Can you charge car battery while still connected

Keeping your car battery in top shape is very important to make sure that you won’t have to deal with an annoying dead battery issue. A very frustrating issue that may leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere or limit your mobility, especially in emergency situations. If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, a fading battery and it needs to be charged, then you are lucky to be here!

This article will teach you the necessary steps that will give you an idea about charging a battery while still connected to the car. It is a simple yet helpful guide that will help you get out of the frustrating situation the you are in.

This article will also give you better awareness when it comes to this specific issue about your car and will help you avoid being stranded in the middle of nowhere. It will also give you an idea on ways to use a car battery charger to give it the necessary voltage that it needs to supply enough power to the entire vehicle. So, let’s get started and go through the steps that you have to take.

5Steps To Take To Charge An Automotive Battery While Still Connected

If you ever find yourself in a tight situation where you discover that your car battery is fading and you need to charge your battery. You need to take these necessary steps to go through the entire process correctly. However, you have to keep in mind that you have to use protective goggles to carry on with the charging of your battery.

Now, let us begin with the charging process!

Step 1 – Let Us Start With The Charger

The very first thing you have to do to carry on with the entire process is to secure or get your car battery charger. Bear in mind that battery charges come in a variety of brands and they are not all the same. Make sure to be familiar with each of them and then get to know the potential battery charger that you will use. Be sure to use the one that you are very familiar to ensure success and avoid any unwanted accidents.

Step 2 – The Connection Between The Charger And The Battery

Once you got familiar and you got to know the your battery charger better and understand the basic functions, you can now proceed to the next step. The step where you will be connecting your battery to the charger. This step can be done both when the battery is still in the car or the battery is removed from the car. You can carry with this step by connecting clamp for the positive port of your battery charger to the positive port of the power cell. Then the other one to the negative car power cell terminal.

Step 3 – Setting Up And Configuring The Battery Charger

After you successfully connected the battery charger to your battery, you will now have to set up or configure the voltage and amperage by using the basic controls of the battery charger. The ideal set up is to trickle charge where you will have to set a lower amperage than trying to start the vehicle. But to charge the battery quicker or in a higher rate, you can set a higher amperage.

Step 4 – Connect The Charger To A Power Source

Then the next step is to plug in the charger and let it do its job. Some battery charger will have the option to set specific time for the entire process or let it charge until the entire process is done. For best results, you have to let it do its job and don’t disturb the chord to allow it to get the maximum amount of charge.

Step 5 – Disconnection of the Charger and the Battery

Finally, once the battery is fully charged the only thing you have left to do is to disconnect the cables of the battery charger from the power cell. This is going to be the last step of the operation and you have to be careful while doing this.

Conclusion

This is how you do to charge your auto battery while it’s still connected. You can also use these steps to charge the battery if it is disconnected. These steps are the basic steps that a car owner will have to take to carry on with the process correctly. So you have to make sure that you are following it carefully. Keep it in mind and also make sure to wear protective goggles when conducting the charging operation.

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Jumping in your car and hearing just a click when you turn the key is one of the worst sounds in the world! You want to get on with your day. But now the car won’t start because the battery is flat.

One of the first questions is:

Can I charge my car battery while still connected to my car?

The answer is yes – you can use a smart trickle charger to slowly charge your battery without having to remove it from your car.

But there are a few things you should keep in mind before doing so! Keep reading for more information.

Contents

  • 1 Can I Charge The Car Battery While Still Connected?
    • 1.1 Pros of Charging a Car Battery When Connected
    • 1.2 Cons of Charging a Car Battery When Connected
  • 2 In Which Cases Do I Need To Disconnect The Battery From The Car Before Charging?
  • 3 How To Charge The Car Battery Correctly?
  • 4 Can I Start My Car While The Battery Charger Is Attached?
  • 5 Conclusion

Can I Charge The Car Battery While Still Connected?

The first thing to do is to check the car owner’s manual. Any smart battery charger on the market can safely charge your car battery while connected.

In some rare cases, the manufacturer does not recommend charging your battery while connected. This is to protect sensitive electronic equipment that could be damaged by using the wrong charger.

Older chargers will supply very high charging currents that could easily damage electronic components. Modern trickle chargers only provide low current charging, which is perfectly safe. Your car battery is designed to be charged by the alternator, which supplies a low current.

The other problem with charging too quickly is that you can boil the acid in the battery.

This could force battery acid out of the vent or, in severe cases, cause the battery case to split. Battery acid is very corrosive and could easily damage anything it touches.

Find purchasing options for Smart Charger to safely charge your car battery here:

Can you charge car battery while still connected

NOCO GENIUS2

Can you charge car battery while still connected

CTEK MXS 5.0

Pros of Charging a Car Battery When Connected

Won’t lose your radio and clock settings: If you disconnect your battery, you must reset your clock and probably enter a security code into your radio.

You may also lose all the settings in your radio, although this depends on the particular radio.

It’s easier: It’s less hassle and quicker to charge your car battery while it’s connected. You probably won’t need any tools, connect the charger cables to the battery, plug it in and wait.

Cons of Charging a Car Battery When Connected

Trickle charge only: You can only trickle charge your battery while it is connected to your car. As explained earlier, this is because a high current could damage electronics on your vehicle.

If you are not in a hurry, then this isn’t a problem.

You can’t “revive” a totally flat battery: Batteries that have gone completely flat may need a high current charge to recover them. Here, you will need to remove it from the vehicle.

In Which Cases Do I Need To Disconnect The Battery From The Car Before Charging?

Can you charge car battery while still connected

If you have an older type charger

Modern chargers are microprocessor controlled and limit the charging current. The older style chargers may provide too high a current and damage the car’s electronic systems.

When your battery is totally flat

In this case, a trickle charger may not be able to charge it. This is because the trickle charger’s low current flow is insufficient to overcome its internal resistance.

For this, you need a modern maintenance type charger that can recover batteries. However, these use higher currents and pulse currents that could cause damage. So you cannot use them with a battery connected to your car.

Buy a Battery Charger with Recondition Feature online:

Can you charge car battery while still connected

NOCO GENIUS5 Battery Reconditioner

Can you charge car battery while still connected

CTEK MXS 5.0 Battery Reconditioner

When you charge an old lead-acid battery

Most car batteries are now sealed for life, but older versions vented hydrogen gas, which is extremely explosive. Charging these types of batteries when inside the engine compartment could spark an explosion.

How To Charge The Car Battery Correctly?

The best way to charge your battery is with a modern microprocessor-controlled charger. These monitor your battery while charging and adjust the charging current accordingly.

It should supply around 10% of the batteries’ capacity as a rule of thumb with an older charger. So if your battery is 100 amp-hour, the charging current should not exceed 10 amps.

Older chargers can also overcharge your battery, possibly causing damage if left connected for too long.

There are some simple tips to follow when charging your car battery:

Can you charge car battery while still connected
5 tips to charge your car battery without damaging it.

Step 1: Make sure you have the right polarity. Don’t trust the color of any cables or battery covers on the car, but physically check the battery’s markings.

The red connector must always go to the positive terminal. The black cable must always go to the negative terminal.

Modern chargers will detect incorrectly connected cables, but older chargers may not.

Although the charger may detect reverse polarity connections, as described above, it could still damage the diodes in your rectifier.

Step 2: Connect the charger terminals to the battery first, and double-check they are correct.

Step 3: Connect the charger to the mains and switch it on.

Step 4: Now check the charger current is flowing by checking the meter or indicators.

Step 5: Once the battery is charged, switch off at the mains, then disconnect the terminals. This prevents sparks that may ignite any escaped hydrogen gasses.

Can I Start My Car While The Battery Charger Is Attached?

This depends, but the bottom line is that it’s not a good idea.

Chargers are only designed to provide a relatively low current, say ten amps max, for a standard car battery charger. When you try to start your car, the battery could be supplying 100 amps or more.

Trying to draw 100 amps from your charger will definitely blow a fuse and may even damage it. The only exception is if the battery is charged enough to supply the required current.

Conclusion

Finding your car has a flat battery is a real pain. You’re going to miss that important meeting or day out you were hoping to have while the battery charges.

But at least you know you can charge the battery while it’s still connected to your car. No need to get tools from the garage or get your hands dirty. Just connect the charger and wait.

One small tip, though. Find out why your battery went flat; otherwise, it will probably happen again.