Were you getting ready to leave the house when you noticed that your car was showing no signs of life and you don’t know how to charge your car battery?
It is possible that a family member or a neighbor can help. Pushing the car with the work. The most effective solution is to recharge the battery. You don’t know how to do it? We’ll give you a hand.

 

Charging your car battery: 3 essential tips

You ran out of battery, you pushed the car and it started? Maybe you won’t have any more issues with your car after that, or maybe you will.
The best option is to charge the car battery. In this article, we’ll show you how you can do it. Once you learn it, you will never forget it. Take note.

 

Tip 1: Use the voltmeter

To charge your car battery, you first need to know how much the battery is discharged. A healthy battery will have 12.4 to 12.8 volts on both terminals, when measured with a voltmeter. A voltmeter is a very useful device for diagnosing battery problems, and you should have one at home with your auto tools. If the voltmeter reading is less than 12.4 volts, you will probably experience problems when trying to start the vehicle.

The lowest value measured will determine the best method to use to charge the car’s battery before turning the key and getting it to start.

 

Tip 2: Go for a ride

If the battery is between 12 and 12.4 volts, it is safe to recharge it using the vehicle’s own alternator. This means driving for a while, using as little electricity as possible – radio, lights and air conditioning must be off. Drive for at least 30 minutes to return the battery to a stable level.

 

Tip 3: Use a battery charger

We can consider that a car battery is completely discharged when the voltmeter is below 11.6 volts.
Although your car’s alternator can keep your battery healthy, it was not designed to fully charge an empty battery. Using it to try restoring the battery in this situation can even damage the alternator, since it will be forced to work for too long in order to charge the battery and supply power to the vehicle.

Charging the car battery insufficiently can also damage it.

When you have a fully discharged battery, the best option is to connect your battery to a battery charger. These charging devices are designed to fully and safely restore an exhausted battery. In most situations, you don’t even need to remove the battery from the vehicle.

 

 

How to Use a Portable Battery Charger

Depending on the situation and the type of charger you have, you can use it to quickly get the car up and running, or fully recharge the battery. Just do the following:

 

1. Connect the charger to the battery

This process is similar to starting a battery. First, make sure that the charger and the vehicle are switched off. Then, attach the positive clamp (red) to the positive pole of the battery. Now attach the negative clamp (black) to a stable area in the vehicle body or chassis. Although you can also attach the black clamp to the battery’s negative pole, this is not the safest method, as there may be a leak of hydrogen gas that can cause an explosion or fire.

 

^{2. Prepare the charger}

In the charger, you will need to adjust the volts and amps. Using lower amps can lead to a more reliable charge. Make sure you follow the instructions that come with the charger and all the guidelines provided in the manufacturer’s manual.

 

3. Switch the charger on

Depending on the type of charger, it can stop automatically when the battery is fully charged or even turn off after a certain period. Check it regularly during the recharging process.

 

4. Disconnect the charger

Now, remove the clamps. Although it may seem counterintuitive, it must be done in reverse order – the negative clamp (black) must be the first to remove, followed by the positive clamp (red). If your battery didn’t charge, it may be time to replace it with a new one.

Talk to your mechanic or contact your trusted auto parts store to find out how to proceed.

To check the status of your battery, you can also conduct a battery test.

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What tools do you need to charge your car battery?

•  Battery cables

If you are next to another car with a battery and you can make the connection between the two batteries, you will need the battery cables. We emphasize that this connection should be done as carefully as possible, as it can cause damage to both batteries and the car’s electrical circuitry.

 

• Portable battery charger

If your car battery gets discharged repeatedly, a portable battery charger is indispensable in the trunk of your vehicle.

 

• Charging the car battery at home

Do you know how to charge your car battery at home? With a portable battery charger. All you have to do is plug it in with the battery cables to a conventional household outlet.

 

10 Steps to charge your car battery

1. Find a safe place to use the cables;
2. Wear protective gloves and safety glasses;
3. Open the hoods of both vehicles;
4. Start the car with the battery in good condition;
5. Connect the red cable to the positive terminal of the car without battery;
6. Connect the red cable to the positive terminal of the car with battery;
7. Perform the same process with the black cable and wait a few minutes;
8. Try to start the car that was previously without battery;
9. If all is well, you should remove the black cables and only then the red ones;
10. Stow the cables inside your vehicle.

Now you know how to charge a car battery.

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