How to Use a Car Battery Charger

Car Battery Charger
It happens to everyone–sometimes, you try to start up your car in Depere and find that the battery has died unexpectedly. If you run into this kind of trouble, don’t worry–you can use a portable car battery charger to bring your battery back to life. It isn’t difficult, but you need to follow some specific steps so you stay safe and don’t damage the battery. Fortunately, the service team at Van's Honda is here to help! We’ve got all the details on how to use a car battery charger in the guide below.

 

 

Prepping the Car Battery Charger

You’ll want to do some prep work before starting the process of charging your battery. The first thing you should do is remove the battery if necessary–your owner’s manual will tell you if you have to do this. It should be pretty easy to locate your car battery, but you may need some help if it’s located under the fender, in the trunk, or under the seat.

What Are the Types of Car Battery Chargers?

It’s important that you know which type of charger to use for your specific situation. There are three main types–charger, maintainer, and restorer–that each serves a different purpose. Here’s a brief overview:

  • Charger: As the name suggests, a charger uses a low-amp charge to bring a battery back up to full life in up to 24 hours. If you’re using a charger, be sure to monitor it carefully as it powers up your battery, since you can cause irreparable damage to your battery if you accidentally overcharge it. We recommended having a charger set up at your home in Appleton, but you can also buy a portable car battery charger to keep inside your vehicle in case you run into trouble on the road.
  • Maintainer: A maintainer is designed to keep tabs on your battery’s charge level, and it will stop automatically when the battery is fully charged. It provides continuous power to your battery without the danger of overcharging it. You can even pick up a solar-powered maintainer to keep your battery alive if you’re off-roading!
  • Restorer: If a car battery continually runs low on charge or fails altogether, it starts to build up lead sulfate crystals that then affect its lifespan. In the most extreme cases, these crystals can prevent your battery from ever reaching a full charge again. Restorers are designed to prevent and reverse the buildup of these crystals, using a desulfator to restore the battery to its former self.

How to Charge a Battery

You should start by making sure that the charger is turned off. Then, carefully follow these instructions:

  • Attach the charger’s positive cable to the battery’s positive terminal.
  • Attach the charger’s negative cable to the battery’s negative terminal.
  • Adjust the charger to its slowest charge rate.
  • Then, power on the charger and set a timer.
  • When you’re ready to disconnect the charger, make sure it’s turned off first.
  • Then, detach the cables.

How Long to Charge a Car Battery

One of the most common questions we get at Van's Honda is how long it takes to charge a car battery. There’s no one answer to this question since it depends on the output of the charger and the condition of your battery. However, there are a few benchmarks you can keep in mind. If your battery voltage is less than 11.85 and your charger supplies a 5-amp charging rate, you should be back to a full charge in around 12 hours. If the charger is more powerful–say, at 10 amps–then you should be at a full charge in around 6 hours.

Schedule Battery Service or Replacement at Van's Honda!

If you find yourself having to constantly revive your battery with a portable car battery charger, it might mean that your battery has a larger problem and needs to be replaced. For example, if your battery cell has gone bad, it won’t be able to hold much of a charge at all. If you think your battery may need fixing or replacing, schedule a service appointment at our Green Bay service center and we’ll take it from there! You can also contact us with any questions, or check out the service specials we offer to the Manitowoc community.

 

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2821 S Oneida St, Green Bay, WI, 54304
Van's Honda 44.472479, -88.074560.