Dead car battery

[Vlad D Impeller]

I have this battery on the charger @10 amps, i"ve had it like that for the last 10 to 11 hours.

How long does the avg car battery take to charge?

Should i reduce the charge to 2 amps and leave it until the greenlight comes on?

At the moment the green light on the charger would intermittently flash on/off, but never stays on long enough to indicate that the battery is fully charged.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Dead car battery

At ten amps it should be charged in 10 hours. Check the voltage with a meter.

I finally broke down and bought a smart charger. Only way to go. Eliminates all the guess work.

 

[JB]

Re: Dead car battery

Get a hydrometer or a load tester (hydrometer is a LOT less expensive).

They are the only reliable ways to test a battery.

Just like a very sick outboard will "run great" in neutral on the muffs, a very sick battery will read 12.6 volts on a meter with no load on it.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Dead car battery

The charger that i'm using is a Shumacher model 520A-PE. 10Amps/2Amps.
It is about 12 to 15 years old, and very basic, it tells you that its either charging or full.

There is no voltage meter on it. The charger works as it should, therefore i'm hesitant to go out and buy a more sophisticated and up to date model charger.

I shall be moving soon and the less i have to get packed the better.

Is there perhaps a good Amp and Voltage meter that you could recomend?


Edit: Thanks JB, you posted while i was typing, i shall google Hydrometer.

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Dead car battery

Break down and buy a smart charger and a load tester or just a load tester.They can be bought for 29-50$ That way you know if you stuff is working.
I bought a charger from Sears it lasted till just after the warranty went out. I KNEW it still had to be good so I kept trying to use it and thinking my battery was bad. Than I pulled out an old charger and hooked it up and it worked.
The load tester is the final answer.A hydrometer is a good idea too.Jerry

 

[BRG25]

Re: Dead car battery

Take it to Autozone or Napa and have them load test it for free. I do this with my boat battery every year.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Dead car battery

Edit,, not worth it.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Dead car battery

Generally speaking a battery that will not fully charge has a shorted cell which can not be repaired.If the ammeter does not drop to a minimal rate after an adequate time or the charge light indicates it is still charging I would consider that battery as failing or in need of replacing soon.Ron G

 

[JB]

Re: Dead car battery

As several of us have said, a hydrometer or load tester will prove whether or not a battery is good, no need to "consider".

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Dead car battery

Another thing about batterys is you never need to add acid, the acid always stays in the battery and is absorbed into the plates as it gets old. Hot weather will kill one quicker than cold weather.Even though many people kill them trying for cold starts most go bad in hot weather.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Dead car battery

sorry for double post

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Dead car battery

Generally speaking a battery that will not fully charge has a shorted cell which can not be repaired.If the ammeter does not drop to a minimal rate after an adequate time or the charge light indicates it is still charging I would consider that battery as failing or in need of replacing soon.Ron G

Exactly. Why make rocket science out of a dead battery. If the battery wont take a charge it is shot. Sheesh... Consider this, Why even bother to put a load test on a battery that wont take a charge not to mention hold a charge. Why do we over complicate everything.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Dead car battery

A loadtester can be a substantial investment to some of us and it can sometimes be an inconvenience to get to a place that will do it for free.
A hydrometer likewise is useless on a "maintainance free" battery with sealed cells.They are nice to have however but are not the only way to diagnose a failing battery.Ron G

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Dead car battery

I replaced the dead battery, it would not hold the charge.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Dead car battery

A hydrometer likewise is useless on a "maintainance free" battery with sealed cells.They are nice to have however but are not the only way to diagnose a failing battery.Ron G

Typically, even the "maintenance free" batteries have caps that you can remove to test the electrolyte. They are just a little harder to remove because you have to insert a screwdriver to get the caps off.