It’s usually a good idea to check to see that the battery fluid level is ok (where this is possible) before connecting the charger. The charger will have cables which are usually coloured red for positive and black for negative. You need to attach the negative (black) cable from the charger to the negative connection on the car battery and attach the positive (red) cable of the charger to the positive side of the battery.

Usually it’s best to charge the battery the lowest amp setting, but this will obviously take longer. If haven’t got a lot of time, you should use a higher amp setting to enable the battery to charge faster. Using too high a setting could cause the battery to heat up and become damaged, so make sure you avoid this.
photo credit: AndyArmstrongThere are some safety issues to be aware of when it comes to car batteries and chargers. When checking the fluid level inside the battery, make sure that you don’t get any of the liquid contained in the battery in your eyes, or on your skin. It could potentially burn skin and damage your eyesight. Make sure that you wear safety goggles and ideally gloves to protect your skin from the battery acid. While you are working on the car battery and charging it, you should avoid smoking. Gases given off while charging can explode causing serious injury and damage to property.

Some chargers need to be connected to a mains electricity supply during the whole of the charging period. Others are portable and rechargeable, and can therefore be used to charge a flat car battery where there is no mains electrical supply. If driving in remote areas, or anywhere else that has no mains power supply nearby, the portable chargers are the best type to choose.

There are also solar-powered car battery chargers which plug into the 12v socket inside the car. They will trickle-charge the battery at a low amp rate and will therefore take longer to charge the battery, but they are relatively cheap and don’t need to have a mains power supply outlet. They are useful if your car is unused for long periods of time, as they can be left connected and will keep the car’s battery charged and ready to start the engine when required.

photo credit: Charles Williams

Here are some tips on car battery care:

• Check the electrolyte level in the battery. If your battery isn’t the maintenance-free sealed type, there will be removable screw caps on the top of the battery. Unscrew the caps and check that the lead plates inside the battery are covered by the liquid inside. Usually the liquid should be at the level of the bottom of the caps. There is sometimes a level indicator at the bottom of the hole that the cap screws into. The liquid should reach this level indicator. Distilled water is the best type to use for topping up.
• Check the tightness of the bracket which holds the battery in place. The battery could get damaged if the bracket is loose and allows movement.
• Check the tightness of the battery terminals. Loose terminals can cause starting problems.
• If you are doing lots of short trips, it’s unlikely that the battery gets fully charged. Use a car battery charger occasionally to bring the battery up to full charge.
• If your battery terminals look corroded, disconnect them and clean them with a wire brush. Before disconnecting, make sure that the engine isn’t running, and any accessories are switched off. When the connections are re-fitted and tightened, apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the connections to keep out moisture.
• Keep the casing of the battery clean by giving it a quick wipe with a dry cloth. Moist or dirty battery casings can allow a small current to pass between terminals and reduce the battery’s charge over time.

Following just these few simple steps can help to keep your car starting properly and running reliably, and save you a great deal of hassle and stress. If you aren’t sure if your battery needs replacing or not, take it to a mechanic and have it load-tested to see if it’s healthy or not.

Causes Of A Dead Car Battery

Usually the cause of a dead car battery (with no obvious reason such as lights being left on) is either a faulty battery or the battery is not being charged by the alternator. This could be because the alternator (the component which charges the battery) is faulty, or it could be because the belt which drives the alternator is slipping.

photo credit: Charles Williams

A quick way to check if the alternator is actually charging the battery is to start the car when it’s dark and switch on the headlights. Let the engine tick over at idle speed and look at where the headlights are shining. If the alternator is charging the battery OK, the lights should get brighter when you press on the accelerator and increase the revs. If the brightness doesn’t change, then it’s likely that the alternator isn’t charging the battery.

If the car battery is faulty, then it could be that it has just reached the end of its life. Batteries will usually last for between 3 and 5 years, depending on how fully they are charged. If you only do short trips in the car, the battery is going to spend most of its life at below full charge, and this will mean that the battery does not last as long as it would if you were doing longer trips and it was charging fully. If you have a multimeter (voltmeter) you can check the battery voltage with it. Touch the red multimeter lead to the positive battery terminal and the black lead to the negative battery terminal. With the engine off, the voltage should be between 12.5 and 12.8 volts. Start the engine, and when it is at idle speed the voltage should increase to between 13.6 and 14.3 volts. If the voltage does not increase, the alternator may be faulty.

If you are having starting problems, it could be due to loose battery terminal connections. Check that the red and black leads are tightly connected to the battery terminals. Another possible cause of starting problems is corrosion between the battery connections and terminals. If this is the case, they will need to be disconnected and cleaned. Make sure that the engine is off before you disconnect the battery.

The opposite type of car battery charger is the ‘fast charger’. This type of charger has an output of around 100-200 amps or  even greater, and can charge a flat (discharged) battery in under an hour. Fast chargers can cause the production of large amounts of internal heat inside the battery.  Fast chargers should really only be used by the professionals.

photo credit: Qfamily

Most car battery chargers on the market have an output range of 2 amps, 6 amps, 10 amps, and even as high as 50 amps at 12 volts. The output is usually adjustable and can give either a slower and longer charge or a fast charge to enable the car to be started within just a few hours.

Other types of charger can also be used, such as the car-to-car battery charger. This works in a similar way to jump-starting cables, but takes up less space when stored and is also easier to use. The device connects between the 12v sockets of the two cars, and the car with the good battery charges the flat battery, enabling starting of the car with the flat battery.

Trickle chargers are inexpensive and are unlikely to cause any damage to the car battery. They basically consist of a small transformer which plugs into the mains electricity outlet, and a pair of leads to connect to the battery. Trickle charging can take up to a few days to fully charge a dead battery, so it isn’t much use if you are in a hurry to start the car. Another type of trickle charger is the solar car battery charger, which has a small solar panel which produces enough charge to trickle charge the car battery through the 12v socket inside the car.

Rechargeable car battery chargers can be charged by mains electricity and then carried in the car, to be used to charge the battery even in areas with no power supply. Some of these chargers will have other features such as integrated torch, air compressor for inflating boats, air mattresses etc., pressure gauge, and charge indicator.

Whichever type of charger you choose, there are so many available that it’s a good idea to shop around to find the best price for the particular charger that you need.

photo credit: Charles Williams

Here are some safety tips about safe charging:

• Firstly and most importantly, make sure that you wear personal protective equipment including eye protection that is suitable for protecting your eyes from all angles. Also wear protective gloves if your skin is likely to come in contact with the battery acid.
• Keep clean water to hand so that you can rinse skin or eyes that come into contact with battery acid. If this occurs, rinse for at least 15 minutes and seek medical advice.
• Read the instructions that came with the charger and follow them closely. Avoid using chargers that do not come with clear instructions on how to use them.
• If using a mains electricity-powered charger, conect the charging cables to the battery before plugging the charger into the mains electricity outlet. This will help to avoid sparking.
• Keep anything that could cause sparks or flames away from the battery, including cigarettes, matches, lighters etc.
• Be sure to charge away from fuel vapour, so as to avoid causing an explosion.

• Avoid short circuiting the battery terminals with tools or other metallic objects, and avoid shorting between battery terminals and bodywork.
• Keep the charger as far from the car battery as possible, and keep people and pets away from the area where you are charging.
• Make sure that you charge in a well-ventilated place, so that any gas formed does not build up to dangerous levels.
• In cold weather, flat car batteries can freeze. Avoid charging frozen batteries otherwise they could rupture and leak battery acid.
• Don’t overcharge the battery, most modern car battery chargers will not overcharge the battery, however some models may overcharge.
• Charge the battery on the lowest Amp setting possible, as this will avoid overheating and excessive gas production.

Most of these points are simple to stick to, and following them will ensure that your car battery life is the longest possible and that you avoid injury and damage to property.