For example, leaving an interior light on overnight will drain your battery, but if the battery is "healthy" then it should quickly recharge. You might need to charge your car battery if your engine is sluggish or slow to start, or if your battery is completely dead.īeyond starting your car, charging your battery can help clue you in to whether or not it's time for a new one. When your battery is too weak or old, it can't do either of these things. The car battery provides a steady stream of voltage to keep your engine and accessories running (like your radio, headlights, and any onboard computers). The battery delivers voltage to the starter by transforming chemical energy into electrical energy. It gives your car the power it needs to start. What Does a Car Battery Doīefore we charge ahead, you should know what a car battery does. Our Roadside Assistance folks are available 24/7 for jumpstarts, tows, and more. Firestone Complete Auto Care is only a phone call away. Follow along to learn how to charge a car battery safely and how long to let your car battery charge.Īs you read, remember that you're not alone out there on the road. You also don't want to get stuck with a dead battery (again) if you don't let the battery charge long enough. You don't want to get shocked or accidentally touch battery acid. We also looked at special features including the ability to jump-start a car with a dead battery and cold weather performance.Charging a dead car battery is a bit more complex (and potentially more dangerous) than charging your smartphone. We reviewed products at their rated current, informative front panels, protection against accidentally crossing cables and manufacturer reputation. They’re more advanced and don’t cost more than charger-only devices. ![]() We considered charger-maintainers that trickle-charge a battery to full charge and then maintain the battery charge indefinitely (for weeks or months) without damage. Most will charge and then maintain six- and 12-volt car batteries. The modern maintainers will turn on and off to avoid overcharging. Traditional battery trickle chargers can only supply a constant charge. Read on to learn about five of the best options on the market today. There are also six-volt and 12-volt units, depending on your needs. The most affordable modern chargers can cost as little as $30 and some cost as much as $100. Where there was once a simple green light to let you know a battery was charged, now there are multiple sensors and functions, plus LED monitors. They can also detect weak batteries and automatically cut power if the user crosses the battery cables. Plug one in and forget it for a day, a week or the entire season. They’ve evolved to smart, microprocessor-controlled battery charger-maintainers that turn on and off to avoid overcharging. They only provide a constant current to the battery, which requires a car owner to monitor the charger and the vehicle. Traditional trickle chargers connect a set of wires to your battery and charge at a steady rate. ![]() Nothing kills a car battery quicker than when a car sits for weeks and months on end. But when you don’t, especially if a vehicle stays outside in the cold, the battery will drain. When you drive a vehicle every day, its battery stays at a constant state of charge. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Home does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Home. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. This compensation comes from two main sources. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Home site. The Forbes Home editorial team is independent and objective.
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