Is it possible to constantly recharge the battery? How to properly charge a car battery Is it possible to charge a battery

Many car enthusiasts, when buying a new battery, ask themselves: do they need to charge it?

If it is 95-100% charged, then there is no need for this, but do not rush to put a new battery on the car - it needs to be checked and, in some cases, properly charged. Before describing these cases, let's look at some practical tips for choosing a new battery.

We assume that you have chosen the battery size, capacity, polarity, manufacturer, and now the seller has placed the desired purchase in front of you. Where do we start? From inspection, of course.

Inspect and test the battery before purchasing

First you need to carefully examine it externally. It should not have any deep scratches, cracks, dents, etc. Check for electrolyte leakage. Sometimes during transportation the corners of the case are damaged and cracks form.

Check for protective caps or covers on the battery conductors. If they are not there, check their presence on similar batteries. The absence of caps and covers may indicate that the battery is stale or has already been in use (used as a replacement battery or involved in starting the car).

You need to carefully inspect the current terminals. They must be positioned strictly vertically in relation to the top cover. Sometimes sellers rent out batteries and, as a result of unqualified connection of the terminals or inept handling of keys, the down conductors are bent. Subsequently, problems may arise with the connection of current-carrying wires or with the integrity of the battery case in the area of ​​the current terminals.

On a new battery, the current leads must have a smooth surface; no chips or scratches are allowed. If stripes are felt, then the current conductor has been crimped with a terminal and, accordingly, the battery is used and has already been used.

At all levels, until the battery reaches the buyer, checks are made with a load fork and a multimeter, and the presence of small indented points on the upper edges of the down conductors is allowed.

It is necessary to carefully inspect the filler plugs (if any). They should not show any obvious signs of opening.

The journey from the manufacturer to the store sometimes takes up to six months. Therefore, you should try to choose a battery with a shelf life of no more than six months. It is not recommended to buy older ones. The date of manufacture is engraved on the battery case.

Batteries from foreign manufacturers have their own markings, so don’t be lazy before going to the store, find on the Internet and print out the markings of specific models.

If you are offered to buy a battery that has had six months or more since its release, then it is better to refuse such a purchase. Save your nerves and money.

There are also such situations - you chose a new battery and went to remove your old one from the car. At this time, the seller checks the battery you have chosen, and it is discharged - 12.2 V. If the seller is unscrupulous, then he can quickly put it on charge for a couple of minutes, the voltage will rise, but the state of charge will not increase. The battery will be discharged, but the voltage will show close to normal - 12.7 V. After a short charge, it is simply in the “vigorous” mode.

Also, please note that in hypermarkets such as Auchan, batteries remain sealed without periodic recharging for more than five months. Naturally, without operation and periodic recharging, they lose capacity due to self-discharge. Accordingly, the more time has passed since the battery was released, the more discharged it is.

Battery testing

When purchasing, you should also ask the seller to test the battery using a load fork. We wrote about load forks

Additionally, to assess the condition of the battery, you can use a special tester, for example, OptiMate Test TS120N, from TecMate, retail price is approximately 3,300 rubles.

To test the battery, you need to connect a tester to it according to the wire markings: red to the “+” terminal of the battery, black to the “-” terminal of the battery.

If the red LED is on, the battery is low, the voltage is below 12.5 V.

The green LED is lit - a charged lead-acid battery with a voltage of 12.5-13.1 V.

If the green LED is blinking, there is a charged Lithium/LiFePO 4 battery with a voltage of 13.2-13.5V.

or BatteryBug BB-SBM12, its cost is approximately 1,700 rubles.

This tester only works when the battery is connected to the car, so it cannot be used in a store. This is of course a minus, but it will definitely come in handy on the farm.

For those who are interested in this tester -.

Honest sellers in specialized stores periodically subject the batteries they sell to preventative recharging, so fully charged batteries go on sale, so there is no need to charge them.

But you need to carry out preventative recharging in any case; this does not pose any harm to the battery.

It is better to charge new batteries with a simple automatic device at a constant voltage of no higher than 14.8 V, without any fanaticism, for example, with devices such as Kedr, Katun, Polyus A, Orion, Vympel.

There is no need to use any homemade, manual, Soviet antediluvian devices.

Do I need to charge a new battery?

Many car enthusiasts, when purchasing a new battery, ask themselves the question: do they need to charge the newly purchased battery?

Answer: if the battery is 95-100% charged, then there is no need for this, but if it is discharged, be sure to charge it.

How to understand that the battery is discharged?

The main indicator of charge when purchasing a new battery is its open circuit voltage, where 12.7 V equals 100% charge, and every -0.1 V equals a loss of 10% of the total charge.

For example, a voltage of 12.3 V indicates that the battery is 40% discharged, respectively, the charge is 60%.

If the voltage on the new battery is less than 12.5 V, it is recommended to charge it.

The charge can also be determined by the density of the electrolyte (if the cans can be reached). A density of 1.27 g/cm3 is equal to 100% charge, and a drop of 0.01 is equal to approximately 6% of the total discharge.

In general, according to unspoken rules, stores are recommended to sell only charged batteries with a voltage above 12.5 V.

Many people think it's a light bulb. In fact, this is a simple device consisting of a glass tube and several colored balls. Depending on the level and density of the electrolyte, one or another ball floats up and a different color is visible through the peephole.

You shouldn’t really trust such a system, because the battery consists of six cells, and the indicator is installed only in one, the middle one. And if in any of the other cans the level or density of the electrolyte for any reason does not correspond to the norm, the indicator will not show this.

What is a dry-charged battery and does it need to be charged after purchase?

So-called dry-charged batteries installed on cars, motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, etc. are widely used today.

In dry-charged batteries, the plates are molded and charged during manufacture, but no electrolyte was poured into them when sent to retail chains. After assembly, sealed plugs are inserted into the battery to prevent moisture and air from entering.

What is the advantage of dry-charged batteries? In this condition, the shelf life increases to 5 years.

However, if you buy a dry-charged battery, do not expect that it is ready for use.

What do you need to have to commission a battery and how to do it?

If the purchased battery comes with instructions, you must read it carefully and follow the recommendations!!!

Some types of imported batteries come with a special container with ready-made electrolyte.

If you purchased a battery without a supply of electrolyte, then you need to buy ready-made electrolyte in the required volume.

It is sold in various packaging with a density of 1.27-1.28 g/cm3. The volume of electrolyte should be greater than the volume of the battery. If the battery instructions do not indicate the volume of electrolyte, then it can be approximately calculated based on the geometric dimensions of the case. You may also need distilled water.

You will also need a hydrometer and a charger. You can read how to choose a charger in.

Before starting the process of putting a dry-charged battery into operation, it needs to be prepared: remove the sealing sticker, remove the plugs from the filler necks.

The process of filling electrolyte and subsequent charging can be viewed here

(battery) is a specially designed type of lead-acid battery for motorized vehicles and is used to start the engine and operate on-board electrical equipment when the engine is stopped.

The battery in the car is charged by an electric generator. To extend the battery life and protect the vehicle's electrical equipment from overvoltage, a relay regulator is installed after the generator, limiting the voltage to 14.1±0.2 V. In order for the battery to be charged 100%, it must receive a voltage of at least 14.5 V. Therefore, it is impossible to fully charge the battery with a car generator, even during long trips, and it becomes necessary to periodically charge the battery with a mains charger.

When it's warm outside, you can start the engine from a battery charged only 20%. When frost sets in, the battery capacity is reduced by more than half, and the starting current due to thickened oil in the engine increases significantly. As a result, if you do not fully charge the car battery from an external charger before the onset of cold weather, you may not be able to start the engine without “lighting up.”

What current and how long should I charge?
car battery

With the standard charging mode recommended by battery manufacturers, the charge current should be 10% of the battery capacity, while a completely discharged battery needs to be charged in 15 hours. For example, with a battery capacity of 45 Ah, the charging current should be 4.5 A. It is better to charge with a lower current and for a longer time. For example, a battery with a capacity of 45 Ah should be charged with a current of 2.8 A for 24 hours.

If the battery is 50% discharged, then in the “Enter battery capacity” field you need to enter half of its factory capacity. For example, for a battery with a capacity of 60 Ah, you will need to enter the value 30 Ah.

As you can see, to correctly select the battery charging time, it is necessary to determine to what extent it is discharged. There are several methods available to the car enthusiast, which are given below.

How to know if the battery is fully charged

If it is not possible to determine the residual capacity of the battery, then you can determine the moment it is fully charged using a voltmeter. When, while charging the battery, the voltage at its terminals stops increasing with a constant charging current for more than an hour, it means the battery is 100% charged. The current consumed by the battery will begin to be spent only on its heating.

For modern maintenance-free batteries, the voltage should reach the value 16.2±0.1 V, which depends on the charge current, battery capacity, electrolyte density and other factors, and is for reference only. For these measurements, you can use a voltmeter with any error, since an accurate voltage measurement is not required, but its constancy.

How to determine the battery charge level

To determine the time and amount of charging current, you need to know the state of charge of the battery. Of the existing measurement methods, the following are available to the car enthusiast:

• by voltage at the battery terminals without load;
• by electrolyte density (for batteries with liquid acid);
• by voltage at the battery terminals with a plug load;
• by voltage at the battery terminals under load of the vehicle’s electrical equipment;
• according to the built-in hydrometric indicator.

It is impossible to accurately measure the battery charge level, since there is no method for practical use. You can only estimate it by measuring the voltage at the battery terminals or the density of the electrolyte (only for batteries with liquid electrolyte).

Measuring the voltage at the terminals without load

The table shows data for all types of acid batteries with a nominal voltage of 6, 12 and 24 V. The data corresponds to a temperature of 20-25°C.

It is recommended to measure the voltage at the battery terminals at rest, not earlier than after six o'clock after disconnecting the battery from the car circuit or charger.

Measuring electrolyte density

If the battery contains liquid electrolyte, then it is possible, if you have a hydrometer, to determine the degree of its charge by measuring the density of the electrolyte. The data in the table corresponds to a temperature of 20-25°C. The voltage for which the battery is designed does not affect the density of the electrolyte.

With load fork

Without waiting, you can check the state of charge of the battery by measuring the voltage at its terminals under load. For this purpose, load forks are used, which are a voltmeter with a resistance of 0.018-0.020 Ohms connected parallel to its terminals (for a battery with a capacity of 40-60 Ah). The plug is connected to the battery terminals and after 5-7 seconds the voltmeter readings are taken.

The photo shows checking the battery capacity using a VIN-10 load fork. Although the plug is the simplest, it allows you to estimate the battery charge level with sufficient accuracy. The voltmeter showed 9.5 V. Based on the data from the table below, we determine that the battery is 60% charged.

Voltage under load of vehicle electrical equipment

If there is no load plug and the battery is connected to the vehicle’s on-board power supply, then you can load the battery by turning on the side lights and high beam headlights. Since the power of the headlight bulbs is at least 50 W, the load current will be at least 10 A. The measured voltage with a sufficiently charged battery should be at least 11.2 V.

Another way to assess the state of charge of a battery is to measure the voltage at its terminals when starting the engine. If the starter is working properly, the voltage should not drop below 9.5 V. If the voltage drops below 9.5 V, the battery is very discharged and needs to be charged. By the way, This method can determine the serviceability of the starter. If a serviceable and fully charged battery is installed in the car, then a voltage drop at the battery terminals during engine starting below 9.5 V indicates a malfunction in the starter.

Since the voltage value, depending on the state of charge of the battery, changes in tenths of a volt, the voltmeter must be highly accurate. A voltmeter with a measurement error of only 1% will already give an error in the results of measuring the degree of charge of 10%. Therefore, to determine the degree of battery charge by voltage, a device with a measurement error of no worse than 0.1% is required.

According to the built-in hydrometric indicator

In some models of car batteries, to be able to assess the degree of their charge, a hydrometric indicator is built in, which is a transparent peephole, as in the photo.

The hydrometric indicator allows you to assess the condition of the battery without instruments. If the indicator eye glows green, this means that the battery is charged more than 60%. This level of battery charge is quite sufficient for reliable starting of the engine and operation of the vehicle’s electrical equipment.

If the eye is colorless and dark, as in the photo on the left, then the battery charge level is below 60%, and in order to start the engine without failure in any weather, the battery must be recharged from a charger. And if the indicator eye is colorless and light, photo on the right, then the electrolyte level in this jar is below normal and distilled water should be added to it.

The hydrometric indicator is designed in such a way that if the electrolyte level in the battery bank is insufficient, it cannot work, and here’s why.

The hydrometric indicator is a plug screwed into the body of one of the battery cans, in which a transparent tube (light guide) is installed. At the end of this tube, a V-shaped tube is attached using a plastic sleeve, in which a green ball is placed. The light guide tube is sealed, and electrolyte can flow freely into the V-shaped tube. The weight and volume of the ball are selected in such a way that at an electrolyte density of 1.226 g/cm 3 at 20°C it floats up (position 1 in the drawing), and at a lower density it rolls down to position 2. Thus, if the battery is charged more than 60% , the ball is visible through the indicator eye, and if the degree of charge is less, then only the electrolyte is visible. If the electrolyte level drops below the V-shaped tube, the incoming light through the indicator eye is reflected from the electrolyte surface and the reflected light is visible through the eye.

Unfortunately, the hydrometric indicator has a number of serious shortcomings, due to which the accuracy of its readings is low. The fact is that when the temperature of the electrolyte changes, its density changes greatly, and when the temperature decreases, it increases. Therefore, for example, at an air temperature of minus 30°C, the indicator will show that the battery is charged by 60%, but in reality it is only 40%. In addition, the indicator monitors the condition of only the battery bank in which it is installed, and the condition of the remaining batteries can only be judged indirectly.

Rules for charging a car battery

The battery is a source of direct current and when connecting it, polarity must be observed. The battery terminals are marked. A positive conclusion is indicated by the sign “ + ", and the negative sign " - " The terminals of the charger for connecting the battery also have the same markings. When connecting the battery for charging, you need the positive terminal " + "connect the battery to the positive terminal of the charger, and the negative " - " – with a negative. If the connection polarity is reversed, the battery will discharge instead of charging and even damage the charger.

The cross-section of the wires for connecting the battery to the charger must be at least 1 mm 2, which corresponds to a wire diameter excluding insulation of 1.3 mm.

Before charging, the battery removed from the car must be cleaned of dirt and its surface wiped to remove acidic residues with a cloth moistened with an aqueous solution of soda, prepared at the rate of a tablespoon of soda per glass of water. If there is acid on the surface, then the aqueous soda solution foams.

If the battery has plugs for filling acid, then all the plugs must be unscrewed so that the gases formed in the battery during charging can escape freely. It is imperative to check the electrolyte level, and if it is less than required, add distilled water.

According to the theory, the battery can be charged with a current that does not have enough capacity to fully charge it. That is, if the battery has a capacity of 50 Ah and is half charged, then at the first moment of charging you can set the current to 25 A and reduce it every minute, down to zero when fully charged. Some automatic chargers operate on this principle, allowing you to fully charge a car battery in just a few hours. But such chargers are very expensive. And there will be no need for them if you charge the battery in advance.

Although some chargers allow semi-automatic charging, I still prefer to charge the battery manually. As a rule, the battery is no more than half discharged, so knowing its capacity, it is not difficult to calculate the charging time. For example, for a 50 Ah battery, to fully charge it you need to supply a current of 30 Ah, taking into account losses. I set the charging current to 3 A, and after 10 hours the battery will be fully charged. To ensure that the battery is fully charged, if time permits, you can set the current to 0.5 A and continue charging the battery in this mode as long as time allows. For high-capacity car batteries, this charge current is safe.

If time is pressing, you can first charge the battery with a current of, say, 8 A for three hours, and then reduce the current to 6 A and charge for another hour. The battery will be charged in just 4 hours. But, nevertheless, the optimal mode for charging is a small current, 2-3 A. With this current, overcharging and overheating of the battery, which greatly reduce its service life, are eliminated. All ingenious charging methods to reduce sulfation of battery plates, as practice shows, are nothing more than theory. If the operating conditions of the battery are observed (full discharge is not allowed), a high-quality acid battery will last from 3 to 5 years, at best seven.

Is it permissible to charge a car battery?
at negative temperatures

Yes, it is acceptable, but not in all cases. During charging, the battery heats up, and after a while the electrolyte temperature will rise above zero. You drive a car in winter at sub-zero air temperatures, and the generator regularly recharges the battery even at a temperature of minus 30˚C.

It is unacceptable to charge a battery if it is in a highly discharged state in the cold and the electrolyte has turned into ice, which can form already at a temperature of minus 10˚C. A frozen battery should be moved to a warm room and charging should begin only after the ice has melted.

phone charger

I am often asked about the possibility of charging a car battery using chargers designed for charging mobile phones, cameras and similar devices.

These chargers are not suitable for charging a car battery. the following reasons.

A necessary condition for current from the charger to flow into the battery is the presence at the output of the charger of a voltage exceeding the voltage at the battery terminals. For a 12 V battery, the voltage at the charger output must be at least 14 V. And the output voltage of most mobile phone chargers is 1.5-6 V.

Is it possible to charge a car battery?
laptop power supply

The laptop charger has an output voltage of 18 V, but if you connect it directly to the terminals of the car battery, it will be equivalent to short circuiting the terminals of the unit, the protection will work and the current will not flow. This is due to the fact that the internal resistance of a car battery is a few ohms and direct connection of the charger is equivalent to short circuiting its terminals.

But if you plug a light bulb from a car headlight into the gap of one of the wires, it will act as a current limiter and in this case the car battery can be charged. True, the charging current will not exceed 2 A and will be needed to charge a completely discharged battery with a capacity of 50 Ah by 50% in about 20 hours.

Can the battery be charged?
without disconnecting from the vehicle's on-board network

When charging the battery, the voltage at its terminals can reach, depending on the type of charger, 16 V. Even when the ignition key is removed from the ignition switch, some devices still remain connected, for example, the security alarm system, interior light bulb, trunk light. Depending on the vehicle model, other devices may be connected. Thus, instead of the maximum permissible supply voltage according to the passport, more will be supplied to the devices, which can lead to their failure. Thus, if you are not sure that all devices are de-energized when the key is removed from the ignition switch, then it is better not to risk it and disconnect its negative terminal from the on-board network before charging the battery.

Why negative? Because the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the vehicle's on-board network by direct connection to the body using a threaded connection. If you disconnect the positive terminal of the battery first, you may accidentally touch the metal parts of the engine or car body with a wrench. There will be a short circuit.

How to start a car safely
from the battery of another car (light)

No one is immune from the case when you need a donor battery to start the engine of your own car, or, as people say, “light it.” Usually, the battery terminals of the same name are connected to each other with alligator clip wires, the gas is added, and the engine of the other car is started, leaving your own running. Such “lighting” can damage the electronics of a modern car’s electrical equipment and you should not be surprised if a malfunction occurs in your car immediately or after some time. How to “light a cigarette” correctly? The answer is very simple.

In winter, before you let it light up, you need to start your car and warm up the engine for at least five minutes. Turn off the engine. In a car whose battery has died, you must first disconnect the terminal from the negative terminal of the battery, and then connect the cigarette lighter wires to the positive terminal and to the removed terminal from the negative terminal of the battery.

Since the current consumed by the starter when starting the engine is about 100 A, the cross-section of the cigarette lighter wires must be at least 10 mm 2, which corresponds to a wire diameter excluding insulation of 3.6 mm.

Connect the other ends of the wires to the terminals of the donor battery. Start the engine, let it run for a couple of minutes, and, without stopping, disconnect the cigarette lighter wires.

The generated electricity from a car generator is quite enough to power all the included electrical equipment of the car. Connect the negative terminal of the on-board network to the standard battery.

To recharge the battery faster, you should try to drive in low gears to ensure at least 3000 rpm of the engine shaft. At these speeds, the car's generator will generate sufficient current to power electrical equipment and charge the battery.

To guarantee the next start of the engine after it has cooled down, you must immediately fully charge the battery from the charger.

How does a completely discharged battery affect its service life?

Negative. Full discharge is especially dangerous for modern maintenance-free batteries. As the manufacturers of such batteries warn, even a one-time full discharge can damage the battery. From personal experience, I will say that it happened to me twice that a maintenance-free battery was discharged to zero (I forgot to turn off the side lights in the summer), but there were no serious consequences. True, I didn’t allow it a third time; I installed an alarm that would emit a signal when the driver’s door was opened with the engine off but the lights and headlights on.

How long does the battery last?
can remain operational without recharging

The storage time of a fully charged battery disconnected from the vehicle's on-board power supply depends on its capacity. Internal leakage currents are about 10 mAh. Knowing this, it is easy to calculate the time. Taking into account the permissible discharge of the battery to 30% of the original capacity, for a 50 Ah battery we get 50/3.3 = 16 Ah - this is the permissible degree of discharge. This means that the battery can self-discharge with a capacity of 50 A h - 16 A h = 34 A h. Now we divide 34 A h by 0.01 A h and it turns out 3400 hours or 141 days, about 5 months. It should be taken into account that storing a discharged battery at a temperature below minus 10°C is unacceptable, since the density of the electrolyte will decrease and it will turn into ice, which will deform the battery and render it inoperable.

If the battery is connected to the vehicle’s on-board network, then due to leakage currents in the electrical equipment, the period will be halved and will be 2.5 months.

If the alarm is connected, it also consumes current, which, depending on the model of the security system, ranges from 0.02 Ah to 0.05 Ah. The current consumption of the alarm can be found out from its passport. In this case, the time, with a current consumption of the alarm system of 0.02 A h, the time will be 1.2 months, and with a current of 0.05 A h only 20 days. At negative air temperatures, the time will be halved and will be only 10 days.

How to check leakage current in car electrical equipment

Sometimes motorists complain that a fully charged battery, even when the car is not in use, quickly discharges and after a week of inactivity the engine cannot be started. One of the reasons for this behavior of the car may be a large leakage current in electrical equipment.

To measure the leakage current of electrical equipment, it is necessary to remove the terminal from the negative terminal of the battery and connect a DC ammeter into the gap between the battery terminal and the removed terminal, observing the polarity, as shown in the photograph. In order not to hold the multimeter probe in your hand, it is advisable to use a piece of copper wire with a bare wire twisted at the end into a ring around the diameter of the battery terminal.

During measurements, all electrical appliances must be turned off (the key should not be in the ignition switch), including the security alarm disconnected from the car's circuitry. If the current exceeds 10 mA, there is a fault in the wiring or equipment.

If it is difficult to turn off the alarm, then measurements can be carried out without turning it off. Then the ammeter will show the total current - the leakage current in electrical equipment and consumed by the alarm, the value of which should be in the range of 50-100 mA. If the current is greater, then there is a malfunction in the electrical wiring or electrical equipment of the machine.

As you can see in the photo, the total current consumption in this car is 50 mA. When measuring, the readings will increase by several milliamps at approximately one-second intervals. This is normal and is related to the operation of the security alarm system. In this case, the amount of current consumption from the battery will be the same, both when the alarm system is turned on using the key fob, and when it is turned off. When turning the security alarm on and off, due to current consumption by the central locking system, a current surge of up to 3-5 A will be observed for a couple of seconds. And if a current of this magnitude continues to flow for a longer time, it means that one of the door activators is faulty.

How to choose a car battery when purchasing

Sooner or later, every car enthusiast is faced with the need to replace the battery in their car. When purchasing a new battery, you need to consider the following issues:

– dimensions battery and the possibility of fixing it in your car;

– The order of the positive and negative terminals on the battery;

– Date of issue, if you do not find the release date on the label or more than 3 months have passed since the release date, then it is better not to buy such a battery;

– Battery voltage and capacity in Ah. The capacity should be equal to, or better yet greater than, that of a standard battery.
All statements that with a larger capacity there will be greater wear on the starter brush-commutator assembly have nothing to do with reality. According to Ohm's law, the current in a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance. The starter resistance did not change as the battery capacity increased, and neither did the voltage. Consequently, the magnitude of the starting current will remain the same and, by definition, there can be no additional wear on the starter brush-commutator assembly when installing a battery with a larger capacity;

– Cold cranking inrush current at −18°C in Amps (A), the more the better. For reference, the minimum and identical starting current for different standards is marked with different values: DIN (Europe, Russia) – 170 A, EN (Europe, Russia) – 280 A, SEA (USA) – 300 A;

– Battery type it doesn’t matter if you like to do chemistry (add distilled water to battery jars, measure the density of electrolyte with a hydrometer), take an ordinary battery. Otherwise, buy a maintenance-free battery;

– You need to buy the battery in specialized auto stores., the more expensive it is, the better it is usually. Make sure to include the date of sale of the battery stamped on the warranty card.

And it’s easier, in order not to ask numerous questions, you need to copy (photograph) its type from the label of the old battery and purchase the same one.

How to check if your car is working properly
battery charge regulator relay

To do this, you need to start the car engine and, without turning on electrical appliances, change the engine speed (manipulating the gas pedal) and measure the voltage at the battery terminals. The voltage value must be within 13.9V-14.3V. If the voltage at high engine speeds is less than the specified value, then the generator or relay regulator is faulty, or the tension of the belt transmitting torque from the engine shaft to the generator may have weakened. If the voltage is higher, then the relay regulator is faulty and requires repair or replacement. At low engine speeds, the voltage may be less than 13.9 V and this is normal.

How to check the operation of a car generator without instruments

To check the serviceability of the car generator, you need to remove the terminal from the negative terminal of the battery while the engine is warm. Next, without pressing the gas pedal, turn on the high beams, heater fan and rear window heater in sequence. The engine should continue to run stably, with only a slight reduction in speed. If, when turning on the next device, the engine stalls, then you need to restart it and perform the steps described above, first increasing the speed to 1500. If the generator is working properly, the engine should not stall.

Is it possible to install two batteries in a car?
and connect them in parallel

Yes. When the battery in your car is discharged and you “light” your car from the battery of another car to start the engine, you practically connect two batteries in parallel (it’s not correct to “light” this way). It is possible to install and connect two or more car batteries in parallel in a car, but their capacity and technical condition do not matter. The main thing is that they are designed for the same voltage and are in good condition. Before connecting in parallel, both batteries must be fully charged. In the future, during operation, if you need to charge the battery, you will need to charge both batteries. It will be possible to first remove and charge one battery, so as not to leave the car without a security device, and then the second.

Is it possible to drive a car with a loose battery?

Some car enthusiasts are too lazy to secure the battery after charging or replacing it. As a result, during sharp maneuvers of the car, the plastic battery case can be damaged by the sharp edges of the car body parts and become unusable. Constant movement of the battery while driving leads to friction between its walls and the body of the body, which can lead to the same consequences. In addition, due to the movement of the battery, the current-carrying wires are constantly bent, which can lead to their breakage. In the event of a serious accident, it is difficult to say where the loose battery will fly and the severity of the possible consequences. The conclusion is obvious, the battery must be securely fastened.

How not to leave your car while charging the battery
without burglar alarm

When charging a car battery, it is usually removed from the car while charging. In this case, the car remains without an electronic security alarm system. It’s rare that anyone has a spare car battery to swap out. But you don’t have to have one; you can get by with a small-capacity 12V battery, for example, from an uninterruptible power supply for computer equipment. After all, when electrical appliances are turned off, the current consumption of the car circuit does not exceed 0.01 Ah, and if the alarm is turned on, it increases to a maximum of 0.05 Ah. So, for a full replacement for a day, any battery with a capacity of even 1.2 Ah is suitable. even an unsuitable battery for UPS operation due to loss of capacity. Before use, the replacement battery must be charged and its performance checked. To check, just connect a light bulb from a car headlight to the battery terminals. If the light shines at full strength, then the battery is suitable for replacement.

To connect the battery, you first need to prepare the wires for connection to the vehicle's on-board electrical wiring, equip the ends of the wires with terminals, and remove the insulation by 8-10 cm.

Next, you need to remove the standard battery and place the prepared battery from UPS in its place. Observing polarity, wrap the stripped ends of the wires around the standard lugs for connecting the battery. Place the terminals on the contacts of the temporary battery. Make sure that the positive tip does not accidentally touch any metal parts of the vehicle.

All that remains is to close the hood and doors and set the car alarm using the key fob. The central locking will also work. While the battery is charging, the security system will successfully perform its assigned task.

Oddly enough, car owners do not pay enough attention to the battery. The starter turns - and good. However, sooner or later the time comes when your pet’s “second heart” begins to malfunction, or even freezes altogether, refusing to rotate the starter.

When to pay attention to the battery

When driving a car every day, it is unlikely that you need to look under the hood at every stop and measure the density of the electrolyte in the battery. Problems with the battery can be detected most quickly after the car has been parked for a long time or when using energy consumers without moving. In such cases, it is necessary to check the electrolyte level in the jars and measure its density.
It would not be amiss to carry out such operations in the cold and hot seasons, since in cold weather the density of the electrolyte in the battery should be higher than in hot weather. Moreover, in hot weather, the electrolyte actively boils away and periodically requires adding distilled water to a certain level.

Car battery operation requires periodic recharging. Of course, it is best to detect in time a drop in the density of the electrolyte or a decrease in its quantity in the banks and begin topping up and recharging, without waiting for the moment when the car will be impossible to start. However, in practice, everything happens more simply, and the signal for servicing the battery is most often the slow rotation of the starter when starting the car.

Every car enthusiast knows well that if in such a situation you do not take care of the battery, then the next morning the car will not move, and the culprit of the stop will begin to shorten his life at a progressive pace.

You can charge your car’s battery at a service station, but this is not a very convenient option, although the work will be carried out by specialists, and there is hope that they will do everything “according to science.” The main inconvenience is that the car will need to be left at a service station for some time - you won’t be able to drive away without a battery.

A simpler option is to purchase a car charger and perform the operation to bring the battery into working condition on your own. There is nothing difficult in charging a battery yourself, you just need to become thoroughly familiar with the recommendations for performing the necessary operations and follow fire safety rules. It is best to charge the battery in the garage; the option of working in the kitchen is not excluded. In some cases, it is possible to charge the battery without removing it from the car.

Lead-acid batteries can be successfully charged with DC rectifiers. It is desirable that the devices have voltage and current regulators, since with their help it will be possible to select the optimal modes for a specific charging task.
Before proceeding directly to charging the battery, you should carefully measure the electrolyte level and its density. To carry out these operations, it is necessary to remove the battery from the car, clean it of dust and dirt, remove possible traces of oxidation on the terminals and, if necessary, clean them with fine sandpaper, then unscrew the caps in the jars and start taking appropriate measurements.

Attention, be sure to unscrew the control plugs to avoid an explosion!!!High probability of battery explosion. The consequences of carelessness in the video.

On the transparent battery cases there are max and min marks on the sides, which indicate what the electrolyte level in the banks should be. Accordingly, it is necessary to add distilled water to jars where the electrolyte level is noticeably low. In opaque batteries, it is convenient to check the electrolyte level using a glass tube. The tube must be lowered inward all the way and pressed on top with your finger. Take it out and look at the electrolyte level in it. It should be about 10-15 mm.
At the next stage, the density of the electrolyte is checked using a hydrometer. The hydrometer is a glass flask with a rubber bulb at one end and a hole at the other for sucking electrolyte from the battery jars. There is a float with marks inside the device. When the electrolyte is taken, the float floats up and indicates its density level. The electrolyte density of a fully charged battery should be 1.27-1.28 g/cm3.
If the density is lower than recommended, the battery should be charged. To do this, place the battery on a flat surface and connect the corresponding terminals of the charger to the plus and minus of the battery, and then plug the charger into the network. The caps of the cans should not be screwed into place during charging. It is better to cover the holes with them, since during charging the electrolyte will boil and hydrogen will be actively released.

To the question how long does it take to charge a car battery– there is no definite answer. It all depends on the capacity of the battery itself and the depth of its discharge. However, there are general rules that must be strictly followed. Firstly, the battery charging current cannot be higher than 1/10 of the battery capacity. In other words, if you need to charge a twelve-volt battery with a capacity of 45 Ah, then the charge current cannot be higher than 4.5 A. By the way, with the maximum possible charge current, the time to bring the battery to working condition is significantly reduced. Such currents should be used for charging if the battery is not very discharged. When the battery is deeply discharged, the charging current is reduced to 1.5 - 2.0 A, but the procedure time is increased, up to about a day.
Secondly, the battery charging process must be under constant control. It is necessary to periodically measure the density of the electrolyte in the jars and measure its temperature. The electrolyte temperature should not exceed +45°C. When such parameters are reached, the charge current must be reduced by half, or even stop charging for some time.

Thirdly, the density of the electrolyte in individual banks when fully charged should not differ by more than 0.01 g/cm3. The difference in indicators is equalized by adding distilled water to those jars where the electrolyte density is higher.
Fourthly, the battery is considered fully charged if, after the charging procedure, it is able to maintain stable density and voltage for two hours or more.

Motorists who use maintenance-free batteries in their cars periodically face the need to charge them. They should remember that for charging maintenance-free batteries, the important indicator is not the charging current, but the charging voltage.

The charger must be set to 14.4 volts and the process monitored. The battery will charge when the voltage at the terminals is 14.4 volts and the current drops to 200mA.

If a maintenance-free battery is deeply discharged, it can be recharged in two stages. Initially, the voltage on the charger is set to 12-13 volts, and the current is no more than 1/20 of the battery capacity. The current parameters will first increase and when they reach 1/10 of the battery capacity, charging should be switched to a voltage of 14.4 volts and wait until the current strength is established within 0.2 A. It is important to remember that raising the charging voltage of a maintenance-free battery above 15 .5 volts is not recommended to avoid damage to the latter.

During periods when the car is not in use for a long time, it is necessary to take care of special storage conditions for the battery. First, the battery needs to be removed from the car, cleaned of dirt, and wiped.
Secondly, fully charge.
During winter, it is best to store a fully charged battery in a cool rather than warm room. If the battery is not used for a long time, its condition is periodically checked and brought to the attention of the worker.
Remember, storing a battery in a discharged state will significantly reduce its service life.

Car battery operation

During daily use of the car, the battery is charged automatically from the generator, and if everything is in order with the generator, then the battery works for a long time and without problems. Car enthusiasts are familiar with the sound of a working car starting up and it is, perhaps, better than any music. Unfortunately, for many car owners, the idyll is soon ending, and they themselves are to blame for this. Improper operation and untimely maintenance can damage even the most reliable battery.

Sooner or later, every car enthusiast has to face many questions regarding the process of charging a car battery, since improper charging can significantly reduce its service life.
In this article, I will share my knowledge and practical experience on how to properly charge a car battery.

1. Does the battery need to be charged?

Before you begin the charging process, you should understand whether the battery needs to be charged at all?

If the car does not start, there may be many reasons for this, one of them is a dead battery. To understand this you need to take a voltmeter or multimeterand check the battery voltage.

1.1 How to measure the voltage on a battery with a multimeter.

Firstly, you need to take into account that you need to measure the voltage on the battery with a multimeter on a cold, not warmed up and not running car or the battery has already been removed from the car, otherwise it will be different readings!

Take a multimeter and connect the red test lead to the VΩmA input terminal, and the black one to the COM terminal. On the multimeter, we turn the rotary switch to the left in most cases and select the DCV (direct current voltage) mode, that is, constant voltage and stop the regulator in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe number 20, which indicates the order of the measured voltage.

Next, we touch the test probes to the terminals of the tested car battery, the red test probe to the positive terminal, indicated by the “+” sign, and the black one to the “-“. We take readings from the device display. If, when connecting, you suddenly reverse the polarity, the readings on the multimeter display will be with a negative “-“ sign.

And then it would be good to open the instructions (which should be issued when purchasing the battery), which indicate when the voltage drops to what value the battery should be charged. If the instructions are not saved, then refer to the tables below. Consider the ambient temperature. In cold weather, the voltage and density of the electrolyte should be higher.

The degree of charge of the battery depending on the ambient temperature.

Table of battery charge level at normal temperature 20-25 C depending on electrolyte density and voltage.

Of course, you can’t measure much with a voltmeter; you need a load plug, which gives a more complete picture, but such a plug is expensive. It puts a load on the battery and shows, firstly, the voltage of the battery under load, and secondly, whether the battery is able to restore its voltage after the load. Usually, when buying a new car battery, sellers test the battery in front of you with a load fork, showing that it is new and not “dead” - i.e. is able to restore its voltage to 12.4-12.7 V.

Second What needs to be done before charging, if the battery is serviceable, find out the density of the electrolyte.

To check the density of the electrolyte at home, we use a hydrometer. There are many different types, I prefer the one in the photo below, since it is very convenient and quick to read readings from it and you don’t have to count the divisions every time, sometimes even with a magnifying glass.

hydrometer for measuring the density of electrolyte in a battery

We squeeze the bulb of the hydrometer and lower it in this form into one of the battery cans, unclench the bulb and the electrolyte is sucked into the hydrometer. Next, we take out the hydrometer, holding it over the open hole, and look at the readings. In my case, each floating float means a certain density. Thus, we measure the density of the electrolyte in each jar. After measuring the reading, holding the hydrometer over the opening of the jar, squeeze the bulb again and carefully pour the electrolyte back into the same jar from which you took it.

The electrolyte density value for Russia (temperate climate) is 1.28 ± 0.01 g/cm 3 .

The density of the electrolyte in the battery in winter should be 1.29 – 1.30 g/cm3.

The density of the electrolyte in the battery in summer should be 1.28 g/cm3.

For a tropical climate, the electrolyte density is 1.23 g/cm3.

Table of electrolyte density in the battery in winter and summer:

Battery electrolyte density

Now we draw a conclusion, based on the available data, how charged the battery is and whether to charge the battery in general. If the voltage is below 12.4 V and the electrolyte density is below 1.27 g/cm3, then it’s time to charge the battery.

When properly charging a car battery at home, the main thing is to ensure adequate ventilation in the room.

To begin with, we remove the battery from the car, take it to a warm room and let it warm up so that the electrolyte temperature rises above +15 C. This may take 6-8 hours at normal room temperature. We don’t charge a cold battery, it will only cause harm.

You need to take a rag (which you don’t mind throwing away immediately) or toilet paper and thoroughly wipe the battery from dust and dirt, which creates static voltage and worsens the battery’s performance. It is better to wipe with rubber gloves.

After such a period of idle time in a warm environment, the NRC, the open circuit voltage, will most likely increase and the density of the electrolyte may increase. You can measure these indicators again, but most likely they will not increase enough to change your mind about charging the battery. (Personally, after warming up in the room for about 12 hours, the NRC increased to 12.63 Volts, but the density of the electrolyte did not change and was less than 1.19 g/cm 3. In this case, the main indicator of a discharged battery is a very low density electrolyte)

Considering that batteries can be either serviced or maintenance-free, their charging process is somewhat different. Therefore, we will consider them in turn.

1. How to charge a maintenance free battery

The question is often asked: do maintenance-free batteries charge? Yes! Maintenance-free batteries can be charged, the main thing is to do it correctly. Here it is important to take into account their peculiarity - you cannot add distilled water to them, which means that when charging them, it is not so much the charging current that is important, but the maximum voltage that will arise during the charging process.

First, take a powerful flashlight or lamp and try to illuminate the battery, holding it in a horizontal position to see the remaining amount of electrolyte in each of the cans. If there is enough electrolyte and its level is above the level of the plates, then charging can help extend the life of a maintenance-free battery.

So, if you have the simplest charger, in which you can only set the current strength with which the charge will be carried out, then set the current value to 1/20 of the capacity of your battery. If the battery capacity is 60Ah, then the current will be 3A. And then at short intervals, every 15 minutes, you should approach the battery and measure the voltage at the terminals, which should not exceed 14.4-14.7 V. I usually gradually reduced the current when the voltage reached 14.6 Volts. There were many such approaches until I reduced the current to almost 0 A.

2.1 How long to charge the battery

How long to charge the battery depends on the degree of discharge and battery capacity, and can be 8-30 hours when charging with a current of 1/20 of the battery capacity. In the case of a maintenance-free battery, we specifically charge it with such a low current so as not to cause a “boiling” process. Because we won’t be able to add water, and there is a shortage of water in such a battery :)

In this case, when the charging current is reduced to 0.5A or less, the maintenance-free battery can be considered charged.

If you take a break during the charging process, it is advisable to make it long - for example, a day, then a better “consolidation” of the charge occurs. For example, 8-10 hours of charge, a day break, another 8-10 hours of charge. After the last charge cycle, just let the battery sit in a warm place for several hours (from 2 to 8) to distribute the density of the electrolyte in the banks. Next you need to check the voltage. It should be at least 12.7 V, but most likely it will be more.

Also, during the charging process, I sometimes touched the side walls of the battery with my palm, trying to sense the temperature of the case and, accordingly, the electrolyte, so that it did not rise above 40-45 C, otherwise it was necessary to either reduce the current or stop charging for a while.

This is exactly how I charged maintenance-free Varta and Bosh batteries.

Why with such tension?

A regular generator in a car in good working order produces up to 14.4 V, and this mode for a maintenance-free battery is considered within normal limits. You can, of course, add just a little more 0.1 - 0.3 V, but you shouldn’t even think about more, otherwise a strong chemical reaction will take place and an abundant release of gases will begin with boiling off of the electrolyte. But we don’t need this at all, and it’s not safe!

Personally, my maintenance-free battery was enough for several charges (3-4), after which the electrolyte in the outermost bank, which is closer to the engine and which apparently got hotter, boiled away over time. And... either it is scrapped, or homemade modifications are made - drilling a hole, pouring distillate into it, and then charging it, followed by blocking this hole. Someone is doing this, but I decided that it was easier to purchase a serviced battery. The main thing is to choose it correctly and pay special attention to the production date and marking, which should contain the letter L - which means with low water consumption (for example 6ST-55L), or VL - with very low water consumption (for example 6ST-55VL).

Because if you choose a serviceable battery with normal water consumption (letter N in the marking), you will have to frequently add distilled water, which means charging more often, in general, more fuss.

You can learn more about battery types and how to properly charge a car battery from Rechargeable lead starter batteries for automotive vehicles. General technical conditions.

If you have a smart charger, for example Vympel-55, then simply set the upper voltage range to no more than 14.7V. Set the current to 1/20 of the battery capacity (charging takes longer, but better and safer), or 1/10 of the battery capacity, provided that there was no deep discharge of the battery (the voltage did not drop below 11.6 V). After the battery charging process is completed (as indicated by the smart charger), let the battery stand in a warm place for 2 to 8 hours, as described above.

1. How to properly charge the car battery of the type being serviced.

Before manipulation, it is advisable to wear rubber gloves.

We set the current to 1/10 of the battery capacity, if the battery has not been deeply discharged, or 1/20 of the battery capacity (charging will take longer). For example, battery capacity is 60 Ah, 1/10 =6 Ampere, 1/20 =3 Ampere.

According to the instructions for your battery or if there is none, then according to We determine what maximum voltage to set for charging the battery:

If the battery is hybrid (for example Pb/Ca) and has low water consumption, then set the voltage to (15.2 ± 0.1) Volts

If the battery label contains the Letter N (normal water consumption), set the voltage to (14.8 ± 0.1) Volts

If the battery label contains the letters VL (very low water consumption), set the voltage to (16 ± 0.1) Volts

If there are no such letters in the marking and it is not known what type of battery, then set (14.4 ± 0.1) Volt

We connect the charger to the battery according to the instructions for your specific charger: “+ red terminal” to “+”, and “- black terminal” to “-”.

1. If the charger is the simplest with regulation of only the supplied current, then every 15 minutes you will need to approach the battery with a voltmeter or multimeter and check that the voltage at the terminals is not higher than normal during the charging process, and when the critical voltage is reached, slightly reduce the current, so that the voltage shown by the voltmeter is again within the normal range for your type of battery (see point 4).
2. We are waiting for the charging to finish. The battery is charged until abundant gas evolution (“boiling”) begins in all banks, and the voltage and density of the electrolyte remain constant for 2 hours.
   

When the charging process is complete, the smart charger will notify you accordingly: inscription, sound, indicator; and in a simple charger, the charge current reading will decrease and become less than 0.5 - 0.1 A.

1. As your car battery charges, the electrolyte level may increase, decrease, or remain the same. Therefore, at the end of charging, if necessary, we adjust the electrolyte level by adding only distilled water. Some batteries have peculiar marks inside the cans indicating normal electrolyte levels. If there are no such marks, then you can take, for example, a plastic juice straw and cut off the sharp tip.
   

   plastic juice straw

   
   Using this tube, measure the electrolyte level above the plates: lower it into the hole of the jar, then close the top hole in the tube with your index finger and lift the tube.

   

   measure the electrolyte level

   We apply a ruler to the tube and look. The electrolyte level above the top edge of the plate should be 15-20 mm.

   

   determine the height of the electrolyte above the level of the plates in the battery

   
   After measuring the height, pour the electrolyte from the tube into the same battery jar from which you took it, simply removing your finger from the top hole of the tube. If the electrolyte level is lower, then add ONLY distilled water.

   

   
   Then we again check the level of the electrolyte height above the plate. We do the same with all banks in AKB. Personal experience shows that the lowest electrolyte level is in the outermost battery banks.
   

2. Next, check the density of the electrolyte.
   
   If the density of the electrolyte has dropped after adding distilled water, then we continue the process of charging the battery until the density value is restored, as described in point 6. We check the density of the electrolyte again.
   
   
3. Turn off the charger and disconnect the terminals from the battery.
4. To equalize the electrolyte density after charging, leave the battery for 2-3 hours. Then we measure the indicators NRC(the voltage of the charged battery must be more than 12.6 V according to GOST) and electrolyte density (must be at least 1.28 g/cm 3, see tables above). The density of the electrolyte after charging should be the same in all battery banks with a permissible error of 0.01 g/cm 3 .
5. If the readings we need are normal, we tighten all the lids of the jars.
6. Now you can install the charged battery back into the car.

Car enthusiasts recommend checking the condition of the battery (voltage and, if possible, electrolyte density) at least 2 times a year in the fall (before the onset of frost) and spring (after the frosty winter), which will significantly extend its service life, thereby avoiding its operation in an under-charged mode, as well as deep battery discharge.

Now, you know to How to properly charge a car battery.If you have any questions or suggestions, write in the comments to this article.

A car battery is an irreplaceable thing in every car; it is especially important that it is always fully charged, so as not to puzzle over how to start the car if the battery is dead. If we are talking about a battery that has already seen a lot, then most car enthusiasts prefer to purchase additional chargers, and some decide to simply change the device every 4 years. The fact is that you can only recharge the device in a garage or other room, which not everyone can afford. But it is prohibited to carry out such a procedure at home, since when recharging, substances hazardous to health are released: sulfur dioxide, arsine, stibine, hydrogen chloride and much more. High concentrations of these substances can lead to serious health problems. This is why many people prefer new batteries. And here a logical question arises - is it necessary to charge a newly purchased battery? Let's try to figure it out.

Why did the new battery turn out to be discharged?

Often, car owners, having purchased a new battery, are faced with the fact that the device is completely discharged. The reason for this is that the “battery” has been in the store or warehouse for quite a long time. As a result, an independent discharge of the battery capacity occurred. As a result, the longer the battery was left, the more it was discharged.

In order not to make a mistake, it is necessary to study the date of manufacture of the device. It is usually located on the packaging or on the body of the product itself.

Some unscrupulous car battery manufacturers claim that their devices are not subject to self-discharge. In fact, so far no company has managed to completely get rid of this problem, so a similar physical and chemical process will occur in any “battery” in any case. To avoid getting caught with a dead battery, you need to follow just a few recommendations.

What to look for when buying a new battery

When purchasing a new battery, be sure to check it in all respects, namely:

• Remove the protective film and check that the case does not have any damage; if any defects are found, replace the battery.
• Measure the voltage at the terminals using a voltmeter. The voltage should be between 12.5 and 12.9 Volts when there is no load and at least 11 Volts when there is load. If the voltage is, say, 10.8 Volts, then you have a completely discharged battery.
• Using a special fork, check the density of the electrolyte.
• Pay attention to the manufacturing date of the battery; if it is more than 6 months old, then it is not recommended to buy such a device.

If all parameters meet the requirements, then the new battery can be immediately installed in the car, without any recharging.

Additionally, you can use a special tester to assess the condition of the battery. Representatives of such devices, available for purchase to any car owner, are:

• OptiMate Test TS120N tester, TecMate company;

• and the BatteryBug BB-SBM12 tester from Argus Analyzers.

If we talk about how long a new battery will discharge, then it all depends on many factors, for example, on the alarm electrical system and other parameters. Self-discharge, according to all official reference books, occurs after 60 days, but in reality it all depends on the device itself. For example, an “average” 40 A/h battery allows you to start the car even after 3 months in the garage, and if the car is in motion, the battery will be powered by a generator. By and large, a high-quality new unit should last several years before you have to worry about how to restore the car battery.

But if it does happen that the battery needs to be recharged, then special devices, the so-called “chargers,” can help you with this. Before choosing a charger, it is better to decide on the type of battery.

Battery types

Today, the following types of batteries are installed in cars:

• Acidic. For such batteries, the electrodes are made of lead, which contains additional additives and impurities. Lead has good energy capacity and can produce a large current in a short period of time. Such batteries use an acid solution as electrolytes.
• Alkaline. The electrodes (plates) in this case are not lead, but nickel-cadmium or nickel-iron. The space between them is filled with a solution of caustic potassium. For passenger cars, such “batteries” are rarely used, since the current strength in them is much less than that of acid batteries.
• Helium. Gel batteries for cars are relatively new batteries. The electrolytes of this type of battery are also in a jelly-like state, so they are essentially an alternative to acid batteries.
• Lithium-ion (for now they are used only as additional batteries, since such “batteries” are not able to start the engine).

Batteries can also be serviced or maintenance-free. The first type includes all acid batteries. They can be maintained due to the fact that during a chemical reaction, part of the water contained in the solution evaporates. Therefore, in order for the electrolyte not to fail, it is necessary to periodically add water.

Gel batteries are maintenance-free products, since their housing is completely sealed. During chemical reactions, the water in such batteries does not evaporate, so there is no need to add liquid. Just because gel batteries are maintenance-free does not mean they cannot be charged.

In order to charge the battery, special chargers are most often used, which are best chosen based on the type of your battery. But you should also pay attention to other features of these devices and the subtleties of the charging process.

How to properly recharge the battery

“Chargers” convert alternating current into direct current, which is why they are also called rectifiers. Such devices are usually equipped with an adjustment switch to allow charging at 12 or 24 volts. In addition, current and voltage regulators are installed on the rectifiers. When you charge a 12-volt battery, the “charger” should produce a voltage in the range of 14-14.5 volts, since otherwise you will not receive a 100% charge. Regardless of power and configuration, all rectifiers are equipped with an electric drive with a plug, converter and two output wires (plus and minus).

If we talk about the features of battery charging, then you should pay attention to the following parameters that will help you decide how to properly charge a car battery:

• The optimal current for charging a battery is 10% of the rated energy capacity of the battery. For example, if the battery rating is 60 Ah, then the current should be no more than 6 A.
• The voltage at the charger terminals should be +10% of the rated battery voltage. For example, a 100% charged “battery” has a voltage at the terminals of 12.6 V. 10% of the rated voltage in this case will be 1.26 V. Accordingly, we add this value to 12.6 V and get the best voltage equal to 13.86 IN.
• In order to quickly charge the battery, the current should be about 20-30 A. But, it is worth considering that this type of charging has a detrimental effect on the battery, so it is better not to use this method often.
• If you charge a gel battery, be sure to monitor the voltage, the critical value of which is 14.2 V for a battery of this type.

Battery cost

Among the numerous manufacturers of car batteries, there are several companies that are popular among car enthusiasts.

• The German company Bosch produces durable and high-quality devices that can work in different conditions. At the same time, most models have safety power in case the oil in the engine freezes due to severe frost. The units cost from 5,500 (model S4 005) to 25,000 rubles (battery 0092S5A150).
• The Japanese company Panasonic offers motorists inexpensive but high-quality batteries. For example, a Panasonic battery for a car model N55B24L costs 3,700 rubles.
• Batteries from the Turkish company Multu are distinguished by European quality and durability. Moreover, such a battery can be found in almost any store; such availability and the absence of negative reviews from car enthusiasts make Multu batteries optimal when choosing a “battery”. The cost of devices ranges from 3,500 rubles to 7,600 rubles.
• The Russian company Ultimatum (AKOM plant) is actively involved in the production of car batteries. The plant mainly produces batteries for cars with a Start-Stop system, as well as for vehicles with high power consumption. An Ultimatum battery for a car from a domestic manufacturer costs about 8,000 rubles.
• The American-Korean company Medalist offers car owners batteries that are “average” in terms of popularity and number of negative reviews, costing from 5,000 to 9,000 rubles.

In custody

As you can see, the new battery must be 100% charged, so it can serve you for a long time. Otherwise, you will have to additionally purchase a special charger. Therefore, when buying a new battery, be sure to check all the parameters of the device and make sure that you are not looking at a “dead product.”