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Can You Charge a Car Battery - Power Supply and Connection
Let’s face it; batteries have become a very crucial part of the modern world. We can seem to do anything without relying on their power, which makes them unique.
Car batteries, in particular, are one component of your vehicle you can never do without. The battery starts your engine and powers all the electrical systems of the vehicle. That means you always need to have the battery fully charged.
Sometimes the battery may die. It does not matter whether you forgot to switch off the lights or the battery is just old – you must just charge it. And that is where many issues arise from. Many people don’t really know what to do here. Hence, they end up causing more damages to the battery than before.
In this guide, we look at whether you can charge the car battery or not.
The simplest answer is yes. You can charge a car battery. We will be looking at different methods of charging.
Can you charge a car battery with a DC power supply?
Search the internet about the possibility of charging a car battery with a DC power cable, and you will find conflicting answers. On one side, some say you can, and on the other hand, some argue that you should never try it.
It’s both. It depends on the DC power supply you are using.
Here are the two possible outcomes:
Why it will not work?
If you use a well-regulated power supply with linear and regulators or switched-mode, giving you a 12-V load at every level, it will not work. The voltage will be too low, which means the battery will not be charging.
Understanding how voltages work in batteries is very crucial. 13.5 to 13.8V can be left indefinitely. And for voltages about 14.5V, fast charging is necessary. But then, it should not continue charging for a long time once the current indicator alerts you on the end of charging. You must then stop the fast charge and use float charge.
Lead-acid batteries with 12.6 or lower floating voltages will not achieve a full charge. At 12V, it means the battery is nearly empty. And you may already know that lead-acid does not like empty batteries very much, especially for long periods. The battery will sulfurate permanently when empty. That means it will not work properly anymore. So, how can you recharge such a battery?
There are some batteries where the power supply is not regulated. They just have a transformer, a rectifier, and a capacitor. In this case, experts argue that 12V will mean more than 15V weight at the least current demands. Hence, the charger may change water into hydrogen and oxygen through the electrolyte. The process will be slow, but it ends up losing battery water, which is as good as destroying it – especially for batteries that don’t take battery water top-up. Most batteries today can recombine the two gasses back into the water. However, it happens very slowly, and the charger may make things even worse.
In a nutshell, charging a battery with a power supply is not a very good idea. The reasons may vary depending on specific cases, but you still should just find the right charger.
Why it may work?
Some argue that you can get the power supply cable to recharge your car battery with the right equipment and setup. In this case, the DC power supply is necessary for allowing adjustable voltage and current. A good supply should work in your favor and get you a good voltage. You will also need a battery holder, which connects the battery using two alligator clips on both terminals.
Another crucial aspect to consider here is the power requirement. In other words, how much voltage and current will you need to get the DC power cable supply charging your charging?
The battery must have specifications on the amount of current required for recharging. You can then follow these requirements to avoid damaging your battery.
Voltage is not very important, but safety is crucial. Hence, with the right setup, you can recharge your car battery.
The choice depends on you. Now that you understand what will happen if you try this consider it before attempting. We would not recommend charging your car battery with a DC power supply.
Can you charge a car battery with another car?
Yes. It is very easy to charge a car battery using another car. In this case, you will need jumper cables to connect the dead battery to the good one. Many drivers understand this and will always have jumper cables in their vehicles.
Before attempting this, make sure you observe all the safety precautions, which include:
Wear gloves and eye protection
Ensure the two batteries have the same voltage
Remove any jewelry
The two cars must not touch each other
Avoid touching the clamps
Face away from the battery when connecting the clamps
Always connect the positive first.
Now to the charging process:
Bring the two cars to face each other, close but not touching.
Attach the jumpers starting with the positive. First, connect to the dead battery and then to the working one. Now, connect the black cable in the same order.
Clamp the other end of the black cable to some large metallic part of the car’s engine block,
Start the working car.
Start the dead battery car.
Disconnect the cables immediately once the engine is on
Let the engine run for about 30 minutes to recharge.
Can you charge a car battery while still connected?
The smart thing to do here is to check the owner’s manual. There are many smart battery chargers out there you can use to charge a car battery while still connected.
However, in rare cases, the manufacturer does not recommend doing this. This is because they want to protect the sensitive electronic equipment damaged if you connect the wrong charger. Older chargers supply very high currents, which may have this effect.
Use modern trickle chargers, which only give low current charging. They are safe.