolution is observed in the banks, then the charging process can be stopped.

As you can see, in this case it is difficult to say how long to charge the car battery. Everything will depend on how low the battery was. The age of the battery and the degree of sulfation also affect it.

This will determine how well it will accept a charge. In addition, over time, the battery loses part of its capacity due to sulfation of the plates.

Accordingly, the smaller the battery capacity, the faster it will charge.

We also recommend reading about how to charge the battery without removing it from the car.

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How long to charge a battery at constant voltage

The idea here is to apply constant voltage to the terminals of the battery. The charging process will proceed due to the equalization of voltages at the battery terminals and the terminals of the charger. Here, the degree of charge will be determined by the voltage supplied to the battery.

This circuit is used in chargers with automatic operation. As the battery charges, the internal resistance of the battery increases and the current decreases.

Stopping occurs when the current drops to 200 mA, which corresponds to the self-discharge current. In the future, you can leave the battery connected to the charger. When the charge decreases, the device will turn on and recharge it.

The advantage is that human control is not required. The device automatically stops charging.

Here you can already estimate how many hours to charge a car battery at different voltage levels:

voltage 14.4 volts. After 24 hours, the 12-volt battery will be approximately 80 percent charged;
voltage 15 volts. In 24 hours, the battery will be charged to approximately 90 percent;
voltage 16 volts. With this voltage, the battery can be charged almost completely within 24 hours.

In order not to damage the battery at the initial stage due to high current, charger manufacturers provide protection in their devices. The device itself reduces the current to safe values.

If you want to find out whether you need to charge a new car battery after purchase, read the material at the link provided.
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Accelerated battery charging

This method of charging the battery is used in cases where you need to quickly restore capacity for at least one engine start.

For this purpose, many modern chargers have a Boost mode. When this mode is turned on, an increased current value is given when charging.

In this case, the charging time of the car battery required to start the engine is about 20 minutes.

If your charger does not have such a mode, but it is possible to adjust the current, then you can set the increased value yourself. But do not set the current value more than 30% of the normal charging current. That is, with normal charging at 4 amperes, do not set the current to more than 5.5 amperes. This negatively affects the condition of the battery plates.

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Monitoring the battery charge level

When monitoring the battery voltage with a multimeter, as mentioned above, we get a rough idea of the state of charge. To find out exactly how charged the battery is, you should measure the density of the electrolyte. For this you will need a hydrometer.

The electrolyte density must be measured in all banks and the degree of charge assessed by the average value. The density in the jars should be approximately the same with minor deviations. You can read more about measuring electrolyte density in the article “What acid is in a car battery.”

Below you can see a table of battery charge correspondence to electrolyte density.

Electrolyte density, g/cm. cube (+15 degrees Celsius) Voltage, V (without load) Voltage, V (with load 100 A) Battery charge level, % Electrolyte freezing temperature, degree. CelsiusElectrolyte density, g/cm. cube (+15 degrees Celsius) Voltage, V (without load) Voltage, V (with load 100 A) Battery charge level, % Electrolyte freezing temperature, degree. Celsius

1,11	11,7	8,4		-7
1,12	11,76	8,54	6	-8
1,13	11,82	8,68	12,56	-9
1,14	11,88	8,84	19	-11
1,15	11,94	9	25	-13
1,16	12	9,14	31	-14
1,17	12,06	9,3	37,5	-16
1,18	12,12	9,46	44	-18
1,19	12,18	9,6	50	-24
1,2	12,24	9,74	56	-27
1,21	12,3	9,9	62,5	-32
1,22	12,36	10,06	69	-37
1,23	12,42	10,2	75	-42
1,24	12,48	10,34	81	-46
1,25	12,54	10,5	87,5	-50
1,26	12,6	10,66	94	-55
1,27	12,66	10,8	100	-60

Now you have an idea of how long it takes to charge a car battery. And the specific time is already determined depending on the degree of charge of the battery and its condition. In conclusion, we can give a couple of recommendations.

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

In addition, in the event of automatic shutdown of the charger, the battery can be left for storage in this mode. During idle time, due to leakage current, the battery will discharge and the internal resistance will drop. The charger will turn on and recharge the battery. As a result, you will have a fully charged battery at the ready.

If you have questions on the topic or additions, write in the comments below.
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Source: http://akbinfo.ru/zaryadka/skolko-zarjazhat-avtomobilnyj-akkumuljator.html

Instructions on how long to charge a car battery with a charger

Home » Battery » Instructions on how long to charge a car battery with a charger

Branded memory for the car

It is necessary to charge the battery according to the period of time, so that the charged device does not fail prematurely. Battery charging time is determined by several factors, which we will discuss later.

First, let's figure out why the battery is discharged. The battery discharge begins from the moment the driver turns on the ignition, without starting the engine.

After starting the internal combustion engine, the battery will feed the generator unit, replenishing its charge.

In what other situations is it important to use a charger:

Batteries always drain in the cold. At low temperatures, the self-discharge current increases.
If your car has a bad alarm system. In general, the use of an anti-theft system does not particularly affect the discharge of the battery, however, there is still a small discharge. And if you use satellite signaling, the discharge will be even faster. So if you install a “sophisticated” alarm system with great functionality on your car, you need to take care of installing a more powerful battery.
The use of low-quality acoustics that consume a lot of voltage. This is especially true for car owners who are music lovers, who install amplifiers, subwoofers and other “stuff” in their cars to obtain high-quality sound.
Electrical equipment is not working correctly. If the starter, distributor, coil, and various blocks are not functioning correctly in the car, then this could also be the reason. All these components are interconnected, so failure of one of them will lead to incorrect operation of others.
Incorrect operation of the generator unit. If the alternator is not working properly, the battery may discharge much faster. There can be many reasons why a unit may not work correctly, usually all of them are caused by the failure of certain structural elements. For example, a breakdown of the diode bridge or wear of the brushes. Also, the unit may not replenish the battery charge well if the belt is loose.
The most common reason for our compatriots is violation of the rules for using a 55, 60, 70 Ah device. A striking example is that before parking the car, the driver drives with the heater, headlights, and other consumers on, while the music is playing at full volume. If there are many energy consumers, then the generator will not be able to power them all - then the battery helps it with this. When approaching a parking spot, the driver simply turns off the engine, automatically turning off all consumers. The charge that the battery spent to power them will not have time to be restored. Therefore, before turning off the engine, it is recommended to turn off all consumers for a few minutes and drive the car with the heater and acoustics turned off; if possible, you should also turn off the optics.

Battery charging principle

How many hours should a 60 or 55 Ah device charge, why does it take so long to charge? If you're wondering how long it can take to complete this task, let's understand the charging concept. A charger for 60, 55, 70 or another number of Ah is a direct current unit that produces 14.4 volts at the output. This is the amount of voltage used for full charging.

If a 60 Ah device is recharged, its resistance indicator increases, and the current parameter, on the contrary, decreases. When the voltage on the device increases to 12 V and the current drops to 0, we can assume that the charging process is complete (the author of the video is the Battery Manager channel).

What should the charging time be?

If you are wondering how long to charge a car battery, then we can provide recommendations that will answer this question.

If you don’t know how long you need to keep the charger connected to the battery, then first you should pay attention to the current strength of the device.

This value should correspond to 10% of the volume of the device as a whole - with a capacity value of about 70 Ah, the device should be charged with a current of 7 amperes, in this case it will take approximately 10 hours to complete the task.

To accurately answer the question of how long it takes to charge the device, you need to read the service book for the charger and take into account the specifics of the battery itself - this is the only way you can draw the right conclusion.

In any case, you will need to study the instructions, since it will tell you what current will need to be set and what to pay attention to. It must be taken into account that each memory has its own features and characteristics, which may differ.

On average, it takes 8 to 15 hours to replenish the battery charge.

Photo gallery “Charging the battery”

1. Disconnect the terminals.2. Remove the battery from the seat.3. Connect the charger.

An emergency charging method when there is no time to wait

There are also situations when a car owner cannot wait 8 hours for the device to be fully charged.

This is especially true for those motorists who are faced with the problem of a completely dead battery, as a result of which even starting the engine will be impossible.

If you find yourself in such a situation and don’t know what to do, then there is no need to despair. We will tell you how to start a car engine just 10 minutes after the start of charging.

To do this you need to do the following:

First, remove the battery from the car by disconnecting all terminals and unscrewing the fastener.
Remove the battery and connect the charger to it.
Then you should set the current value on the device; it should be 10% more than the capacity. For example, you can take 10 amperes.
Then you need to plug in the charger and wait about 10-15 minutes.
After this time, the battery must be disconnected from the charger and installed in the car, securely fixed in the installation location and connected to the terminals.

If you manage to start the engine, we recommend using the car without turning on the power consumers in the near future. Of course, if it’s dark, you won’t be able to do without optics, but it’s better not to turn on the stove or air conditioner, and the same goes for the audio system. This will allow the generator to partially replenish the battery charge.

Video “What you need to know about voltage measurement?”

Detailed and visual instructions on how to measure the voltage on the battery are given in the video below (the author of the video is the VAZ 2101-2107 REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE channel).

Loading...Do you still have questions? Specialists and readers of the AVTOKLEMA website will help you ask a question

Source: https://avtoklema.com/akkymylyator/skolko-zaryazhat-akkumulyator-avtomobilnij-465/

How long does it take to charge a car battery? Let's look at examples of batteries from 55 to 90Ah ― AutoVrach.ru – Online store of automotive components

Publication date: January 29, 2018

Today, the content of our article will be the question: how long does it take to charge a car battery ? Many car owners wonder “ how to properly charge the battery and how long it takes to charge.” Situations are different, and basically everything depends on the condition of the battery, as well as its capacity and wear.

It is very important to know the correct charging method, because the further use of the battery depends on it. Of course, in winter, the battery is at greater risk, and you can quickly cope with this situation only with the help of a special device, or the old proven method, take out the battery and charge it at home.

In general, batteries last about 3-5 years , but many car owners, due to improper charging, reduce the service life of the battery, thereby wasting money on new ones. So that all questions about charging time disappear, we will describe to you in detail all the details and nuances.

There are special control methods that allow you to monitor the correct charging of the battery, which we will write about a little later.

In addition, there are also two battery structures; before starting the process itself, first you need to know which of the two types your battery belongs to.

So, the first type is maintenance-free batteries. That is, there is electrolyte inside them, but since the battery is sealed and there are no special openings in it, the electrolyte will not be able to evaporate. These batteries are safer to use, they do not require constant monitoring, like replenishing liquid, everything is very simple.

The second type is serviced. Such batteries were produced a long time ago and are only found on older cars.

It does not have a sealed housing, and therefore the electrolyte can evaporate, and this leads to a decrease in the level. This requires constant care and the addition of distilled water.

This type of battery is very complex, it requires constant monitoring, as well as correct and accurate charging, but above all, proper preparation.

Now we have reached one more important point, which is the correct preparation of the battery. And this applies to any type of battery, both serviced and unserviced . So, first, you need to remove the battery from the car; it is better to charge it at home, with a special device.

Due to the fact that the battery is in constant operation, dust settles on it and oil gets on it, it is best to wipe it clean; any dirt that gets in during dismantling can damage it or cause the battery to fail.

If your battery has a removable lid on top, then check the electrolyte level; if it is not enough, you need to add distilled water - this is mandatory, since the lead plates inside can overheat, and the next stage will be the evaporation of the plates, and we don’t need this, so this process required. The temperature at which the whole process will take place is also important; it should not exceed 30 degrees , the fact is that the electrolyte has different densities depending on the temperature. Only after this you can proceed to connecting the charger, but you should pay attention to the polarities and connect the wires correctly, everything must be strictly in accordance with the uncoupling contacts. That is, everything should be done like this: the wire from the charger with a positive contact must be connected only to the positive terminal of the battery, otherwise you will damage it. Only after connecting the charger to the battery, the device can be plugged into the electrical network and recharging can begin.

There are three main ways to charge a battery:
The first method is:
– Direct current charging, this method is perfect for a completely discharged battery, as it will allow you to restore the battery’s capacity as much as possible. It’s worth noting right away that this process will take a long time.

Second method:
– Charge with constant voltage.
Used in most chargers, in automatic mode, this method takes much less time than the previous one. Third method:
– Accelerated charging.

In this case, this mode is used when there is no time to charge; the battery quickly gains capacity, which is necessary to start the car.

We briefly described what types of charging methods there are, but in order to get to know each type better, we will look in more detail about all the types described above, but first we will look at the principle of battery operation itself.

The first thing you need to know is the battery capacity, it is measured in Amperes/hours. And of course, the voltage, which should give normal readings, is what determines the state of the battery.

Basically, normal battery readings are 12.7V , which means that the battery is charged and ready for further use, but a reading of 11.6V indicates complete discharge and that the battery needs to be charged.

Let's return to charging methods. The first type that we wrote is a charge with constant current, which includes several stages. At each stage, a constant current strength is maintained. The only disadvantage of this process is the constant monitoring, as well as voltage measurement.

Therefore, you will need a charger with special current regulation. For example, if your battery has a capacity of 80 Ampere-hours, then the current should be set to 8A. Many people use this option for charging the battery, because they themselves control the required charge supplied.

If the battery is completely discharged, the approximate charging time will be from 12 hours to a day .

In this option, a serviceable type of battery is used, which means you can determine its full charge very easily, with the help of, as soon as abundant gas light appears from all the cans (in the form of bubbles), this means your battery has received the maximum charge and can be turned off.

But you also need to be careful, and so that the battery does not fail, you need to monitor the temperature to prevent overheating - this is above 45 degrees. If suddenly the temperature reaches this level, it is necessary to reduce the current and allow the battery to cool. Probably every car owner knows and has used this option, so if you decide to use this method, then feel free to leave your battery overnight.

The second type of charge that we will talk about is constant voltage charging time. Here, the essence of battery charging is to supply direct current to the battery terminals. This method is more popular and relevant in use today. Such a device automatically regulates the voltage.

This option has many advantages:
– Firstly , since the charger automatically produces a charge, there is no need to constantly monitor the process.

– Secondly , the manufacturers of these devices have provided complete protection so as not to damage the battery with a large current supply; the device itself reduces the current to the required and safe values.

And finally, the third type is accelerated charging. This happens with the help of special, modern memories that have the “ BOOST ” mode.

This option is great for those who urgently need to restore the battery capacity for at least one engine start, but it is not advisable to constantly use this function, as it will have a bad effect on your battery.

The device supplies the maximum current value, thanks to which the battery will be charged within 20-30 minutes.

Based on this article, we can say that you can determine the exact charging time of your battery depending on the device you are using, as well as the state of the battery itself, you need to understand whether it is completely discharged or not, and build on that.

If you are an experienced car owner and have the ability to control the entire battery charging process, then you can use the first charging option, as it will give more results. The second option is more convenient and safe to use, it’s up to you to choose.

The most common mistakes in using batteries occur due to constant “ quick charging of the charger ”, as well as improper preparation.

In this case, a very important detail that should not be forgotten throughout the entire process is the plugs located on the battery, which must always be unscrewed; if you forget about this, the case may rupture due to gases released during charging.

After all, the quality of the battery is important for any vehicle.

After all, the battery is an integral part of any vehicle, so you need to take good care of its operation.

By carrying out the entire charging process step by step, your battery will always show good performance.

We hope that the detailed information presented here was useful and will help you in charging your battery.

So, let's look at the example of a serviceable battery:
The optimal voltage is 10% of the total battery capacity, that is, if you have 90 Ah, then you need to charge with a current of 9A.

If the battery is completely discharged (voltage reading less than 11.7V), the charging time will be approximately 10 hours.

If you want to put the battery on overnight, then you need to set the following indicators: for example, the voltage at the contacts is 12V, so set it to a current of 1-2A, the battery will take the required amount of energy from the low current.

The option with a maintenance-free battery is even simpler:
The voltage can range from 13.8 to 14.5 V, the higher the voltage, the faster the charge.
So, in the first hour the battery can absorb 50-60% of its nominal capacity. Thus, if it is 60A, then it turns out 60*60%=36A.

Further, in the second hour, the voltage will drop and the charge will occur more slowly, approximately 20%.
In the third hour it is even lower, about 8%.
And finally, by the fourth hour there will be almost full capacity, 96%.
In the next hours, the charge is not particularly needed, the current will drop to 0.2A, and charging to full 100% will take almost the same 10 hours.

So, it turns out that in both cases, the charging time will be about 10 hours.

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