No matter how the car changes, the design of the car battery remains unchanged, and the requirements for it are growing. Despite the ultra-modern technologies for the production of plates and electrolytes, batteries, as before, require attention and care. And charging first. Today we will talk about the charging time of the battery, we will only remember how to correctly and with what it needs to be charged. By the way, time also depends on this.
When to charge the battery
Not every store-bought battery is dry-charged. This means that it is enough to add electrolyte to it and you can safely put it on the car. The batteries are also sold completely ready for use. But this needs to be clarified in the instructions for a specific battery. We're not talking about new devices at all. A battery that is operated under normal conditions, without overloading and with fully functional electrical equipment, may need to be charged extremely rarely. The battery loses power quickly:
The fact that the battery needs to be charged is eloquently indicated by the fact that the car simply does not start. The battery does not have enough voltage to crank the engine with the starter, therefore starting is not possible. To verify that the battery is discharged, you can simply check the voltage at the terminals. The normal indicator is 12-13 volts, if the tester shows 11 V, the battery is 75% discharged, half the battery will show 10 volts, and if the voltage at the terminals is less, the battery is completely discharged.
How to properly charge the battery
It is very important to know how much to charge a car battery, because charging it correctly will increase its service life, and the battery warranty is usually 4-5 years. This is if you do not violate the charging technology and properly operate the device. The principle of charging the battery is quite simple, but you need to strictly adhere to the technology. A charging current of about 14 volts is supplied to the battery terminals, while the battery resistance increases and becomes less. The moment the battery reaches its rated charge, the resistance is highest and the current tends to zero.
If you overexpose the battery in this position, then the electrolyte may boil, which does not shine with anything good. As a result of this, sulfation can begin, the plates crumble and the battery is short-circuited. This is no longer cured. Therefore, they try to use special chargers for charging, which automatically control the charging process. Let's talk about them.
What are the chargers
Depending on the design, chargers can be of two types:
- Transformer.
- Pulse.
Transformer devices do their job better, from the point of view of physics, but they are very bulky, expensive and require constant control over the process. The fact is that the highest quality battery charge is achieved with several charge / discharge cycles. The battery capacity is then maintained at a stable level throughout its life. But in order to constantly monitor the transformer charger, time and inspiration are needed, which, unfortunately, many do not have enough. Therefore, transformer devices have been replaced by more technologically advanced pulse chargers.
Impulse chargers
Impulse devices are incredibly compact and highly automated compared to transformer devices. The charger, among other things, must also straighten and stabilize the current in the network, because we charge the battery with direct current, and the household network gives a break. In addition, the quality of battery charging is highly dependent on the voltage. The impulse device is precisely designed to control these indicators, and much more accurately than transformer devices.
But this is not the most important thing in pulse chargers. The most valuable thing in them is the complete automation of the process. We only need to check the electrolyte level, polarity, set the desired charging time, and the device starts a series of cyclic charging / discharging until the battery reaches the required charge value of 12 volts. After charging, the device automatically turns off, which is indicated by the LED indicator.
Consequently, the battery charging time is influenced not so much by the degree of its discharge as by the charging method. Therefore, with experience and a transformer device, this method, of course, will be the best option. But on the other hand, the impulse memory will allow you to clearly and quickly charge the battery at the proper level, without requiring special knowledge and skills from the user. Watch your battery, do not run out of power, and good luck to everyone!
Lead-acid batteries are charged from a "rectified" (direct) current source. For this, any device that allows you to regulate the current or charging voltage is suitable, provided that it provides an increase in the charging voltage to 16.0-16.5 volts. Otherwise, it will not be possible to fully charge a modern 12-volt battery, up to 100 percent of its capacity.
For charging, the positive terminal of the charger is connected to the (+) terminal of the battery and the negative terminal to the (-) terminal.
There are two charging modes: constant current mode and constant voltage mode. These modes are equivalent in their influence on the battery life.
Constant current charging.
The battery is charged at a current that is one tenth of the rated capacity for a twenty hour discharge. That is, for a battery with a capacity of 60 A / h (ampere per hour), a charging current of 6A is needed. The disadvantage of this charging mode is the need for repeated (every 1-2 hours) monitoring of the current value and its regulation, as well as strong gas evolution at the end of the process.In order to reduce gassing and ensure a more complete battery charge, it is useful to apply a gradual decrease in amperage as the charge voltage rises. When the voltage reaches 14.4 volts, the charge current must be halved to 3 amperes (for a battery with a capacity of 60 A / h) and continue charging until gas evolution starts.
In modern batteries that are not equipped with holes for refilling water, after increasing the charging voltage to 15 volts, it is useful to again reduce the charging current by half - to 1.5 amperes (for a battery with a capacity of 60 A / h).
For so-called maintenance-free batteries, the state of full charge occurs at a voltage value equal to 16.3-16.4 volts (the difference depends on the quality of the electrolyte and the composition of the alloys from which the grids are made).
Charging in constant voltage mode.
With this method, the charge level of the battery at the end of the process depends on the charge voltage supplied by the charger. So after continuous 24-hour charging at a voltage of 14.4 volts, a 12-volt battery will be charged to 75-85% of its capacity, at a voltage of 15 volts - up to 85-90%, and at 16 volts - up to 95-97 %. Completely in 20-24 hours. the battery is charged when a voltage of 16.3-16.4 volts is applied to it.Depending on the capacity and internal resistance of the battery at the time of charging, the current passing through it can exceed 50 amperes. Therefore, in order to avoid its failure in chargers, the maximum current is limited to 20-25 amperes.
During charging, the voltage at the battery terminals gradually reaches the value of the charger voltage, and the charge current decreases to almost zero (provided that the charge voltage is less than the voltage at which gas evolution begins). Thus, charging can be done without constant human attention. The indicator of the completion of charging here is considered to be an increase in the voltage at the battery terminals to 14.3-14.5 volts. At this time, the green light usually turns on, indicating the moment the required voltage is reached and the end of the charging process.
In practice, normal charging (up to 90-95% of capacity) of maintenance-free batteries with modern chargers with a maximum voltage of 14.4-14.5 volts usually takes more than 24 hours.
Car battery charging.
In a car, the battery is recharged in constant voltage mode while the engine is running. By agreement with battery manufacturers, car manufacturers set a charging voltage of 13.8-14.3 volts in generators - less than the voltage at which intense gas evolution occurs.With a decrease in the air temperature, the internal resistance of the battery increases, due to which the efficiency of its charging in the constant voltage mode decreases. For this reason, it is not always possible to fully charge the battery on a car, and in winter, when the voltage at the terminals is 13.9-14.3 volts and the high-beam lights are on, the battery charge does not exceed 70-75%. In this regard, in winter, in conditions of low temperatures, short driving distances and frequent cold engine starts, it is useful to charge the battery indoors using a charger at least once a month.
Electrolyte density control.
A freshly charged battery has an electrolyte density indicator in each can in the range of 1.27-1.29 g / cm 3. As the charge is consumed, the density gradually decreases and the battery, discharged by half, is 1.19-1.21 g / cm 3. With a full discharge, the density of the electrolyte reaches 1.09-1.11 g / cm 3.For a normally charged battery that does not have internal short circuits, the electrolyte density in all banks is approximately the same with a discrepancy of no more than 0.02 g / cm 3. If an internal short circuit occurs in any of the cans, the electrolyte density in it will be lower than in the rest, by 0.10-0.15 g / cm 3.
The density of electrolyte and other liquids is measured with an instrument called a hydrometer. For various liquids, the hydrometer has replaceable densitometers (from the Latin word densum - density, density, viscosity).
When measuring density, the hydrometer should, if possible, be held so that the float does not touch the tube wall. Together with this, the temperature of the electrolyte is measured, and the density is calculated on the basis that its temperature is + 25 ° C. To do this, the hydrometer reading is increased or decreased by a value that is taken from the table given in the corresponding special literature.
| CLIMATE AND TIME OF THE YEAR IN MEASUREMENT DENSITY OF ELECTROLYTE | DENSITY (g / cm 3) | |||
| Accum. charged | Accum. discharged | |||
| by 25% | by 50% | |||
| Very cold (temperature in January from -50 ° C to -30 ° C) | WINTER | 1,30 | 1,26 | 1,22 |
| SUMMER | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | |
| Cold (temperature in January from -30 ° C to -15 ° C) | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | |
| Moderate (temperature in January from -15 ° C to -8 ° C) | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | |
| Warm humid (temperature in January from 0 ° C to + 4 ° C) | 1,23 | 1,19 | 1,15 | |
| Hot dry (temperature in January from -15 ° C to + 4 ° C) | 1,23 | 1,19 | 1,15 | |
If the operating cycle voltage on the battery is less than 12.6 volts, and the electrolyte density is less than 1.24 g / cm 3, you should check the voltage at the terminals with the engine running and put the battery on charge.
By regularly performing these simple steps, you can achieve long-term and trouble-free operation of the battery at any time of the year.
The engine is the "heart of the car", then the battery is part of its nervous system - this is its spinal cord. The operation of electrical appliances and, of course, the start of the engine depends on a normally functioning battery. Start-up in cold weather is especially critical. The battery must be prepared for winter. Any diagnostician and experienced car enthusiast knows that the key indicator when diagnosing a battery is its voltage.
VoltageIs a physical quantity, the value of which equal to the work of the effective electric field (including extraneous fields), performed during the transfer of a single test electric charge from point A to point B.
In simple terms, this is the stored energy that the battery will transfer to the starter when the key is turned. The starter will spend this energy, and then the generator will compensate. This process must be inseparable. The driver must constantly monitor the voltage. In order not to get confused and to do everything right, consider everything in order.
Normal values \u200b\u200bwith and without load
To recognize a problem, you need to know how the battery works. To identify deviations in work, you need to know what voltage the charged car battery should show. Let's consider how correctly determine charge battery. 
It is very important to understand at what point to measure: at rest or under load. These are fundamentally different quantities. First of all, consider the nominal and actual voltage at rest of the charged battery without load.
- Nominal (at rest)should be 12.6 - 12.7 V. This figure is spelled out in the passports and instructions for batteries of almost any manufacturer and it speaks of the complete serviceability and normal operation of the battery.
- Actual (at rest) is somewhat different from the nominal. In fact, the range ranges from 12.4 to 12.8 V.
When measuring the battery voltage at rest, the value can rise to 13.2 V. This pattern will appear if you measure it immediately after charging, so you need to wait 30 minutes and repeat the measurement. Then you will see the real figure.
Often 12.6 volts is what the voltage should be normal battery.
Important! If the battery charge at rest has dropped below 12 in - this indicates that the battery is insufficiently charged and it is urgent to put the battery on charge.
Now let's figure out the battery voltage under load. What is it for and what are the standards?
The battery load is required to check the battery health. Any battery can withstand the standard voltage, but the load is far from any. If the battery is loaded, the voltage will change.
This check is very simple. We load the battery with a special device.
The load should be almost twice the battery capacity... For example, if your battery has a capacity of 80 A / h, we load it with 160 amperes.
The load is given on 5 seconds (no more)! The voltage should be higher 9 volts... If the charge falls below this limit, it means the battery is discharged, or its further operation is impossible. There is one nuance in this process. After loading, the voltage should approach the norm in about 5-6 seconds. 
To find out the state of the battery, you need to repeat the entire process after charging. If from the second time the value rises to 9 volts and above, then the battery is in a normal state, but was discharged.
Determination of the charge level
The battery voltage is measured with a multimeter (a voltmeter or load plug is also suitable). In order to measure the voltage (no matter under load or at rest), it is necessary to switch the multimeter regulator to the "U" mode and lean the test leads of the device against the battery terminals. The display will show the measurement result.
As stated above, the measurement can be made at rest and under load. In the first case, and also, if we take the load from an external device - electrical circuits must be open, ignition off.
Checking the battery voltage under load using the vehicle's on-board network is undesirable, because the network is not connected directly to the battery. Therefore, there may be measurement errors and inaccuracies.
Important! Load fork must be used strictly according to the poles (plus or minus). But when measuring with a voltmeter or multimeter, you can ignore the polarity of the probes and battery terminals.
In addition to voltage, there is also the level of charge of the battery. These two quantities are inseparable from each other. Knowing the normal and actual voltage of the battery, we can determine to what extent it is charged, whether it needs to be recharged more. Let's look at how to check the battery charge level.
Charge table
This table will help you determine the battery condition and state of charge.
Define voltage charge level is not difficult.As you can see from the table, when the voltage drops to 12.06 volts, we can talk about the battery being discharged by half. If the voltage drops to 11.31 volts, then it is only 10% charged. A voltage drop below indicates its complete discharge. On the contrary, if the battery charge is 12.6 volts or more, then it is fully charged and no recharging is required. Voltage at 12.5 - 13 volts - exactly what and need to be charged.
It must be remembered that these data are relevant only for classic lead - acid batteries, the charge of EFB, AGM, GEL and other technological batteries must be checked against other tables. For example in the voltage of a fully charged EFB battery is 16 volts.
Useful video
A detailed video about determining the health of the battery by voltage:
Reasons for deviations from the norm
If a charged battery loses its charge overnight, there can be a variety of reasons. The battery charge level can quickly degrade due to natural causes and a number of problems:
- The battery has simply exhausted its resource due to long-term operation and requires replacement.
- Also generator may break, which charges the battery during the trip and compensates for the battery energy used to start the starter.
- If the battery is new and does not require replacement, and the generator works without disturbances, it is likely that there are serious problems in the car with a current in the form of its constant leakage.
The issue of diagnosing leakage current is not considered in detail in this article, but it needs to be paid close attention. In a nutshell: the leakage current is the current consumption that was not provided for by the design of the car, which systematically drains your battery. Theoretically, any device connected to the vehicle's on-board network can be the cause of the leakage current. 
All of the above causes and malfunctions drain your battery. This explains the voltage drop, if any. Fortunately, a normal and timely diagnosis makes them easy to spot and fix.
It should be noted that the opposite situation may arise. When the voltage exceeds 13 V and the so-called overcharging of the battery occurs. This can happen due to a faulty generator (unless the car owner deliberately recharged the battery at the station, for example, in order to raise the density of the electrolyte). This can lead to the evaporation of the electrolyte and the failure of the battery. Here are the main machine malfunctions that can lead to overcharging of the battery:
- The device relay is broken. This element shuts down the generator when the battery is fully charged. If it does not work, the current continues to flow into a fully charged battery. This is a simple problem, it is not difficult to replace the relay, and it is inexpensive.
- The generator itself is broken. Repair will cost more, but the essence is the same as in the previous paragraph.
- Wrong charger selected.
Repeated measurements of the voltage at the battery terminals after eliminating the causes and several hours of its operation show the correctness of one reason or another. It is also important to evaluate such indicators as the level of electrolyte density.
In conclusion, I would like to note that timely diagnosis and elimination of the causes will extend the life of your battery and save your nerves and money in your wallet.
Battery voltage is one of the main indicators that determine the health and performance of the device. The drive is essential for starting the power plant, so efficient operation is essential.
Knowing what the normal voltage of the car battery is, it is easy to periodically check the indicator, excluding the complete discharge of the battery, an unexpected failure.
You will need a multimeter to check the storage charge. Thus, the actual voltage of the battery at rest can be obtained. In addition, there is a nominal value represented by the 12V rating used in the literature. However, in practice, this voltage indicates only 45% of the charge.
The indicator under load, which is obtained using a special device, is highlighted separately.
How to check voltage with a multimeter:
- You need to turn off the car ignition.
- Set the device to the voltage measurement mode by setting the value to 20V.
- Then metal probes are applied to the terminals. The red wire goes to plus and the black wire goes to minus.
- You can evaluate the result.
By checking the voltage of a charged car battery without load, in a calm state, the driver should get a result of 12.6V – 12.7V. But this is not an established norm, some manufacturing firms allow an increase in indicators to 13V – 13.2V. Lower values \u200b\u200bare also possible and subject to change. On most cars that are constantly in use, they get a result of 12.2V – 12.49V, which indicates a sufficient level.
Attention:
It is worth checking the battery only an hour after charging is complete. Since the multimeter will immediately show at least 13V, and after an hour the level will drop to the required 12.7V.
If the voltage drops to 12 volts, the device is most likely half discharged and requires charging. Further operation is accompanied by rapid sulfation of the lead plates, the car battery loses its characteristics, and the service life is greatly reduced.
Despite this, the engine can be started, provided that the generator and the battery itself are in good condition.
Thinking about what voltage a charged car battery should show, it is worth considering that if the voltage drops to 11.6V, then there is a strong discharge. In order for the device to continue to work, it will need recharging, it is necessary to exclude malfunctions, malfunctions.
If you want to determine the voltage of the car battery, the degree of discharge, you can use a special scheme.
- If the reading of the multimeter is at 12.6V or more, then there is a charge of 100%;
- Having found a value of 12.5V – 12.06V, it can be argued that the battery is half discharged;
- 11.9V indicates a charge of 40%, having detected a decrease to 11.75V - 11.58V, a sufficiently strong discharge can be determined, further work is possible only after inspection, recharging;
- The critical level is 11.31V – 10.5V, while the 10.5% voltage is 0% of the charge.
Important:
If during the check the display shows 8V or less, this indicates an overcharge. It is most likely impossible to restore the device, since the processes of shedding of the plates are started, the electrolyte becomes cloudy.
The density of the electrolyte is an equally important indicator for determining the degree of charge. A hydrometer is used here to obtain results.
When fully charged, the density of the electrolyte is 1.27 g / cm 3. The battery may be 50% discharged when the reading drops to 1.2 g / cm 3. Revealing the value of 1.1 g / cm 3, it is possible to assert a complete discharge.
Drive performance is very important, the quality of vehicle operation depends on it. All batteries withstand the usual test with a multimeter, but the real load easily identifies serviceable batteries and devices that have already exhausted their resource.
Testing with a load fork is a more professional approach used in services. So, you can get the most accurate data and check the efficiency of the device itself, the degree of serviceability. A similar device includes a multimeter, load resistance, advanced models include an ammeter.
Subtleties of verification:
- The load plug must be connected to the storage terminals.
- During operation, a short-circuit current will be applied to simulate the operation of the starter.
- As a result, the data on the scoreboard is evaluated, which corresponds to the degree of charge reduction when the machine is started.
Important:
Such a check is carried out only at a battery temperature of 20-25 degrees. At lower temperatures, manipulation should be postponed, since the likelihood of a strong discharge and loss of capacity increases. The load is calculated taking into account the capacity. If it is 55 A / h, the permissible load is 110 A. This effect lasts from 3 to 5 seconds.
Load fork indications:
- A result of 10.2V or more indicates a proper charge level;
- 9.6V and 9V - determine 75% and 50%, respectively, in the latter case, the device should go to charge (if it is winter, fast discharge is possible);
- A result of 8.4V corresponds to 25% charge, and 7.8V or less indicates 0%.
Normally, during the control, the indicators should not fall below 9V, and after loading the initial voltage is restored in a few seconds.
Attention:
The load plug should not be used frequently - the battery can be damaged and the capacity may be reduced.
The need to charge the drive arises when the voltage drops. Discharging is a natural process, especially at low temperatures, high network loads. To restore the charge, a special device is required - a constant current source that can convert alternating current.
Sometimes motorists wonder how many amperes a charged battery will show. But the ampere clock of a car battery indicates capacity, the ability to deliver a certain amount of current for a limited period of time. And the drive, which is not loaded, will not show any values, since the current will not flow. Knowing the capacity is necessary for correct charging, calculating the current strength.
How to ensure correct charging:
- The drive can be recharged directly on the car, but it is better to remove it and charge it fully once in a dry, warm room;
- It is necessary to connect the charger wires to the battery, bringing the red wire to the positive terminal, and the black wire to the minus;
- Then the minimum current is set on the charger;
- The battery is left for at least 8 hours;
- When the charging process is complete, the arrow on the device will be at zero.
Important:
After completing the procedure, do not immediately install the drive back. First, wipe the lid, removing the condensate that has appeared, because at the end there is a fairly strong evolution of gases.
Standard calculation assumes a current of 0.1 times the original capacity. That is, with a capacity of 60 A / h, a charge of 6 A is supplied for 20 hours. This is the optimal condition for high-quality, complete charge recovery.
In addition, it is recommended to adjust the amperage every few hours as the charge increases. Then, at the end of the procedure, it is easy to avoid strong gas formation. No monitoring is required when choosing a constant voltage method. When charging is complete, the green light will turn on.
The only source of current when starting the car is the battery. It starts the engine, which in turn starts the generator. From this moment, the battery ceases to be a current source and becomes its consumer. During the operation of the motor, the voltage of the charged car battery rises and returns to normal.
However, during frequent short journeys, the battery does not have time to charge, and there is a constant and regular decrease in charge. In this case, it is required to restore the current level using external devices. Let's consider to what level this is done and how long it takes for such a process.
Most of the situations in which a car battery is discharged are caused by the drivers. Less often, the reason lies in design features or factory defects. The battery will often deplete its charge if there is insufficient tension on the alternator belt. Due to this, there is belt slippage and insufficient generator operation.
The same problem occurs when the door is not tightly closed or the trunk is not closed to the end. The fault in this case will be the working light bulbs. In a few hours, they can significantly lower the charge level.
Normal parameters for the battery
There are a number of parameters that a normally functioning battery must meet. Consider to what voltage a car battery can be discharged, but at the same time you need to know that a too strong discharge level contributes to a rapid deterioration in the characteristics of the battery.
A battery is considered to be efficient with the following indicators:
- open circuit - 12.6-12.8V;
- when the engine is running, the "high beam" is on and the speed is about 1500 rpm - 13.8-14.2V;
- on serviced batteries, the electrolyte density at +20 С will be 1.28 g / ml.
There are also indicators at which it is required to raise the voltage in the battery:
- when the terminals are unfolded, the charge voltage of the car battery is less 12.6V;
- the electrolyte density in the serviced battery is significantly lower 1.26 g / ml;
- the difference in density between banks of joint stock bank is more than 0.2 g / ml.
The density level of the electrolyte is measured under normal conditions, which are characterized by an atmospheric pressure of 760 mm Hg. and +20 C. At negative temperatures, it is desirable to increase the density of this liquid. The normal parameter for -20 C is a density of 1.4 g / ml, since 1.2 g / ml begins to freeze under such conditions.
Charging the battery correctly
If the measurement with a voltmeter or multimeter shows the minimum voltage of the car battery, then we recharge. For this operation, you need to set up the charging device to output current in the range from 0.05 to 0.1 of the numerical value of the capacity. Accordingly, for a 55 Ah battery, an amperage of 2.75-5.5 A is used. The most gentle mode will be with lower values.
The output voltage for this operation should be between 14.4-14.6 V. It is desirable that the device be able to set a static value. With a full discharge of a 55 Ah battery, you need to withstand 10 hours with a current of 5.5 A.
The end of this procedure can be indicated by the unchanged voltage at the terminals for 1-2 hours after the set parameters have been established.
There may also be slight signs of boiling with little gassing. On automated chargers, the disconnection occurs automatically. The supply of current and voltage is regulated in the same way.
Safety regulations
You need to know that the base for the electrolyte is acid, so you need to handle the battery with extreme caution. It is necessary to avoid getting liquid on your hands, while protecting the skin with rubber gloves.
During boiling, poisonous gases are released inside the battery. They cannot be inhaled, so it is advisable to organize the charging process in a room with good ventilation, preferably forced. The release of explosive hydrogen is also possible, therefore it is necessary to exclude the use of open flames and sparking. Do not leave homemade chargers unattended for a long time.
