Does every car enthusiast know how to properly charge a car battery? Of course, anyone can say: what could be wrong with this...

From Masterweb

25.04.2018 23:01

While moving vehicle, a generator is used to power the on-board network. However, when the engine stops, the entire load is transferred to another device called a battery. And in order for such a source of electrical energy to last as long as possible, the car battery must be properly charged.

Within the framework of this article, we will analyze such points as: the need correct charging battery, what types of it exist, and also touch on the charging rules themselves.

A little theory wouldn't hurt

The car battery serves as the main source of energy to turn the starter, which in turn “turns on” the engine. It also maintains the operation of the on-board network when the generator is not working.

IN summer time The power unit can also be started with a 50% charged battery. However, in winter, the battery capacity is half as much due to the fact that the lubricant thickens, and this leads to an increase in starting currents.

Therefore, such a battery is unlikely to be able to start the engine, unless using the method of lighting it from another vehicle. For this reason, charging the car battery charger must be done before the cold weather sets in. But what exactly determines the need for proper charging? This will be discussed further.

Why is it necessary to properly charge the battery?

A battery in a working car can last 2 or 3 years, which usually ranges from 70 to 100 thousand kilometers. By keeping the battery charged, you can increase its service life. It is recommended to charge the battery when it is half discharged or more.

It is worth remembering that the battery itself does not generate electrical energy, but accumulates it and subsequently powers the vehicle’s on-board network. While the vehicle is moving, the charge is restored, and the generator driven into rotation serves as a source for recharging the battery. crankshaft engine.

Too frequent cycles of discharging and charging a car battery have a negative impact on its technical condition. Not only does the charge level decrease, but the battery gradually discharges. And over time, this charge is no longer enough to start the engine. Then it becomes necessary to charge the battery, due to which the functionality of the power source is restored. For this, a charger (charger) is used.

However, before moving on to getting acquainted with all the intricacies, it is worth studying what types of batteries exist, what main characteristics they have, what the features and operation of chargers are. We will also touch on some equally important points and what is not recommended to do.

Types of batteries

The following batteries are currently produced:

• Alkaline.
• Acidic.
• Gel.

Moreover, each of them has its own characteristics of charging a car battery. For alkaline devices, it consists of using a nickel-iron or nickel-cadmium tandem, which is used for the production of plates. The cavity of the battery case is filled with caustic potassium. But due to the lower current strength, such batteries are practically not used, unlike other analogues.

Electrodes acid batteries are made from lead and a number of impurities. This decision has a good reason - this metal can produce more current over a short period of time. In addition, it has excellent energy capacity. The electrolyte here is an acid solution. As practice shows, such batteries are popular among a large number of vehicle owners.

Gel batteries can be considered a kind of innovation. Essentially, this is the same acidic version, only the electrolyte here is in a jelly-like state. And in fact, charging a car battery at home of this type is practically no different from the procedure with acid analogues.

Such know-how in the automotive industry has much greater prospects. At the same time, its widespread use is limited by a number of factors. And this is mainly due to technological features. In addition, not every car enthusiast likes their cost, which is too high for most consumers.

Maintained and unmaintained batteries

In addition, rechargeable batteries are divided into two more types:

• Maintenance-free - these include closed-type batteries, and their housings are completely sealed. Because of this, there is no access to the internal parts: you won’t be able to unscrew anything or just look. At the same time, if you accidentally turn it over during operation or when charging a car battery at home, the electrolyte will not leak out of it. As a rule, these are gel batteries.
• Serviceable - as you might already guess, these are those batteries that have access to the contents of the cans. To do this, each of them has a screw-on cap. This category includes acid batteries.

More than a century has passed since the very first battery appeared (about 140 years), and in our modern world It is impossible to imagine how to do without such power sources. Indeed, in addition to cars, batteries of this type power a variety of devices: from phones and gadgets to complex systems in a wide variety of areas of human activity, including space.

Something about the charger

What is the car battery charge? When we are faced with the need to purchase a charger for mobile phone, we usually don’t have such a question. It would seem that the same is true with automobile analogues, and the problem of choice as such simply does not exist. However, this was relevant 2 decades ago. Back then, chargers differed from each other only in brand and case.

Now everything is different, and the differences between modern devices are more pronounced. And the first thing I would like to note is the method of charging a car battery. According to this feature, batteries can be:

• With manual adjustment.
• Automatic.

Despite the fact that manual chargers are already a classic, many car enthusiasts still prefer them. In this case, it is always possible to control the entire process and, if necessary, intervene by adjusting the current based on the condition of the battery. But, in addition to charging the car battery with a charger, it is possible to perform restoration of sulfation.

Everything should be clear about automatic chargers. Restoring the battery capacity occurs without human intervention. The simplest and, accordingly, inexpensive chargers even lack measuring instruments, and the end of the procedure is signaled by an LED. For those car owners who prefer to rarely look under the hood, this is the best solution. But here it is worth understanding that when working in accordance with a given algorithm, the condition of the battery is not taken into account. In addition, the cost of such devices may not be affordable for everyone.

Also, chargers can be divided depending on the design:

• Transformer - made on the basis of a conventional voltage transformer with minimum quantity active elements. This allowed us to achieve high reliability and increasing dimensions.
• Pulse – due to alternating current charging the car battery at a high frequency, it has become possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of the devices. On the one hand, this is an undoubted advantage, but on the other hand, the high cost and complexity of the entire structure.

The simplest charger consists of a step-down transformer and a diode bridge. It is not difficult to understand the principle of operation: the primary winding receives an alternating voltage with a nominal value of 220 V, after which it is reduced (converted) and sent to the diode bridge.

At the output we get the required 14-16 Volts, which is enough to charge the battery.

Basic but important rules

In order to successfully charge your car battery, you must always remember the following important points:

• To determine the charging current level, you can use the battery capacity as a guide. As a rule, 10% of nominal parameter batteries. For example, if the battery capacity is 55 Ah, therefore, 5.5 Amperes is charging the car battery.
• It takes a certain amount of time to fully charge the battery. However, you should not resort to quick options using a current of 20-30 Amps. Ultimately, this only leads to the destruction of the battery.
• For gel batteries the limit is 14.2 Volts; it is highly recommended not to exceed it.
• Before connecting the charger, it must be disabled.
• When connecting, observe the polarity (plus to plus, minus to minus), otherwise both devices (battery and charger) may be damaged.

It is also necessary to ensure that the voltage at the charger terminals exceeds the battery rating by 10%. For a better understanding, let's give an example: if the voltage at the battery terminal is 12.8 Volts, then it needs to be maintained within 14.08 V, which is this 10% (12.8 + 1.28).

Knowing these basic rules, you can avoid many mistakes when charging a car battery at home. You should also not forget about safety precautions, because this event is a chemical process during which an explosive mixture of gases (hydrogen and oxygen) is released. In this regard, you need to be careful.

Battery check

Before you start charging battery, you need to make sure that it is completely discharged. There are several ways to do this. Most batteries have a special indicator, which is essentially a hydrometer. It independently measures the density of the electrolyte and, depending on this, one or another ball floats up. This is what we see, mistaking it for a light bulb. And when everything is normal, a green “light” is visible, otherwise it will be red.

Another way to check the battery before charging your car battery is to use a multimeter. A fully charged battery has a terminal voltage of about 12.6 Volts or more. Other values ​​correspond to:

• 12,5 – 90%;
• 12,42 – 80%;
• 12,32 – 70%.
• 12,2 – 60%;
• 12,06 – 50%.
• 11,9 – 40%;
• 11,75 – 30%.
• 11,58 – 20%;
• 11,31 – 10%.
• 10,5 – 0%.

But a more reliable method is a load fork, which will show the voltage drop under load. In other words, you can see real indicator battery charge level.

This device can be found in every auto electrician, or in any store that sells batteries. Most likely, such a check can be done for a thank you, nothing more.

From theory to practice or preparing the battery for charging

Once the complete discharge of the battery has been determined, it is worth moving directly to practice. But before that we need a little preparatory stage. The first step is to remove the battery from the car, but if there is not much time to charge the car battery, then you should disconnect it from the on-board network.

At the same time, you can diagnose it, thoroughly examining its condition, and simultaneously cleaning it from dust and other contaminants. In this case, it is worth paying attention to whether there are cracks or electrolyte leaks. If there are any, further operation of such a battery is highly not recommended.

If everything is normal, it is worth cleaning the terminals to ensure good contact. You can also wipe the battery case with a rag soaked in a solution of ammonia (10%) or soda ash. After this, you need to unscrew the plugs or remove the plugs. Electrolyte vapor will escape freely, which will avoid excess pressure.

Correctly charging a car battery

There is nothing complicated in the battery charging procedure itself, but not everyone knows how to do it in the right way. It is advisable to carry it out in a room with good ventilation, away from open fire.

In this case, you can go in two ways:

• Constant voltage (14-16 Volts) with alternating current. At first its value is 25-30 Amperes, but subsequently gradually decreases as the battery charges.
• The voltage changes, but the current remains unchanged. But this approach is quite complicated, because accuracy is important here.

The first method is very easy to implement and all you need is to set the required current value, which is 10% of the battery capacity. As a rule, this parameter is indicated in the passport or on a plate on the case. As the battery charges, the current will decrease. On average, it takes 10 to 13 hours to fully charge a car battery.

The second method is more complicated, and you need to clearly understand how everything is done. First of all, the current value is set (10% of the battery capacity). It should be followed until the voltage reaches 14 Volts. When this is achieved, the current should be halved until it is already 15 Volts. And as soon as this voltage is established, the current must be reduced three times. A fully charged battery will be indicated by a constant voltage level on the indicator.

Upon completion of the procedure, it is advisable to check the battery with a load fork. If it is missing, you can verify the battery’s functionality by installing it in place and connecting it to the on-board network. Success will be the engine starting.

Maintenance and care issues

In order for a battery to serve for a long time, it not only needs to be properly charged, it is also important to take good care of it. And for this you need regular maintenance. The first step is to understand one proven fact: in the summer, liquid from cans evaporates more intensely. And if the battery case is translucent, then a decrease in the electrolyte level below normal limits will be clearly visible. Of course, if the driver is interested not only in what the car battery charging voltage should be, but also at least occasionally looks under the hood.

As a rule, a car battery has special marks: “MIN” and “MAX”, which allow you to control the amount of fluid. However, there are batteries where they are not present, or for some reason it is impossible to visually determine the electrolyte level. Then you should use a simple method:

• Unscrew the caps from each jar and lower a glass tube into each of them one by one. Its length must be at least 10 cm.
• After the tube rests against the mesh, you should pinch its end with your finger and pull it out.
• Measure the resulting distance. Normally it should be from 10 to 15 mm. If it is less, then you need to add distilled water to the desired level.

In addition, the density of the electrolyte should be measured, for which a hydrometer is used. This device looks like a large pipette with divisions. There is a float inside that can move freely. A rubber bulb is attached to one of its ends.

To measure the density of the electrolyte, you first need to squeeze the bulb - all the air will be removed from it. The other end is immersed in a jar of liquid, after which the pear can be released slowly. The float will begin to float up, and the division at which it stops will be the value of the desired density. In addition to this, there are other hydrometer designs.

Now regarding the electrolyte density values ​​directly. It is different for each climate zone. In summer, for central regions, the optimal density value should be in the range of 1.27-1.19 g/cm3. For southern and northern ones - 1.25-1.17 g/cm3 and 1.2-1.21 g/cm3, respectively. Lower density values ​​indicate that the car battery needs to be recharged by charging. If they are higher, then you need to add distilled water.

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Owners of new cars are not concerned about the issue of battery charge. Of course, if the equipment is operated in accordance with the instructions. But after 3-5 years, the battery wears out and can fail at the most inopportune moment.

Or you've been listening to music in the garage for too long with the engine off. Or maybe they left the headlights on at night. There are plenty of reasons for an unplanned battery drain.

And it’s not always possible to “light up” from another car and restore functionality from the standard generator. To do this you will have to go to high speed several hundred kilometers.

There is no need to despair. You can always charge your car battery with a charger, even if the voltage level drops below critical. Therefore, such a device should be in the arsenal of a car enthusiast.

How to properly recharge the battery?

There is no universal answer to this question. General rule following: Long-term charging with a lower current is more beneficial for the battery than accelerated charging with a high current. However, this mode is not always possible. Sometimes it is necessary to urgently restore functionality before leaving.

How long does it take to charge a car battery without overcharging? Details in this video

And the standard charging system is far from perfect: even with normal operation of the voltage regulator, the duration of the trip varies. As a result, the battery in a driven car is charged in jerks and haphazardly.

There are several ways to charge independently

Optimal charge current

Should not exceed 10% of battery capacity. That is, if you have a 60ST battery (60Ah capacity), the correct charge current should not exceed 6A. You charge the battery with this current if there is enough time for recovery.

Important! Corrections need to be made when charging maintenance-free batteries. Since the electrolyte vapor release valve is too small, the current should be reduced to 5% of the capacity. Otherwise, if it boils, the battery may crack.

Express method

If you need to quickly charge the battery with a charger (urgent departure), you can quickly restore the capacity sufficient to start the engine.

In this case, the charge current is 25-40% of the capacity. You will tell the battery the required charge in 30-50 minutes. But this method actually kills the battery plates. Therefore, it can only be used in exceptional cases.

Important! When accelerating charging with high currents, the plugs of the battery cans must be unscrewed. It is dangerous to charge maintenance-free sealed batteries in this way.

Minimum current

Only sufficient to overcome the internal resistance of the battery. With this current you can charge the battery for several days, or maintain the charge level during storage.

Important! Regardless of the charging method, it is unsafe to leave the battery unmonitored. Even if you have a smart charger, the automation may fail.

How to determine charge capacity? Based on the voltage at the battery contacts.
Table of battery emf in volts at temperature:

+20...+25°С	-5...+5°С	-10...-15°С	Battery charge level, %
12,70 – 12,90	12,80 – 13,00	12,90 – 13,10	100
12,55 – 12,65	12,65 – 12,75	12,75 – 12,85	75
12,20 – 12,30	12,30 – 12,40	12,40 – 12,50	60
12,00 – 12,10	12,10 – 12,20	12,20 – 12,30	25
11,70 – 12,00	11,80 – 12,00	11,90 – 12,10	no charge

The EMF is measured without load at the battery contacts. Be sure to consider the temperature. The readings in the table may differ slightly, this does not matter. By determining the discharge percentage, you can correctly calculate the charging time and current.

For example, a battery with a capacity of 60 Ah. At a temperature of +5°C, the EMF at the contacts is 12.4 volts. This means the battery has lost 50% of its capacity. With a charge current of 6A, charging will take 5 hours.

Set the current value according to the device and note the time. At the end of the calculated capacity, take the measurement again. Just let the battery cool a little to determine the exact value of the EMF.

The electrolyte heats up when charging, and you use a thermometer to measure the ambient temperature.

Another way to determine the residual capacity of a battery is to measure the density of the electrolyte.

Electrolyte density	Charge state %	Freezing point °C
1,27	100	-60
1,23	75	-42
1,19	50	-24
1,15	25	-13
1.11 and below		-7

A hydrometer works more accurately than a voltmeter paired with a thermometer. However, it is not so convenient to use and is dangerous to health.

The freezing temperature is no less important than the voltage at the battery contacts. As the discharge progresses, the temperature at which the electrolyte turns into ice increases.

If a fully charged battery can withstand temperatures of -60°C, then with a 25% charge, the electrolyte will freeze at -15°C. A crack will form on the body, and the electrolyte will get into the engine compartment.

I periodically receive questions on my blog regarding charging a fully charged car battery. For example, I put the battery on maintenance charging and forgot about it, the charger is not automatic and it took a very long time to charge the battery! What will happen, what are the consequences? Another popular question is that a car’s generator always “feeds” the battery, even when fully charged, but if the trip is long, what will happen then? How does it all work? As you understand, today we will talk in relation to a car. I will answer all questions at once, as usual there is a video version at the end...

Lead-acid batteries are installed in cars. Of course, now there are a huge number of technologies for their production (there are also options that are the most advanced now). However, you should not charge a battery that is fully charged; this can dramatically reduce the life of the product. There are a number of reasons for this.

Device

If charging current is applied again, the sulfates are destroyed and the density begins to increase again. Actually, this is what happens in a circle, this is a classic scheme of work.

Of course, now the electrolyte can be locked in special mats (AGM) or gel (GEL), but the essence remains the same. Lead plates are electrolyte.

What happens if you charge 100%

Bubbles begin to appear in the electrolyte, many say that it is boiling! However, this is not entirely correct (if you don’t go into the theory of physics now and say everything in simple words), then - when a full charge is reached and the electrolyte density is 1.27 g/cm3, a working battery should begin to emit bubbles. This comes out as “HYDROGEN” and “OXYGEN”, which are released from the electrolyte when chemical reaction. YOU CAN REMOVE THE BATTERY FROM THE CHARGER!

That is, in simple words, it is water that begins to decompose, but not sulfuric acid. If you leave the battery to boil like this for a long period of time, the density will increase even more.

Over time, lead sulfates form on the plates, which need to be broken up.

Generator operation

Many people wrote to me - after all, the generator always recharges the battery (as we figured out, it’s bad for a fully charged one), so does this system cripple itself?

Not quite right. Now in modern generators, and even in older models, there was a very efficient system eliminating overcharging. They installed ones that reduced the charge when it reached 100% (then it generally tended to zero). IN modern systems, there is such a thing that the supply of recharging generally stops and after the discharge, it resumes again.

Therefore, it does not happen on cars CHARGING AN ALREADY CHARGED BATTERY (in simple words, overcharging), it is completely cut off by the electronics (in this case, a relay). But if this happens, it means that the relay regulator is not working properly.

This is why batteries from normal manufacturers (how to choose) can last a VERY long time. From 5 to 7 years

I put it on charge and forgot

I don’t know how this is even possible - YOU STILL NEED TO BE CAREFUL ! YES, it’s worth taking advanced chargers now (at least the same one), they will automatically turn off when they reach 100%.

BUT it also happens - the charger is old (that is, it will not turn off automatically), and you forgot to turn it off. That is, the battery is charged, but the charge keeps going up and down. Is this bad or not?

First of all, it all depends on the battery capacity and current strength. Let's say, if you charge a 200Ah battery with a current of 1-2A, then you will charge it for a VERY LONG time! But if it’s 40 or 45 Ah, that’s a little different

Secondly, overcharging is of course bad, but again it depends on what current you set it to and how long it has been standing for. It usually happens that they set it to 1-2A (for 55Ah) and thus it costs a long time (for example, a day or two). Such a weak current cannot do anything terrible in a day. Well, the electrolyte will boil, well, a small part of it will boil away, you will add distilled water to the norm, and that’s all. There won't even be intense heating.

But if the current is 5-10 Amperes, then this is really dangerous! Such a current can not only contribute to the “boiling away” of most of the electrolyte - exposure and strong heating of the plates (in a really short period of time, I’m already silent about days) - which will actually shorten the service life of the battery (or even render it inoperable). BUT, most of the released hydrogen can provoke an explosion (as I also call cotton), because hydrogen burns quickly and strongly.

For any car, the quality of the battery is of great importance. Since the charging and discharging processes occur quite intensively in the battery, its service life is relatively short. Normal battery condition ensure trouble-free engine starting even after 10 months of inactivity, old and worn out, it is enough to stand for a day for problems to arise with starting the engine. It is better to throw away such a battery and buy a new one. To extend its life as much as possible, you need to know how long you need to charge the battery, and also accurately maintain the current strength.

Since one of the main reasons for a decrease in battery capacity is negative temperature, it is better to start charging yourself in the fall on the eve of frost. You should not try to “invent” a homemade charger that will supply the battery with a current of unknown magnitude, since this is fraught not only with the failure of the battery, but also with the occurrence of a fire or poisoning of nearby people with toxic fumes. It is better to purchase a special charger that will last for many years of intensive and safe use.

Preparing the battery for the charging process

First you need to decide on a place where you can safely and safely charge car battery. The basic requirements for the room in which the battery is charged are as follows:

Before you begin the charging process, the battery must be thoroughly cleaned of all types of contaminants. In addition, you should remember that in order to properly charge the battery, it must be completely discharged. Doing this yourself is not difficult - just connect one or more light bulbs to its terminals and wait for them to go out. The room in which the battery to be charged must have the required level of illumination.

When working with serviced battery models, the charging process is preceded by checking the density of the electrolyte, as well as its level. If this is not done, the time spent on charging will be wasted - such a battery will not last long. For any deviations from normal values, it is necessary to make appropriate adjustments - either by adding distilled water or a new electrolyte of normal density. Special attention Before charging, you should pay attention to cleaning the terminals - they are cleaned with sandpaper or a file.

Attention! Regardless of how long it takes to charge a car battery, the plugs on it must be unscrewed during this entire time, otherwise the case may rupture due to gases released during charging.

We charge the battery with alternating voltage correctly

For many car owners, it is still not entirely clear how long it takes to charge the car battery with a charger, and whether it even needs to be removed from the car to do this. In a number of cases that can be called emergencies, the battery may indeed not be removed, but for a full and high-quality charge, the battery will have to be removed. After the above preparatory work, you can begin the charging procedure.

First, you should find out how long it takes to charge a car battery - as a rule, this will require at least 12-14 hours. The process should not be interrupted, which will negatively affect the battery capacity. It is necessary to start charging when the battery temperature is no higher than 35 0 C. If the charger you are using does not support automatic regulation of the charging current, it is set independently using a rheostat. For a new or completely depleted battery, the initial current should be 10% of the declared battery capacity.

At the very beginning of charging, this process must be controlled until the release of gas in the battery banks begins. At this moment, the voltage at the contacts will be 14.4 V. As soon as the test with an ammeter shows exactly this value, the current must be reduced. If a new battery is being charged, the current will need to be reduced by 2 times; if the battery is not new, the current can be reduced by 3 times. Thus, using a similar two-stage charging method, you can significantly reduce the charging time of a car battery. In addition, with this method, the intensity of gas formation is reduced, which has a positive effect on the service life of the battery.

In the case when the battery is not very discharged, it can be charged in a single-stage manner without reducing the current. In this case, it should always be equal to 10% of the capacity. In order not to guess how long it will take to charge a car battery, it is necessary to periodically check the intensity of gas emission - at the end of the charging cycle, gas formation increases sharply. In addition, the following signs serve as signals to disconnect the charger from the network:

• no increase in electrolyte density for 3 or more hours in a row;
• when measuring the voltage at the battery terminals, it is 15-16 V, and does not increase within 3 hours.

Such independent monitoring will allow you to determine as accurately as possible how long it takes to charge the car battery.

Attention! If, when charging the battery, its temperature exceeds 450C, you should either reduce the current by half or interrupt the charging process until the temperature drops to 25-30 degrees.

Charging the battery with constant voltage

This method can be called ideal for modern maintenance-free batteries. With it, it is not particularly important to know how long you need to charge a car battery - as a rule, the required time for any type of battery does not exceed 5 hours. With this method, the charging current is set automatically, in accordance with the current charge level, electrolyte temperature, etc. obvious advantages in this way it can be attributed high security- gas formation in this case is minimal, as is heating of the electrolyte.

With this technology, even without knowing how long to charge the car battery, you can be sure that within one hour the charge level of a completely dead battery will be at least 50% of the declared capacity, and in 4 hours the charge level will reach 95%. This method is suitable for those motorists who do not want to remove the battery from the car. At the same time, it is worth understanding that the charging time may vary for a new and old battery, as well as depending on the ambient temperature.

You should know that a newly purchased battery must also be charged before installing it on the car. This is due to the fact that during storage in the store any battery is discharged. After purchase, the charger will “tell you” how long to charge the car battery - as a rule, it is equipped with a charge indicator. How many hours does it take to charge a car battery and how to do it without errors is demonstrated in the video:

Article content:

In rare situations, motorists are unaware that the car has a battery. More often than not, car owners cannot even imagine the need to replace the device. Despite this, installation of a new battery will someday be required, and after this procedure the question will arise regarding the advisability of charging.

What you need to know about a car battery?

The question of what a car battery is is one of the most important. In most cases, restoring the unit is possible, but replacement will sooner or later be required. For this reason, care must be taken to properly carry out maintenance, including monthly checking of the charge level at the terminals. At the same time automobile manufacturers They offer batteries that do not require special charge monitoring, but replacement is mandatory in any case.

You should know the basic parameters of car batteries in order to ensure easy operation of the car:

1. Battery capacity, measured in ampere-hours. This parameter determines how long the battery can produce a current of one Ampere.
2. Reserve power in minutes. The characteristic determines how long the battery can work for itself and the generator.

Having carefully studied this information, you get the opportunity to understand how efficient the battery operation promises to be.

What functions does a car battery perform?

1. Recharging systems when switched off power unit.
2. Generator support.
3. Start the engine.

Please note that the average service life is four years, but this may vary due to the operating conditions of the unit. If you notice problems with the battery, you can try charging, but be prepared for the fact that the results may vary, because you may still need to purchase a spare part.

Not every motorist has the opportunity to effectively charge the battery in the garage during the cold season. Despite this, the procedure cannot be carried out at home, since during it harmful compounds and gases will be released that can lead to a deterioration in people’s well-being and health. In addition, you should not charge the battery overnight, as this approach can be dangerous.

Do new batteries need to be charged?

When purchasing, you must check the battery for all important parameters.

1. Remove the protective film and make sure the case is intact.
2. Using a voltmeter, measure the voltage across the terminals. The minimum indicator should be 12 Volts. If the voltage is 10.8 Volts, the device can be stated to be completely discharged.
3. Check the density of the electrolyte, which indicates the level of charge remaining.
4. Pay attention to the date of manufacture of the battery.

If the parameters are in order, you can immediately install the battery and start using it. Don't keep it idle new battery, because it can be discharged with this approach. When buying a quality device, you should not think about the charge. Currently, these batteries are already being produced. If you are planning to buy a dead battery, it is likely to be of poor quality or very old.

Should I charge the battery after filling the electrolyte?

Having taken care of purchasing a dry-charged battery, you will need to fill it with electrolyte with a density of 1.27 g/cm3 or 1.4 g/cm3. The density of the liquid used must correspond to the climate in the region.

Fill the electrolyte in a small stream, and the liquid level should rise 10 - 15 millimeters above the shield.

Now it is recommended to keep the battery for twenty minutes to two hours, waiting for the moment when the plates and separators are completely saturated with electrolyte. You can then check the battery voltage without any load and the electrolyte density, which may become less. If the density has decreased by no more than 0.03 g/cm3 and the battery voltage exceeds twelve volts, the battery can be safely used.

When the electrolyte density decreases by more than 0.03 g/cm3 and the voltage drops to 10 - 12 Volts, charge the battery with a charging current that should be equal to 0.1 battery capacity. The optimal duration of the procedure is five hours. In this case, the initial temperature should not exceed 27 degrees. If the electrolyte density differs from the optimal one, it must be brought to decent levels.

In what situations do you need to charge the battery after filling the electrolyte?

1. The battery was not used within 24 hours after filling.
2. Expected to operate in harsh conditions.
3. The shelf life exceeded 12 months from the date of release.

In each case, you need to allocate four to five hours for charging.

If you plan to use the battery at temperatures of 0 degrees and below, after filling with electrolyte, a 15-minute charge with a current of 15 A is required.

Video: Do ​​I need to charge a new battery?