Battery charging

When the battery is determined to be empty, charging can be done on or off the vehicle. Workshop chargers are for charging batteries.

A battery is used only to start the engine and power the electrical equipment when the engine is not running. While the engine is running, the battery is charged by the alternator. The alternator ensures the battery is always charged and ready to restart the engine. However, batteries can become discharged and require charging, especially if the vehicle has been stationary for more than a few weeks or if the charging system is faulty. Also, before testing the battery, it is preferable to charge it. Before charging, it is necessary to determine the speed (time) of charging the battery. But you should know that slow charging is less stressful for the battery than fast charging.

Charging the battery on the vehicle

The battery is usually removed from the vehicle when charging is required. If we want to charge the battery on the vehicle, the negative terminal is removed to reduce the risk to the vehicle’s electronics. When the battery terminals and poles are badly corroded, you may need to clean them before charging.

The charging mode (slow or fast) or by selecting the initial charging current is set on the rectifier. It is best to charge the battery more slowly, with a twenty-hour charging current. We divide the battery capacity by 20 and get the charging current (e.g 60 Ah : 20 h = 3 A).

Professional automatic chargers are used in services. They are safe for fast, ten-hour battery charging. With such chargers, the battery capacity or the calculated 10-hour charging current is set (eg 60 Ah : 10 h = 6 A). These chargers automatically reduce the charging current with an increase in voltage, thus protecting the battery from overheating and the appearance of gases due to the boiling of the electrolyte.

It is recommended to clean the poles, cable clamps, and housing after charging the battery.