Charging up a flat battery in less than an hr?

Oct 26, 2005 7 Replies

In my experience whenever the car wouldnt start due to a weak battery (often in cold weather), hooking up a 6amp battery charger for 30 mins or so would usually be enough to get the car started. Yet people on here say they have theirs connected for 10 hrs etc.



How come it worked for me in much less tiime?


who are you and what are you selling :)

Possible because it warmed the battery up?

Biggles

Undercharging a car battery just mainly shortens the time you are able to heavily discharge it, i.e. starting the car, so as long as it starts up you'll be none the wiser as to the state of charge. Try several times to start a reluctant engine and you'll soon notice it hasn't had a full charge. It will still need a full charge to stay in good condition, lead acid batteries deteriorate more or less permanently if left partially charged.

Because all you wanted to do was to put enough juice in it to turn the engine. It was no way near fully charged.

My starter-charger will start my car in 10 seconds when the battery alone won't. That doesn't mean my battery is charged.

If I want to know my battery is fully charged I leave it charging overnight.

Because there's a big difference between a fully charged battery and one that has enough charge in it to start the car. In the same situation, freezing night, car wont start, my 12 amp charger has put enough in the battery to start the car after just ten minutes. Still needed several hours on a 4 amp trickle charger to fully charge it. Mike.

You either put enough current through to thaw the electrolyte, or you started first time. It probably wouldn't have been sufficiently long to start a very cold diesel with glowplugs and high compression for example.

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