How to choose a car battery charger and its operation
Soon, a large number of motorists will face the need to charge the battery. Charger for the car battery - it must be necessary for every driver and its presence is always necessary, regardless of the time of year and the operation of the vehicle. In this article, we'll tell you about how to choose a charger for a car battery.
- How to choose a charger for a car battery
- Practical tips for choosing a car battery charger
- How to choose a charger for a car battery
Every car owner must have his own charger, since for sure there areperiods when your car can not be used for a long time, which means that the battery will be discharged. Especially the battery needs charging in winter, despite whether the car is used or not, the presence of a charger in this case is simply necessary. If you become a happy owner of a car, then you will necessarily have questions about the choice of charger, we will try to answer them.
Types of chargers
Chargers are divided into two types:
- Chargers;
- Starting-charging.
Chargers
Simple chargers only charge the battery and can maintain charge, without any additional functions.
Starting-charging devices
Starting-charging devices can perform two functions: charging the battery and starting the car engine. If everything is clear with the charging function, then the starting function, probably, for beginners will cause several questions. As you know, in order to start a car, it takes a lot of battery power, so if the battery is discharged, you can not start the car until you have charged up to a certain level your battery. The starter will help you start the car with a fully discharged battery, thanks to the fact that such devices can deliver a current several times greater than a simple charger. But such devices have large dimensions and are much heavier than conventional chargers, and are more expensive.
Charging current
The first thing you should pay attention to is the voltage that the charger issues, it must match the working voltage of the battery. Charging current of the charger should not be more than 10% of the capacity of the battery, or be able to adjust it. Since most of the batteries in cars have a capacity of 65A / h, then the battery should be supplied with a charging current of not more than 6.5 Amperes. Charging the battery is best done with a current of 5% of the capacity of the battery, that is again, if the battery capacity is 65A / h, then it is recommended to start a current of 3.2Ampere. With this current, you get the deepest and full charge of the battery.
Chargers have both adjustable current supply and constant. With a regulated charging current supply, you can adjust the amperage, and if this is not possible, the charger will charge the battery under optimal conditions, which is actually very useful for the battery.
The output voltage of the charger for a car battery should be 12 Volts.
Additional functions of
Although most modern chargers have overheating protection and protection against incorrect terminal connections, please check the availability of these functions in the selected charger.
Battery charger chargers allow you to charge the battery in deep discharge, this is a good and useful feature, the availability of which will be very useful.
Diagram of the battery charger
If you are well versed in electronics, you will be interested to look at the charger circuit for a car battery. Most chargers have the following schematic:
Practical tips for choosing a car battery charger
If the charger you need in order to just it was, and for a long period of time you did not have to charge your battery, we recommend you to purchase the most simple budget model of "charging".
Those who "live by car" like to control the charging process and have a functional charger, we recommend recommending a start-up charger that will have a built-in ammeter, the ability to adjust the charging current and other functions.
For drivers who do not often, but nevertheless, encounter the need to charge and recharge the battery, but at the same time they like simplicity and functionality, then we recommend electronic automatic chargers, without "extra" indicators, switches and other "Soviet" functions.
Probably, it will help you a lot if we advise specific models of chargers for a car battery, so we will continue the 3 most popular models of "charge" from different segments.
Which battery charger to choose
Tesla ZU-15860
One of the most budget models of battery chargers. If you constantly drive your car and the charger you need to say so for security, then this model is the ideal option for you.
Specification:
Tesla ZU-15860 is an automatic charger with an output voltage of 6 / 12V.Rated charging current: 3.52 A, maximum: 6 A. Protection functions against overheating, improper connection and recharging.
Price of the device: 500 rubles.
Telwin Leader 150 Start
A popular model of a start-up charger. A good option for those motorists who like to control the charging process and have a large list of options. This device has several modes of operation, and most importantly - will help start the engine when the battery is completely depleted.
Specification:
Operating voltage: 12V.The maximum charging current is 20A.There is a built-in ammeter. Additional modes: normal and fast charging mode, quick start mode, overload protection and wrong polarity.
Price of the device: 4 000 rubles.
Bosch C3
The most optimal and simple charger, which will not "bother" over charging the battery. The charger has a very compact size, and this is a big plus. To charge the battery, you only need to select the desired mode( from 3-x), and the device will itself charge the battery. Moreover, when the device charges the battery completely, it will go into the charge-maintaining mode. This charger is recommended for 12V batteries: Varta, Bosch and other popular battery manufacturers.
Specification:
Output voltage: 6 / 12V.Charging current: 3,8A.It is possible to charge the battery with impulse current, when it is completely discharged. Function to maintain the battery charge when it is fully charged, the mode of charging the battery in a cold state. Protection against improper terminal and overheating.
The price of the device: 2 500 rubles.
In any case, when choosing a particular model of the charger, read the reviews and do not hesitate to clarify the questions you are interested in from the seller-consultant.
Rules for using the battery charger
Probably the principle of charging the car battery is familiar to everyone, but there are several nuances in this procedure, which we will describe below.
Charge the battery best in the garage or on the covered area. In extreme cases, it is allowed to charge the battery on the street, in warm and dry weather.
When it is necessary to charge the battery with the charger
So, you need to charge the car battery only under specific conditions and situations, just do not need it. In the car there is a generator that, when the engine is running, converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. Thanks to the electrical energy received by the generator, all electrical equipment of the car is powered, including charging of the battery. Therefore, if you often drive a car and the journey is quite time-consuming, your battery will be fully charged.
The battery must be recharged in the following cases:- If the indicator on the dashboard indicates that the battery is in a discharged state;
- The machine does not start, and there is no sound of the starter;
- The machine has been idle for a long time;
- With prolonged and unsuccessful attempts to start a car.
In the first case, when the dashboard indicator informs you that the battery is in a discharged state, in principle you can do without charging it - if the car starts on its own, then, as mentioned above, it will be recharged by the generator. If you often have to muffle the engine or go on a country trip, then, of course, the battery needs to be recharged.
If the machine does not start, and you do not hear the sound of the starter, it's likely that the starter motor does not have enough battery power. In this case, you need to charge the battery a little or if you have a start-up charger, then use it, in order to envy the car and after a while( giving a little charge to the battery) to go.
If you have not traveled by car for a long time, especially if you did not use the car in the winter, the battery should be recharged at least once a month. If the battery is old, was in a cold garage or in general the car is idle in frosty weather on the street, then check the level of its charging and charge - it is necessary several times a month.
Well, lastly, if you tried several times to start a car - and unsuccessfully, while the reason that the engine does not start, is not a battery, it will need to be charged. Since it takes a lot of battery power to start the engine, and if you tried to start the engine several times, the battery will probably be in a discharged state.
Connecting the battery charger to the battery
Before connecting the battery charger to the car battery, be sure to muffle the car engine if it was started. Most modern chargers do not require disconnecting the car power terminals from the battery. That is, you only need to muffle the engine, remove the clipped terminals unnecessarily. Examine the battery: whether there are any electrolytic leaks, and also, whether there is no moisture on the battery.
Now proceed to connect the charger to the battery. If you have not removed the car terminals, the terminals of the charger must be worn over the car's terminals. The metal "forceps" of the charger terminals must cover the metal part of the car terminals and it is good to be fixed on them. If the car terminals are removed from the battery, the terminals of the charger are put directly to the terminals of the battery.
To connect the charger to the battery, proceed as follows: first, connect the "+" red terminal of the charger to the "+" battery, then connect the "-" black terminal of the charger to the "-" battery. Then check that the terminals are firmly attached. Then insert the charger plug into the socket, when the charger turns on, select the desired mode of its operation in accordance with the instructions to it.
Disconnecting the charger in the reverse order of connection, that is: first you put the charger in standby mode, then turn it off from the mains, then remove the "-"( black terminal) and the "+"( red).
Charging the car battery with a charger
Now let's talk in more detail about charging the battery. After the charger is connected to the battery, you must select the charging mode - in the automatic charger, or adjust the charging parameters in a normal charger. If the modes are clear, then to charge the battery with a normal charger, you probably need to set the battery charging current.
Do not charge the battery with high current( or Boost mode), even though you can quickly charge the battery, this will have a very negative effect on the battery itself. Try not to use this function of the charger, or at least use it at the very least.
Do not allow frequent and deep discharges of the battery. If the car is in a long standstill - charge the battery.