EASTER SALE! Save 24% off Car Parts with Code EASTER24. Apply code at checkout. Ends 29.04.2025. T&C's apply
A car battery is a crucial component, without it, your vehicle simply can’t operate. Recharging your battery isn’t as difficult as you might think, and can be completed safely at home. Here’s our step-by-step guide for how you can recharge your battery.
How To Recharge A Car Battery
If you’re unsure on how to charge a car battery at home, just follow these steps below:
Check what type of battery your vehicle uses
Depending on the type of your car battery, a conventional charger may not be suitable. For example, if your car uses start/stop technology, you’ll need to use a smart charger instead. Most commonly, vehicles with start/stop technology will have an AGM or EFB battery.
Inspect lead terminals
Before you connect anything, make sure you double check that the clamps and terminals aren’t dirty or corroded. If they are, then you’ll need to clean them before you begin to charge.
Disconnect your car battery
Then, undo the terminals, disconnecting the negative side first and then move onto the next terminal at the other side.
Disconnecting a car battery should be done with caution. To do this safely, you should disconnect the negative lead first, and the reconnect last.
Connect the charger
It’s vital you keep the charger a safe distance from the battery, and as far as the cables can reach. You must also try to avoid leaving the charger on top of the battery whilst it’s charging.
Connect the clamps, positive to positive, and negative to negative. Once you’ve done that, you can plug-in the charger.
Turn on the charger
Once you’re happy that everything is safely connected, you can then switch on your charger, and wait for the battery to fully recharge.
How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery?
The length of time it takes to charge your car battery depends on its size, as well as the charger’s power output. Usually, a charge output of 4-8 amps will take between 10 and 24 hours to reach optimum charge, while an output of 20 amps will take 2 to 4 hours. An effective way to recharge your battery is recharging slowly by using a lower output.
What Charges A Car Battery?
Your car battery is charged by the alternator, which is located near the front of the vehicle. A faulty alternator can often cause the battery to fail, which can then prevent the engine from running.
The alternator charges your battery when the vehicle is in motion, and if you’re driving on a motorway, you can charge your car battery in up to 30 minutes.
Can I Charge My Car Battery Without Disconnecting It?
As mentioned above, you should always disconnect the negative lead first and reconnect this lead last. If you don’t, you could receive a small shock when you touch the side of the positive terminal.
Are you in the market for a new car battery? Browse our extensive range of specialist car parts, from car batteries and wiper blades to engine oil and car bulbs, plus take full advantage of our brilliant UK delivery service, today.