How long does it take to charge a car battery?
You’re in a hurry on the way to work, you get in your car and quickly turn the key – nothing happens.
The car battery is discharged. You have a car battery charger in your garage, but how long does it take to charge a car battery?
Charging a car battery is not always as easy as it seems; There are several tricks to save battery life and give it longer life!
In this article, you’ll get all the answers you want to this question, and then some!
How long does it take to charge a dead car battery?
Typically, it will take 2 to 4 hours to fully charge a car battery with a 20 amp battery charger and 12 to 24 hours with a 4 amp charger. Charging time largely depends on the car battery and the power output of the charger.
The most common rate for car battery chargers is around 4 amps. To fully charge a size 52 battery Oh It would take about 10 hours from dead to fully charged, but you could probably start your car in 1 hour.
First, you need to look at your car battery charger to find out how many amps it provides. High amps charge your car battery faster. Low amperage is best for slowly charging the battery over long periods of time.
You should also look at the size and type of your car’s battery. Typically, an average-sized car uses a 40-80 Ah battery. You should also consider the type of car battery. A General Meeting of Shareholders/The GEL battery can be charged a little faster than a normal wet battery.
Charging time with different battery chargers
Different car battery chargers provide different amounts of energy, so the charging time of a car battery will depend a lot on this. Of course, it also takes a different time to charge different types and sizes of batteries, but there are times for a normal size car battery of around 62 Ah.
This is the time it takes to charge a car battery:
- 2A charger: 24 to 48 hours
- 4A charger: 12 to 24 hours
- 10A charger: 3 to 6 hours
- 20A charger: 2 to 4 hours
- 40A charger: 30 minutes to 1 hour
What is the best speed to charge a car battery?
The charging speed of your car battery should depend on what you want to purchase. Fast charging can damage the battery and shorten its life. Long-term charging at low amperage is best for extending battery life.
Typically, a standard car battery charger delivers 4 to 15 amps. 2 to 4 amps are typical for trickle charging, and it will take approximately 24 hours to fully charge a discharged battery with this charge. Check the charging rate setting of your car battery charger and apply the charging rate according to your needs.
To charge your car battery quickly, without damaging your car battery, I recommend charging your battery at a rate of 8-15 amps. Charging your battery at more than 15 amps can damage your battery if you’re unlucky and shorten its life.
What causes a battery to discharge?
There may be several reasons why your car battery has died. The most common reason is that you forgot a light or something similar in the car before leaving it. This can also be a problem with certain electrical consumers that do not want to come out when you turn off the ignition.
Additionally, a bad car battery can drain your battery. To learn more about the different causes, you can check out an article on the main reasons why your car battery dies.
How long do you have to drive a car to recharge a dead battery?
If you are jump-starting, you can also let your car’s alternator charge the car battery for you. The time it will take for your car to charge the battery depends a lot on the car engine and the size of the car battery. Cars have very different effects on alternators, giving out 30 to 150 amps.
Engine rpm is also important when charging a car battery because the alternator charges harder the faster it spins. If you want to fully charge your car battery with your alternator, you can expect it to take a few hours.
However, it is still recommended to charge your dead car battery with a car battery charger instead of the engine.
Which car battery charger is best to use?
First, you need to determine the type of battery charger you need. Maybe you need a fast charger or just a maintenance charger?
Modern chargers are easy to connect and have battery charge monitoring, which will regulate the amps themselves. But anyway, check how many amps it charges before purchasing one.
Cheaper chargers often promise more amps than they charge. It is better to choose a quality charger that provides lower amps. This will save your car battery and minimize the risk of damage to your vehicle.
One car battery charger that I can really recommend is the CTEK Charger. You can find them here in our “Best Car Battery Chargers” list. They have several sizes of chargers for your needs, and it is a well-known brand that probably makes the best car battery chargers on the market.
