When operating a car with serviceable electrical equipment, problems associated with the battery of this car usually do not arise. Of course, if you do not leave powerful consumers of electricity on for a long time when the car engine is not running. But it is worth blowing out the fuse that protects the generator excitation circuit, and the next attempt to start the car engine will not be crowned with success. After that, a previously irrelevant question will arise before the car owner: "how to charge the battery correctly?" With the availability of a charger, the correct charging of the car battery at home is not a big deal. Charging the car battery with an automatic charger is the most simple and does not need control over the process.

The car battery (ACB) is used to start the car engine and as an auxiliary source of electricity when the car engine is not running.

Battery health assessment

The fact that the starter of the car "sluggishly" turns, not necessarily a consequence of the fact that the automobile chemical source of electricity is depleted. Therefore, before dragging the car battery for charging, it is recommended to check it.

Measurements are taken when the car engine is not running. A fully charged car battery has an electrolyte density of 1.27 to 1.29 g / cm 3 and a terminal voltage from 12.3 to 12.9 V. When 70% of the charge remains in it, its electrolyte density will be from 1.23 to 1.25 g / cm 3, and the voltage from 12.0 to 12.1 V. A half-discharged current source will have an electrolyte density of 1.16 to 1.18 g / cm 3 and show a voltage from 11.8 to 12, 0 V. Fully discharged, it will have a density of 1.11 to 1.13 g / cm 3, and the voltage will drop below 11 V.

Preparing the battery for charging

In order to properly charge the battery at home, follow this sequence:

Charging methods

There are three ways to properly charge the battery:

The first two ways to charge the battery have both pros and cons. The first method consists in connecting the battery to a source of electricity with a constant current strength of not more than 16.2 V. The current strength when charging for 20 hours can be calculated if the battery capacity is divided by 20 hours. For example, your machine has a 50 Ah battery, then 50 Ah / 20 h = 2.5A. With a 10 hour charge, to determine the current strength of the battery charge, the capacity is divided by 10 hours. That is, in order to properly charge the same battery in 10 hours, you need a charging current of 5 A. One of the most important advantages of this method is that the battery is fully charged. Among the disadvantages can be noted the need to stabilize the current strength, significant gas evolution, and heating of the electrolyte.

It is recommended to charge in this way in two stages - first, make the charging current equal to 1/10 of the nominal capacity, and after reaching the voltage of one cell of 2.4 V, reduce it by 2 times. The end of charging is determined by the appearance of intense gassing - "boiling" of the electrolyte.

Alternative

The second method is to stabilize the charging voltage, while the current strength varies depending on the resistance of the battery. This technique allows you to charge the battery up to 85–90%. The advantages of the method:

• quick bringing the battery into working condition;
• most of the energy consumed at the beginning of the process is spent on restoring the active mass of the plates.

The main disadvantage is the strong heating of the electrolyte due to the high current strength at the beginning of charging. Equalizing charge is designed to eliminate the consequences of deep discharges. It very well eliminates the increasing sulfation of the electrodes.

The forced technique is used to quickly restore the operating state of the source after a deep discharge. Allows an increase in current at the beginning of charging up to 70% of the value of the nominal capacity, but not more than half an hour. The next 45 minutes the charging current is reduced to half of the rated capacity. For another 1.5 hours, the charge goes with a current equal to 30% of the nominal capacity. This charging requires mandatory monitoring of the electrolyte temperature. If the temperature rises to 45 ◦ C, stop charging.

Use the method of forced charging of the battery on the trail as rarely as possible, since its regular use will significantly reduce its service life.

About battery capacity

Among car owners, there is an opinion that it is unacceptable to install a battery with an increased capacity on a car, since with a larger capacity, the car battery allegedly will not have time to charge. However, the amount of energy spent on starting the car engine does not depend on the battery capacity. Therefore, with a working generator, it will be replenished in a battery of larger and smaller capacity at the same time. This means that installing a battery with a capacity greater than the recommended one on a car will not do any harm.

Charging device

The charger (charger) is used to charge electric batteries from the alternating current network. The charger consists of a voltage converter (transformer or pulse rectifier), a voltage stabilizer, a controller that regulates the charging current and sometimes an indication unit consisting of dial or LED ampere-voltmeters. Chargers differ in the type of rechargeable batteries, their operating voltage and capacity.

Designation of the charger for car batteries: X B / C, where X is the name of the charger, B is the maximum capacity of the rechargeable battery in Ampere-hours, C is the maximum operating voltage of the rechargeable battery in volts. If the charger has a B value exceeding 170 Ah, then it can be used not only for charging, but also to help start the car engine.

The car battery provides power to the elements of the car. During its movement, it is charged using a generator. However, he will not be able to fully replenish the energy. Therefore, maintenance of the battery is periodically necessary. To do this, you should know how to properly charge a car battery with a charger at home.

Charger selection

The defining parameters are the characteristics of the battery - voltage (6, 12 or 4 V), battery type (flooded, dry-charged, gel and lead acid). For the latest quality, it is recommended to choose universal models suitable for all types of batteries. Additionally, the nominal capacity indicator is taken into account - Ah.

By their functionality, the memory devices are divided into two classes:

• Chargers. Designed only to restore the battery's performance, it is possible to maintain the current charge at the required level.
• Start-up chargers. A significant charge of current is required to start the vehicle systems. If the battery has not had time to charge by this time, the starter-charger can replace it at this stage.

For beginners, it is recommended to buy simple charger models, without additional functions for adjusting parameters. If the car enthusiast has a lot of experience, he will need a professional charger with indication, the ability to adjust the current and voltage. Any model must have an option to protect against overheating, incorrect connection.

How often should the battery be charged

The frequency at which a battery is charged determines its useful life. Ideally, it should be connected to the memory no more than once a year. But in fact it depends on many external factors. If the frequency is incorrectly selected and there is no control over the current state of the battery, the opposite effect will be observed - a rapid decrease in capacity.

Facts affecting the battery charging frequency:

• Temperature overboard. It does not affect if the indicator is more than + 5C. As soon as there is a decrease, the battery capacity can drop by 1.5-2 times.
• Possible malfunctions of the power plant. These include problems with compression, improper functioning of the fuel equipment.
• Full load frequency of the battery with the motor off.

The minimum battery charge for starting the power plant is individual. But usually it shouldn't be less than 12.3 volts. If this value is less, the charge will not be enough, you will need to connect to the charger. On average, 70-75% of the maximum charge is sufficient for normal battery operation. It is recommended to restore it to 100% once a year, before the beginning of the winter period.

Car battery charging methods

There are two main ways to charge a battery - by changing the DC current or voltage. The choice depends on the functionality of the charger, the need to control the process, its speed and the degree of charging.

Before starting, you must fulfill the following conditions:

• Preliminary check of the actual capacity of the battery.
• Correct connection of terminals by polarity - "plus" to "plus", as well as "minus". Otherwise, there will be a reverse process - discharge.
• The minimum conductor cross-section is 1 mm2. The braided diameter should be about 1.3 mm.
• Cleaning the surface of the battery from acid residues, dirt.
• Unscrew the acid filler plugs.
• Checking the electrolyte level. If it is not enough, distilled water is added.

After that, you can start the charging process. It is recommended to do this in a room with room temperature and good ventilation. In the process of increasing the charge, electrolyte vapors will be released.

Constant current regulation

The essence of this method is to control the current value by regulating it depending on the current battery charge. For novice motorists, it is difficult, since changes in the indicator depend on the actual state of the battery. It is recommended to use it if it is possible to continuously monitor the process.

It is best to consider the essence of this method using the example of a battery, the capacity of which is 60A * h. Recommended procedure.

1. Set the current value to 6A, from a ratio of 0.1 to the rated capacity.
2. After the start of electrolyte gas evolution, it is necessary to reduce the indicator by half. With a battery charge value of 14.4 V, the amperage should be 3 A.
3. As soon as the charge indicator reaches 15 V, the current decreases to 1.5 A.

In this way, you can charge the battery to a level of 70% to 100%. In the latter case, it is necessary to monitor the value of the battery charge level and current strength. If the former remains unchanged for two hours, this is a sign of a full charge.

DC voltage change

The best way if there is no way to constantly monitor the process. It should be borne in mind that the value of the battery charge in this case is proportional to the supplied voltage. For a preliminary calculation of the time, the applied voltage must be divided by 1.11.

Let's consider this process using the example of a standard 12 V battery, depending on the required state of charge for a duration of 24 hours:

• 75-80%. In this case, the supplied voltage must be 14.4 V;
• 85-90%. The optimum value is 15 V;
• 100%. The voltage parameter must be at least 16.3 V.

Important - the value of the charging current should not exceed 25 A. For this, the charger must be equipped with a circuit that limits this parameter. It is present in all factory models, but if a homemade device is used, this moment needs to be tracked.

Checking the battery charge level

In addition to the values ​​of the parameters on the charger and the battery terminals, it is recommended to additionally monitor the density of the electrolyte. This is done using a special device - a hydrometer.

For a standard battery, the following electrolyte density values ​​are adopted, depending on the state of charge:

• 100% - 1.28 g / m3;
• 75% - 1.25g / m3;
• 50% - 1.20 g / m3.

It is important to check this indicator in all banks. If, for any reason, a short circuit occurs in one of them, the value of the density of the electrolyte will be much less than the rest. It is also necessary to take into account the error of the hydrometer, the degree of its suitability for verification, the range of measured values. Additionally, this device can be used to monitor the condition of the coolant.

Alternative ways

A proven method of restoring the battery performance without using a special device is "lighting" from another battery. It is important that the values ​​of the current strength are the same for them. Otherwise, the fuses or part of the car's wiring will fail.

This can be done according to the following algorithm.

1. Direct connection to the battery of another car, observing the polarity, as when using a charger.
2. After starting the engine, you need to wait 3-5 minutes and only after that you can disconnect the terminals. First from the "donor", and then from the battery of your car.
3. The trip takes 20-30 minutes. The best charging will be when activating higher or lower gears. The recommended number of crankshaft revolutions is from 2900 to 3200.

This method will be effective if the charging level in the battery is not lower than the critical one. Otherwise, starting the engine and on-board systems will be impossible.

It is also not recommended to use homemade chargers made on the basis of household charging blocks from a laptop or mobile phone. It is practically impossible to monitor the main values ​​of current and voltage during the charging process. This can lead to negative consequences. It is best to purchase a cheap but reliable factory model of the charger.

A modern car is equipped with sophisticated electronic devices powered from the vehicle's on-board electrical network with a voltage, as a rule, of 12 volts. These devices are powered by a car battery "storage battery, joint stock bank", which, when the engine is running, is charged from an electric generator. The engine can only be started by an electric starter, driven by the energy stored in the battery.

When the engine is idle for a long time, the battery is discharged from the working devices or as a result of self-discharge, and the engine start becomes impossible. The way out is to start the engine from the starting device or charge the battery from the charger. Knowledge of how to properly charge a car battery with a charger is of no small importance.

The battery generates electrical energy as a result of a chemical reaction between the battery plates placed in the electrolyte.

Accumulators can be maintenance-free and serviced. In case of chemical reactions associated with the charge and discharge of the battery, water evaporates from the electrolyte, therefore it is necessary to periodically check the electrolyte level, and when the level drops, add distilled water.

AGM batteries are "batteries with absorbent glass mats" and gel batteries - maintenance-free. On cars, depending on their purpose, the following types of batteries can be installed, the characteristics of which are summarized in the table

Before charging the battery, you should choose the charger "ZU", which is supposed to be used in the future.

• Prestarting chargers. The simplest ones allow you to charge the battery to restore its electrical capacity. You can charge the battery either in a separate room or without removing it from the car "by first disconnecting the battery from the vehicle's electrical system."
• ZPU charging and starting devices. Provides a very high output current, sufficient to operate the starter motor and start the engine. Also allow you to charge the battery.

What you need to know about battery charging

During regular trips by car, the battery is regularly recharged and is in a state of constant readiness. But if the vehicle is idle for a long time, the battery must be charged monthly until its capacity is fully restored. The battery has the following passport characteristics that determine the battery charging mode:

• Rated voltage - for a passenger car it is usually 12 V;
• Electric capacity - usually selected based on the operating capacity of the engine in the range of 55-200 ampere-hours "Ah".

The charger voltage is selected according to the nominal voltage of the battery, and should be slightly higher than it to provide the required charging current.

The time to fully charge a discharged battery is determined by its electrical capacity and charge current. The higher the current, the faster the battery is charged, but at the same time its wear increases, and you should resort to the accelerated charge mode only when absolutely necessary.

The normal charging current of the battery is 10% of its nominal capacity. As an example, with a battery capacity of 66 Ah, the normal charging current is 0.1 x 66 = 6.6 A.

Preparing the battery for charging

Before charging the battery, you should carefully study the instructions for the charger used, which, in addition to describing the principle of operation and the charger device, contains information on how to properly charge the car battery.

First of all, inspect the battery, check the electrolyte level in it, the integrity of the case.

The discharge rate of a battery can be estimated by measuring its voltage under load with a load plug. The voltage at the terminals of a fully discharged lead-acid battery with a nominal voltage of 12 V usually does not exceed 7.8 V. When the battery is 50% discharged, the voltage drops to 9 V.

Some batteries are equipped with a color discharge indicator mounted on the case cover. A diagram with explanations of how to use the indicator is usually glued near the indicator.

If there is a lack of electrolyte, add distilled water to the required level. On the battery cover there is a ventilation hole for vapors to escape during battery operation or charging. Make sure the vent is not clogged.

Do not charge the battery in a residential area due to evaporation during electrolyte charging. You can charge the battery without removing it from the car, or in a non-residential area.

First of all, you should correctly, observing the polarity, connect the battery to the charger. If connected incorrectly, most likely, the fuses in the charger will blow.

There are two modes of battery charging:

• with a constant charge voltage "at the same time the charging current changes";
• with a constant charging current "in this case, you have to change the charge voltage."

The constant voltage charging method is the simplest. Increase the charger voltage with the regulator, starting from the minimum voltage, until the charging current is established, equal to 10% of the battery capacity. Further, up to the end of the charge, the voltage of the charger is not regulated and remains unchanged. As the battery charges, the voltage rises and the charging current decreases.

With a complete decrease in the charging current, the battery is considered charged "however, it is not fully charged in this mode." Such charging takes 10-13 hours.

A charge with a constant current is understood as charging in 3 stages, with a charging current varying at each stage. First, the charge current is set at 10% of the battery capacity "6.6 A in the example."

When charging, you should monitor the battery voltage in the charging mode "this voltage is shown by the charger voltmeter".

As the charge progresses, the voltage will increase, and when the value of 14 V is reached, the charging current should be reduced by 2 times "to 3.3 A in the example" in order to avoid boiling of the electrolyte. When the voltage rises to 15 V, the current should be further reduced by 2 times "to 1.6-1.7 A in the example." In this mode, the battery is charged until it is fully charged, which is determined by the unchanged voltage for an hour.

You can check whether the battery is charged by disconnecting it from the charger and checking its performance with a load plug. The voltage of a fully charged battery under load is 10.2 V "not lower".

Also, an indicator of the performance of a charged battery is the ability to operate a starter from it, followed by starting a car engine.

Even those with basic knowledge of electrical engineering, motorists are often faced with the task of how to properly charge a car battery. First of all, you should decide whether you need a starter-charger or a simple charger is enough. After purchasing a charger, you should decide on the preferred method of charging the battery.

You can choose from a forced charging mode with a high current, which should be resorted to only in case of urgent need for an accelerated charge, or one of two more gentle charging modes - with a constant charging voltage or three-stage with a constant charging current at each of the stages and the need for three-fold regulation of the charging voltage ...

Armed with the knowledge of how to properly charge your car battery, you will extend its lifespan and be confident that it is ready for use at all times.

Sooner or later, every motorist is faced with the problem of a dead battery. And, as luck would have it, it happens quite unexpectedly - at a time when you urgently need to go to work. But what can be done?

How to charge the battery with a charger and more - more on that later in our article.

How to check charging

Most often, motorists blame the battery for a bad charge after several unsuccessful attempts to start the engine. But sometimes the problem can be hidden in the starter itself or other mechanisms of the ignition system.

In order to make sure whether this is really due to a dead battery, you need to check it with a current load, a plug or a multimeter.

Also, motorists check the battery charge level using a hydrometer. This tool externally is a container with a pear for a collection of liquid and a float inside. The latter determines the level of density of the electrolyte. If this indicator is 1.2 g / cm 3 or less, then the battery has run out by 50 percent or more. When the battery is completely discharged, the device will show a value of 1.1 grams per cubic centimeter. By the way, density measurement should be made in all banks. Moreover, the difference between them should not exceed more than 0.15 grams per cm 3. If the density of the electrolyte in the cans differs significantly, this indicates the deterioration of the battery. In this case, it is better to replace it. By the way, if the generator does not charge the battery, this can also signal that the battery is worn out.

How to properly charge a car battery? Method number 1

Let's consider the fastest and easiest way - "lighting". However, we note that it can be used only when there really is a need for fast charging.

What is needed for the operation

For this we need one more car (from which we will "light") and a couple of special cables. It is worth noting that the wires must be very thick, with a large cross-section, and at the same time flexible. It is not recommended to use cables of the same color, as the polarity can be reversed and the on-board networks of both vehicles can be burned. The ends of the two wires should have ribbed clamps. They are popularly called "crocodiles". Homemade clamps can not be used categorically, since there is a risk of arcing and shorting of batteries.

Getting Started

Having prepared the cables, we park the cars so that they are located as close as possible to each other "front end" and at the same time do not touch. The cars must be placed on the handbrake and the gear shifted into neutral. On cars with an automatic transmission, it is indicated by the letter "N".

However, at this point, the car battery should not start charging yet. Before this operation, be sure to turn off all electrical devices in the car, and it is best to remove both terminals from the batteries.

It is important to remember the correctness of connecting the cables, since the serviceability of electrical appliances (including the ECU) of both cars depends on this. So, with one wire we connect to the "pluses" of the batteries, and the second - to the "minuses". After that, we connect the "mass", that is, we lead the second (negative) cable to any unpainted part of the car. Pay close attention to this point. If you do not connect the mass, your dead battery will instantly discharge the battery of the second car.

Now comes the fun part. We start the engine of the second car for about 5-10 minutes, turn off the engine and see the state of the battery in our car. Ideally, a discharged battery should be sufficiently charged to start and continue to use throughout the day. If this did not happen, we repeat the procedure again. And so on until the charge becomes normal.

Most often, 1-2 attempts are enough. During the charging and operation of the internal combustion engine of the car, do not touch the cables, even if they are insulated. At this moment, the wires get very hot, so there is a great risk of getting burned.

note

1. When a car with less battery power than yours is used as a "donor". That is, "lighting" a 5-ton truck from a passenger sedan, you can simply disable the battery of the latter.
2. When the ambient temperature is -10 and below degrees Celsius.

In other cases, charging a car battery can be safely done using "lighting". The main thing is to follow all of the above rules.

Method number 2

As we said earlier, if there is enough time, it is best to charge the battery using a special charger. This is, although long, but one of the safest ways. In addition, it does not require a second vehicle or additional cables. So how do you properly charge your car battery?

First you need to remove it from the mounts from under the hood (if it is already installed on the car). Then it should be taken to a dry place. It can be a garage or an apartment. After that, we take the charger in our hands and, in accordance with the polarity, connect the terminals to the battery. Then we set the voltage regulator to the minimum value and plug the charger into the outlet. That's it, charging is on. You just have to check the battery charge level from time to time. How long does it take to charge the battery? On average, this takes about 10 (maximum 12) hours. It is important not to overcharge it, as this can provoke the electrolyte to boil and its further evaporation from the cans. If the battery is "overexposed", it will simply swell up and will no longer be suitable for use.

How to determine the charge level? It's very simple - this value is shown on one of the memory windows. When fully charged, the arrow will show 0. After the required time has elapsed, remove the formed condensation from the case with a cloth and reinstall the battery.

Features of charging at constant current and voltage

In total, there are two types of charging car batteries - constant current and constant voltage. Let's look at the features of the application of both methods.

So, constant current charging. This concept implies the supply of such a level of current, the value of which does not exceed 1/10 of the total battery capacity. Let's take a 55 Amp-hour battery as an example. Based on the above rule, the current for charging should be about 5.5 A (assuming a 20-hour discharge). To achieve the desired results, the current level must be monitored for two hours and adjusted as necessary. It is worth noting that some modern batteries can be charged at higher values ​​(the voltage of the charged battery is between 12 and 15 V). This applies to hybrid batteries with or with silver alloy.

Charging a car battery at constant current is a two-step process. The first stage, which we have already talked about, lasts about 20 hours. On the second, when the voltage level in the 12-volt battery reaches 14.5 volts, the current decreases by 2 times. When the temperature of the electrolyte in the cans of the car battery reaches 55 degrees Celsius, charging must be stopped. Otherwise, the liquid will simply evaporate.

Battery charging at constant voltage is most commonly used for maintenance-free batteries. Here, in contrast to the first method, the voltage level remains unchanged throughout the entire operating time. In terms of time, charging the battery at constant voltage can last up to a day until the arrow shows 15 volts.

But whatever the charging of the battery, still no one canceled the safety rules. If you do this work in a garage, keep the area free of flammable objects. If the outside air temperature is minus 15 degrees, it is best to carry out this operation at home, since you can hardly immediately determine the process of boiling of the electrolyte (the walls of the battery will remain cold). Try to charge the battery in a room with a minimum humidity (no more than 80 percent).

How to properly charge a new battery?

Oddly enough, even the battery that was just bought in the store needs additional charging. Over time, the battery lying on the shelf of the store loses its original density of the electrolyte. And what seller in Russia will keep his charge on a monthly basis? Moreover, if he has more than 1000 such goods in his warehouse. Therefore, after purchase, it is imperative to perform additional battery charging.

So we have new batteries. How do I charge them? In general, this process is almost similar to that which is produced with used analogs. This refers to the time spent on the charge. Most often, to bring the level of electrolyte density to a normal value, you need to spend no more than 1-2 hours. In this case, all operations are done in the same way as in the examples described above. Metal "clothespins" from the device are connected to the battery terminals, and the charger is plugged into an outlet. On modern devices, the end of the charge is signaled by a lit green light on one of the parts of the device. After that, the battery can be disconnected from the charger and can be safely installed on the car. On this question, how to properly charge a car battery can be considered closed.

Equality of battery

By the way, the battery charging time is practically the same, whether it is a battery of a truck tractor or some kind of small car. The same applies to the density of the electrolyte - this value is the same for all types of batteries.

Conclusion

So, we figured out how to properly charge your car battery. As you can see, charging the battery is not so difficult as it seems at first glance.

A lot has already been said and written about the role of the battery in the operation of the car. Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves that the battery is one of the important devices. In fact, like any vehicle equipment.

How to check your car battery correctly?

Before proceeding to consider the issue: charging a car battery with your own hands, you need to understand for yourself that modern cars are already equipped with maintenance-free batteries. According to GOST, they are classified as maintenance-free.

But, who knows how circumstances may turn around, and your car will have a second type battery - a serviced one. Therefore, consider the question of how to properly charge a car battery. Knowledge was not superfluous for anyone yet.

The battery does not "die" overnight. There are primary signs by which you can safely determine that the battery of your car needs to be checked. In addition to the indicator light on the dashboard, the battery discharge is indicated by interruptions during starting the car.

Car battery test methods:

• Electrolyte density check... Produced by a hydrometer. For measurement, a sample is taken from each bank of the battery. Plus the temperature of the electrolyte is measured. If the temperature is above 30 degrees, then the correction value is added to the hydrometer readings. If the temperature is below 0 degrees, then it is subtracted. If in winter at least one bank is discharged by more than 25% (in summer the tolerance of the figure is 50%), then the battery needs to be charged. According to the degree of density, using a special table, the charge level is calculated and the appropriate conclusions are drawn.
• Checking the voltage level... Produced by a load fork. The check is carried out both without load on the battery, and with load. With a fully charged and serviceable battery, the voltage in each of the battery cells should be 1.7-1.8 V.

How to properly charge a car battery?

To charge a car battery with your own hands, you will need: an electrolyte and a charger, which in the "popular" slang is called "rectifier" or "charger". A battery charger is relatively inexpensive. Therefore, it makes no sense, using the advice of craftsmen, to make it yourself.

In addition, the question of how to properly charge a car battery depends on the reliability of the "charger", the quality of the electrolyte and the correct implementation of the technological process of charging the battery.

Battery charging technology

• We check and add the electrolyte level to the required level.
• The jar caps must be removed.
• We connect the terminals of the charger to the battery and turn on the "charger" in the network. Not the other way around. The current set on the charger should be about 10th of the capacity of your battery. If, for example, the capacity is 60A / h, then the current is set to 6 amperes.
• During charging, you should observe that the ammeter needle tends to zero. This means that the battery is being charged.
• After charging the battery, check the electrolyte level and density, and top up with distilled water if necessary.

If you are purchasing a dry-charged battery, it also needs a partial charge. The difference is that you must add electrolyte to a dry-charged battery and let it stand for 2-3 hours. Then measure the voltage and, as a rule, the battery is always charged.

Charging of maintenance-free batteries is also possible. But, experts recommend recharging maintenance-free batteries professionally at the service.

Now you know how to check and charge a car battery. And even if you do not need this knowledge, it will not be superfluous. The car sometimes brings surprises to its owner, and it is better to be prepared for them.

Good luck to you lovers of your car.