How to use a battery charger
Graham Reynolds | 29th Nov 2023 | 5 minutes to read
Whether you have a flat battery in your vehicle, a spare battery in need of a top up, or a battery in your weekend or recreational vehicle that does not get used that often, you will need to connect a battery charger to give them the cranking power when required.
Whilst it just seems a case of connecting the wires or clamps from the battery charger to the battery, there are a few tips and tricks to make sure you do this safely and effectively:
Safely Using a Car Battery Charger
Depending on where the battery is located it is always advisable to have it as accessible as possible. This means that if the battery is located in the trunk or under a seat then it is best to remove the battery from the vehicle so as to gain clear access to both the negative and positive battery terminals.
If the battery is still attached in a vehicle but accessible you should firstly remove the negative (-) battery lead and then the positive (+) battery lead prior to attaching the battery charger. This will not be an issue if the battery is already removed from the vehicle.
Checking Your Battery
Once you have the battery ready for charging do some preliminary checks prior to hooking up the battery charger:
- Make sure the battery is in good, serviceable condition.
- If the battery terminals are showing signs of corrosion or sulphation (white fluffy paste) then look to clean these with a mixture of water and baking soda. A stiff wire brush will aid in cleaning these terminals.
- Check any battery indicator windows for any signs that the battery is past its service life and may not take charge.
- On older batteries that are not "maintenance free" carefully remove the caps to visually inspect the level of water inside the battery. If this water level is below any of the battery cells look to top up with distilled water to just above the cell. Do not overfill the battery.
- Any cleaning and servicing on a battery should be conducted wearing adequate personal protective equipment such as gloves, eye protection and a mask.
Connecting the Battery Charger
Now that you have the battery terminals cleaned you are ready to connect the battery charger.
Make sure the battery charger is turned off before attaching and then:
- Hook-up the positive cable (+) on the charger to the positive terminal (+) on the battery, making sure the battery clamps have a solid grasp of the battery terminal.
- Do the same with the negative cable (-) on the charger to the negative terminal (-) on the battery.
Then turn the charger on and ensure the battery charging light is illuminated on the charger.
Depending on the battery charger you have, these may offer a number of functions and programs to charge or revive your car battery. Many of the CTek battery chargers can revive old batteries that may not take charge easily or have been left unused for a prolonged period of time. They may also offer top up charging, to let your battery slightly drain and top up, ensuring longevity of the battery plates and internal components.
Whatever type of battery charger you have, always periodically check your battery when on charge to ensure no issues or apparent faults. If the battery is getting hot, not taking charge, or sulphation is occurring then discontinue charging and look to replace the battery.
Battery Chargers at Repco
Whether you are looking for a new battery charger, distilled or demineralised water, or a quality wire brush to clean the terminals, here at Repco we have them all.
A healthy battery is key to the reliable functioning of your vehicle so, with some basic maintenance, you can get maximum life from your car battery for very little effort. If worse comes to worst, Repco is your home of the best range of batteries, so replacement is not an issue.
