The most dreaded scenario for any vehicle owner is encountering a dead battery. When your automobile’s battery is dead, it often prevents the car from starting. Vehicle batteries play a crucial role in providing the necessary power to start the engine. As you drive, the battery gets recharged by the alternator. However, many people are unaware of the time it takes to recharge a battery.
While driving, the car’s battery usually recharges itself automatically. But the question remains: how long does it take to charge a car battery? Typically, charging a car battery takes four to eight hours at highway speeds. However, even while driving, it may not reach a full 100% charge.
A flat battery is one of the most common reasons why cars fail to start. So, how can you maintain it in excellent condition? And if it does let you down, how long will it take to recharge the car battery? Additionally, what is the best method for recharging it, and what are the warning signs that indicate your battery is approaching the end of its life?
What causes a battery to go flat?
A flat battery can be caused by a number of things, such as lights being left on, something in the electrical system causing a battery drain, or even a faulty battery that won’t hold its charge. Corrosion and cold weather and general wear and tear can also cause your battery to fail meaning it could be time to buy a new one, or inject new life into the old one.
How long does it actually take to charge a car battery?
A typical automotive battery may be fully charged in 2 to 4 hours using a 20 Amp charger, and in 12 to 24 hours with a 4 Amp charger. Another vehicle can be used to jumpstart the battery in your car. Idling is another method for charging the battery if you can get it started.
The actual charging time for a car battery is between 10 and 24 hours. These are fast, efficient chargers. If you’re utilizing a trickle charger, your battery may need to be charged for three or more days. Slow charging protects the battery. A car battery has 48 amps; therefore, divide 48 by the charging rate to get the number of hours it will take, depending on how many amps your charger has.
For instance, if your charger charges at 6 amps per hour, charging a battery to 100% charge will take 8 hours. However, let’s examine if your battery is worth rescuing before you connect a charger. First, since batteries typically last 4 years, if your battery is older than 3 years it might be worth replacing. But keep in mind that a fully dead battery may be permanently ruined and may leave you stranded once more.
How to recharge your car battery
Make sure you’re outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Take off any jewelry, put on gloves and put on safety glasses.
- Plug in your charger. Consult any specific instructions for your charger.
- Connect a backup battery to the On-board Diagnostics II (OBD-II) port. Your car’s onboard computers need power all the time. Losing power wipes their memory, and that can cause real car problems, including erratic idling behavior.
- Disconnect the car’s negative (usually black) terminal. Then put a rag or a glove around the terminal to prevent it from touching anything else. Disconnecting the negative will protect your car’s electronics from the charging voltage.
- Connect the charger to your car battery terminals. Your charger’s clamps should match the posts. Be careful not to touch your charger’s terminals to the negative terminal you just disconnected.
- Set the voltage to 12 volts and choose “flooded” or “wet” for the battery type. Flooded and wet are car industry terms for a regular car battery, as opposed to an AGM battery, enhanced flooded battery or a lithium battery. If you’re using a smart charger, it may detect the voltage and battery type for you.
- Start the charger and wait. Depending on your battery charger, it may take 4-8 hours to charge your battery enough to start the car a few times. It may take 10-24 hours to charge your battery up to 100 percent. The longer you charge it, the more strength the charger can put in the car battery.
- Disconnect the charger from the battery when it’s done. Your charger’s indicator light will signal when it’s done charging the battery. Again, avoid letting the charger’s clamps touch the battery’s loose negative clamp.
- Reconnect the car’s negative terminal to the battery. Disconnect the backup battery. Now you’re ready to hit the road with a fresh start.
Charging your car battery will warm it up. If it gets too hot, the water inside the battery evaporates. In turn, the liquid inside gets more acidic. That means the battery’s insides corrode much faster. The solution is to charge your battery slowly. You want to raise its charge without raising its temperature.
Recharging your battery can add months to its lifespan. It also strengthens the battery so it can better serve your whole engine. The car battery does more than start your engine. It protects your onboard electronics from the engine’s stray power spikes. It also backfills your alternator if your engine or electronics need more power than the alternator can give at any moment.
What types of battery charger should you use?
Use an automatic battery charger that adjusts its charging voltage for the fastest charge.
Chargers vary significantly, even within their types. From trickle chargers to smart chargers and maintainers, the biggest difference between battery chargers comes down to how long do you plan to charge the battery:
- Use a smart or automatic charger for 10-24 hours. It depends on how weak the battery is and which amp settings your specific charger uses. Your car battery will be 100 percent charged when it’s done.
- Use a trickle charger for several days to a week. The most common charger type, trickle chargers, use far fewer amps but can push enough power into the battery to charge it slowly. Some trickle chargers are solar powered. Others plug into a wall. They all provide a steady trickle of power.
- Use a battery maintainer for months. These don’t charge batteries. If you charge a battery to 75 percent and then hook it up to a maintainer in the fall, it’ll still be 75 percent next spring.
Another device you might find sold beside a battery charger is a jump-starter.However, jump-starters do not charge your car battery. They only send power (through your car battery) to the starter so you can get going again.
How a car battery charger works (and why it takes so long)
Charging a battery is like blowing air into a balloon.
At first, you can push a lot of air into the balloon without much effort. Then you have to blow harder as it fills up. When it’s almost full, you’ve got to blow as hard as ever. At that point, you’re working just as hard to keep air in the balloon instead of blowing back into your face.
Car battery chargers go through three phases as they charge a car battery:
- The bulk phase. The charger raises the battery up to 75 percent in a few hours because it doesn’t have to raise its voltage much to fill it with amps. The charger takes this process slow to keep the battery from getting too warm. By the way, a car battery at 75 percent is not going to reliably start your car for long.
- The absorption phase. Now the charger must raise its voltage to push the last 25 percent into the battery. As it charges up, the battery’s voltage returns to a normal 12 volts. The charger needs more voltage to finish pushing power into the battery. Higher voltage can heat up the battery, so the charger goes slow. It may take hours to absorb its new power.
- The float phase. This phase keeps the battery’s voltage up until you’re ready to take it off the charger. Now your battery is up to 100 percent, so the charger turns into a trickle charger. After all, an idle battery slowly loses its charge.
What are the signs and symptoms that your car battery needs charging or replacing?
Here are the most common signs and symptoms that it’s time to charge or replace a car battery:
- Your car has trouble starting.
- The vehicle’s start-stop system malfunctions.
- You have a battery that is over five years old.
- The car’s electrical system is losing power.
- Your dashboard’s battery warning light illuminates.
Your car has trouble starting
We’ve all undoubtedly felt that sinking feeling while trying to start our vehicle and it splutters and growls back at you at some point or another. Your battery needs to be charged if your automobile won’t start with a single turn of the key (or push of a button). Investing in a battery charge, such as those in the new CTEK line, is a far easier method to deal with the issue than continuing to try to start the engine and then, if you are successful, setting out on a journey of at least 30 minutes to give your battery enough time to charge (more on that below).
The vehicle’s start-stop system malfunctions
Your battery can be monitored by start-stop systems, which can also measure the amount of electricity being extracted from it. In order to prevent the battery from being so severely discharged that your car won’t actually start, the system may disable the start-stop function if it detects that your battery is having trouble. Once more, the winter months present more of a problem because your battery is under additional stress from your heater, lights, and wipers. And once more, a battery charger can be used to solve this problem. Make sure to pick a type of charger, like a smart charger, that works with start-stop batteries.
You have a battery that is over five years old
Although most automobile batteries are made to last between five and seven years, a battery that is having trouble may simply be an indication that it is nearing the end of its useful life. The date that the battery was made, which is stamped on the battery, can be used to determine how old it is.
The car’s electrical system is losing power
It’s likely time to charge your battery if your windows, lights, heater, or other electric devices respond slowly or suddenly lose power. This kind of issue is more likely to be present during the colder months when you use more of your car’s electrical systems, such as the lights and heater, and your battery has to work more to keep everything running. Once more, this is a circumstance in which a battery charger would be really helpful.
Your dashboard’s battery warning light illuminates
If your dashboard displays that annoying battery icon, it indicates your alternator, battery, or electrical system may be malfunctioning. All of this indicates that your car won’t be effectively charging itself while you’re driving, and you’ll likely experience a flat battery at some point in the future. In either case, you should have your car checked by a professional.
How much does it cost to charge a car battery?
Your battery can cost between $10 and $20 to be charged at an auto repair shop. But, if the battery is damaged, you’ll need to buy a new one to swap out the damaged one. Standard lead acid batteries are easier to install and take less time, therefore a repair shop may charge $5 to $10 to do so.
FAQs
How long does it take to charge a completely dead car battery?
It will take roughly 10–24 hours to fully charge a standard automotive battery with a usual charge amp of 4–8 amperes. It would take about 2-4 hours to sufficiently charge your battery so that you could start the engine. Recharging slowly is the best strategy to ensure that your car battery lasts a long time.
How do you know when a car battery is fully charged?
You’ll need a voltmeter to check the voltage; they are reasonably priced and available at most of the major auto parts retailers. Use the voltmeter to measure the battery voltage to assist you to decide what to do next. Your battery is healthy and fully charged if it is 12.6 volts or above. No other action is required.
Does idling a car charge the battery?
Yes, your car’s battery will begin to charge as long as the engine is running, to answer your question simply.
Will a car battery recharge itself overnight?
No. There is no way for a dead automobile battery to recharge. You might take it outside to charge it or jumpstart it using a different battery or another vehicle. There isn’t a car battery out there that can charge by itself without help.
Can a dead car battery still be charged?
There are ways to fully recharge your battery if it is entirely dead but has been given a jump start. As was already explained, the first is by driving around. But, automotive battery chargers can regenerate the entire charge into a battery if that doesn’t seem to be working.
How many times can a car battery be recharged?
Depending on driving and weather conditions, most car batteries have a lifespan of three to five years or between 500 and 1,000 charging cycles. Your car battery won’t last forever, but you can make it last as long as possible by taking good care of it.
How far do you have to drive to charge a battery?
Driving for at least 30 minutes at highway speeds is required to acquire a full charge from a trip. 30 to 40 miles approximately. To gain power, you can also let your automobile idle, but it will take much longer.
How long should I let my car run after a jump?
After you jump-start the automobile, it’s advisable to drive it about or let it idle for at least 30 minutes. For the alternator to properly charge the battery, you should ideally drive the automobile for 30 minutes.
What can drain a car battery when the car is off?
When a car is not in use, factors like interior lights, door lights, or even faulty relays can deplete the battery. You usually don’t have to worry about the battery dying while you’re playing the radio on your commute to work because the alternator recharges it while your engine is running.
What should you not do after you jumpstart a car?
Your automobile won’t charge as rapidly if you leave it idling. Your car should restart within 30 minutes, and each subsequent drive will keep it charged.
How long to charge a battery at 2 amps?
It takes 24 hours to fully charge a 48 amp battery at 2 amps. A battery has around 48 amps, so divide 48 by 2 and you arrive at 24 hours.
How long to charge a battery at 6 amps?
To fully charge a battery at 6 amps it takes 8 hours.
How long to charge a battery at 8 amps?
To fully charge a battery at 8 amps it takes 6 hours.
How long to charge a battery at 10 amps?
To fully charge a battery at 10 amps it takes almost 5 hours.
How long to charge a battery at 20 amps?
Before you charge a car battery at 20 amps, if it’s dead this can potentially damage the battery. But to fully charge a battery at 20 amps it takes 2 and a half hours.
How long does it take to charge a battery at 50 amps?
Before you charge a car battery at 50 amps, if it’s dead this can potentially damage the battery. But to fully charge a battery at 50 amps it takes 1 hour.
How much charge does a car battery need to start
12.4 volts
A fully charged car battery should have a voltage of around 12.6 volts. When the battery voltage drops below 12 volts, there is a possibility that it won’t have enough power to start the car. It is recommended to have a battery with a voltage of at least 12.4 volts to ensure a reliable start.
