At what setting should I charge (with a Sears battery charger) a moderately discharged 12 volt car battery? My battery charger has a 2-amp and 10-amp
If I should use the 2-amp option, then what is the 10-amp setting ever used for? Comments? Thanks.
EW
OK, will do. I thought the 2-amp setting would suffice, but will use the
10-amp option from now on. However, the 2-amp setting DOES fully charge the battery after several hours. Thanks.EW
Use 10 amps. Most battery chargers are self regulating and will taper down the amps as the battery gets full.
It will. It will just take longer. A 100 mA solar charger also will fully charge the battery, it will just take 100 times longer than the 10A charger to get the same charge on the batter.
--scott
Is it an automatic or manual charger? Because with a manual charger the 10A setting could damage the battery after 1-2 days of use because the current will usually stay above 1-2A, even at full charge. OTOH automatic chargers contain an electronic regulator (you may be able to see a circuit board through the vent openings) that makes the current taper down to 1/2 A or less at full charge.
If the battery discharges a lot, it might be better to recharge it after every trip, not after every 2-3.
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