Effective Ways To Charge Your Car Battery

Your car battery is one of the most critical components for starting and running the engine and all the parts that go with it. Plus, it is integral to the entire electrical system, including the computer chips and safety features. Without a good battery, the vehicle will be dead in the water.

Just because you go out in the morning to start your car and it is dead does not automatically mean you need a new battery. You can try to give it some new life with an inexpensive battery charger. But, what are the most effective ways to charge your car battery, and what should be avoided while doing it?

• See Also: Tips On Driving Through Floodwaters During Rainy Season

Battery Charger Or Trickle Charger

The best way to charge your car battery is to use a battery charger. A trickle charger must be used first if the battery is completely dead. These devices are designed to charge a 12-volt battery, which is the safest way to get the job done.

As with every task, there is a right way to charge a battery with them, and there is a wrong way. It is essential to follow basic safety procedures and wear protective gear to ensure no injuries occur to you or your helpers.

• Make sure that the battery charger is turned to the off position or left unplugged.
• Hook the positive battery charging cable to the positive post on the battery.
• Hook the negative battery charging cable to the negative post on the battery.
• Plug the battery charger in.
• Set the charger to the slowest setting to ensure proper battery charging.
• Turn the charger on.

These are just basic steps to follow, but your specific battery charger may have something else they suggest. That is why it is essential to read the owner’s manual and the operating instructions before ever using it.

Jump Start From Another Car

Jump-starting a car can be an effective way to get enough charge in the battery to get your vehicle started, but it can damage both vehicles if it is not done correctly. Before getting into that, though, it must be said that this is only a temporary fix because car battery replacement may be needed if the battery has an issue.

Once the car is started, get to the closest auto repair shop in Wisconsin and have them test the charging system for you. They can tell what is wrong and what will need to be replaced.

• Park both vehicles in such a way that the battery jumper cables can reach all four posts without getting tangled up in any engine components. The best way is to park nose to nose, but that is not always possible.
• Ensure both vehicles are in park and the parking brakes are on.
• Open both hoods and prop them up correctly to keep them from falling down while trying to jump-start the car.
• Hold the clamp ends away from each other and hook the positive cables up to both positive battery posts, starting with the car you are jumping to first.
• Next, you will need to hook up the negative cables. You do not want to hook these directly to the battery. They must be clamped onto a piece of unpainted metal, starting with the car being jumped first.
• Start the car with the good battery and wait a few minutes to let the dead battery charge.
• Try to start the car with the dead battery. If it turns over, take the cables off in the reverse order they were put on, ensuring the clamp ends are kept from touching each other.
• If the car with the trouble does not start immediately, wait a little longer and crank it over again.

Many new cars will have areas designed into vehicles that allow you to hook up jumper cables without using the battery. If either car has them make sure to use them because they will increase the safety of the task. Always be careful when jumping a car, and watch out for any moving parts.

Conclusion

There are several other ways to charge your car battery, such as using your solar panels or UPS converter, but not everyone has these. If you do, check out some ways to use them by looking at your owner’s manuals.

For most people, these are the best two ways to charge a battery that has gone dead. If the issue is a bad battery, take it to a reputable shop, like the one at Easton Motors, and have it replaced by professionals.

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