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Before I answer the question of “can I start a car with a battery charger connected” I’d briefly give you an explanation about a battery charger.
A battery charger is an electronic device that is used to set energy into a rechargeable battery or a secondary cell by compelling an electrical current through it.
The charging procedure relies on the type of battery or the size of the battery that’s being charged.(Read Also: Can You Start A Car With A Battery Tender Connected? Find Out)
Few batteries have high patience for overcharging and can also be recharged by connecting to a steady voltage or current source.
Some easy charger like this kind employs the manual type of disconnection after charge or they might have a timer to end the current at a particular time. Some other types of batteries cannot endure an extended long rate of overcharge.
Through the given explanation, I’m sure we should be able to detect our answer but in case it doesn’t answer the question well I’d answer it. Can I Start A Car With A Battery Charger Connected? Yes, you can start a car with a battery charger Connected, and it won’t damage the charger, the car, or even the battery.
Because trying to get sufficient charge into a dead battery could take plenty of time before you attempt to start it but that relies on how flat the battery is and how fast the amp rating of the battery charger charges.
Table Of Contents
Expert Tips On How To Use A Battery Charger For A Starter?
Having issues with batteries seems to be one of the most common issues with cars which leaves you stranded on the roadside, and care services are not always working. So knowing how to use a battery charger for a starter is a good idea and also a good purchase item(a portable starter).
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When you have a starter in your car you’d never have to bother about getting stranded when you have a flat battery. Typically, when you want to jump-start a car, you need to attach your flat battery to the well-charged battery of a different car but that can be so difficult to rely on a stranger to help jumpstart your car, and most times, many people won’t stop to help but with your starter kit, you can help your car to start working again without you depending on a stranger to help. There are things you need to look out for in a jump starter which will be listed below;
- Emergency beams
- 12-volt receptacles
- Radio
- USB port
- Air compressors
- Inverter
Jump starter works as a portable charging depot for Mobile Phones, batteries, desktops, and any other thing that needs a charge. But these could sift the battery of the starter, so you should occasionally charge your starter. To move on to how to use a battery charger as a starter I’d list what you need to use while using or before using the starter before I go straight to the steps.
- Goggle
- A manual
- Shielding clothes
- A battery (a car battery to be precise).
- Starter box
- Jump wires(normally they are permanently attached to the starter).
the Steps Are As Follows:
- Read the manual.- some vehicles have different starting instructions and some won’t accept jump start. So you have to read the manual to be sure – don’t treat it like your iPhone.
- Put on a goggle to protect the eyes and also put on a shielding cloth. Just to stay on the safe side, stay protected.
- Turn off the car and remove the key.
- Put off your jewelry and do not put your face closer to the battery.
- Check around to make sure the car is not closer to explosive fluids or gas, including whatever may be on your wrist or hand. Don’t take any of such things for granted.
- Distant the charger from the battery as the size of the wire permits.
- Check for the volt of your battery charger in the manual and be sure that it matches the starter’s voltage.
- Observe the positive and negative terminal symbols on the car’s battery. Peel off any excessive decomposed particles before connecting the wire.
- Also, specify the positive and negative clips on the starter. The positive is red and the negative is black.
- Be sure that the jump starter is switched off before striving to attach the starter’s clamps to the car’s battery.
- Make sure that the positive and negative terminals do not touch each other.
- When both the car and the starter have been turned off connect them to the proper terminal.
- Connect the positive clamp of the starter to the red clamp of the battery.
- And connect the negative clap to an unpainted none moving metal. Then pick an area on the engine far away from the battery, fuel spots, and carburetor.
- Be sure that the terminals are well-connected so they don’t lose.
- Once the starter cables are really in place, then you can switch on the starter.
- Try switching on the car.
- Don’t crank the car for more than 5 secs. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes to try again if the car does not turn on during the first attempt.
- If you have to adjust the starter clamps, switch off the starter and the car.
- When the engine starts, turn off the starter.
- Remove the terminals and safely store the starter.
- Then you can now put off eye protection.
- After every connection has been removed, let the car stay idle for some minutes before starting it.
- Charge the starter when you get home.
Will A Jump Starter Start A Dead Battery?
Yes, a jump starter will charge a dead battery. Jump starting is mainly done to a dead battery charger with a well-charged jump starter. (Read Also:How Long Do Jeep Cherokee Batteries Last?)
Can A Completely Dead Battery Be Recharged?
Yes, it can be restored. As though, your car’s alternator can keep an active battery well-charged but it was not developed to charge a dead battery. When your battery is completely dead, the best alternative is to use a jump starter or a good charger before or after jump starting.
Can A Battery Be Too Dead To Jump?
No, a battery cannot be too dead to be jump-started, a dead battery can be jumped and there are some procedures to follow to jump a dead battery. Most effective batteries act as the best car jumper.
Can you Call 911 For A Jump Start?
Yes, you can. They mostly have a jumper wire to jump-start your car, but it would not be too bad if you have your pair of cables so whenever you need them you can use them. But if it presents a hazard or an emergency make sure you reach out to 911 as soon as you can – they are available for such emergencies as well. (Read Also: Can A Bad Alternator Ruin The Battery?
How Do I Bring My Battery Back To Life?
You can bring your battery to life by jump-starting it and following the given procedures below.
The Basic Equipment That You’d Need Is As Follow :
- Eye protection goggles
- Voltmeter
- A jump starter
- Essential tool kit
- Funnel
- Buckets
- Purified water
- Baking soda
- Cleaning tools and so on
the Steps Are As Follows
- Clean The Battery– the terminals of a battery are made from metals and they will repeatedly have a line of rust on them. So prepare a remedy with baking soda and purified water, then use an old toothbrush to brush them away. (Read Also:How Long Can You Leave A Battery Tender On A Motorcycle?)
- Inspect The Voltage – here you’d have to use a voltmeter to check the status of the volt. Attach the terminal wire of the battery to the meter and do your readings.
- Clean The Battery Acid– before doing this, put on your goggles and gloves and also shielding clothes for safety. Use a screwdriver to unlock the battery lid and carefully pour out the old acid in the battery in a bucket and carefully put the battery away and put around half of the baking soda into the acid to neutralize it.
- Clean The Cell Of The Battery – prepare a solution with baking soda and purified water and use a funnel to pour the solution inside the cells. Once you notice that the cells are full, close the lids and twitch the battery for a minute or two.
- Recondition The Battery– for this step, you have to prepare an electrolyte solution by mixing half a pound of Epsom salt in boiling purified water and once the mixture is clear you can begin to pour it into the battery cell by using a clean funnel. When the cell is filled up completely, carefully close the battery lids. An electrolyte solution in a battery will increase the amps and volts in which your car would need.
- Charge The Reconditioned Battery – in this part, you’d make use of a battery charger. Fix the tight terminal clamps between the two devices and let them charge slowly for a day.
- Examine The Battery – make use of a voltmeter to check the level of voltage of the battery. Make sure the voltmeter reads 12.4 volts. If it doesn’t read that amount of volt, then your reconditioning isn’t complete. Still leave it to charge. (Read Also:Will A Bad Alternator Cause Rough Idle?)
FAQs
How To Charge A Car With A Battery Charger Plug-In
You can charge your car with a battery charger plugin by doing the following:
- Make sure you always read your car manual, read the instructions first.
- Turn off the car.
- Be sure that the battery charger is not plugged and off.
- Attach the red clamp to the positive terminal.
- Connect the black negative clamp to unpainted metal.
- Immediately you have connected the two clamps, plug the charger.
- Turn the battery charger on.
- Once the battery starts charging, leave it overnight.
- Turn off the charger in the morning.
- Turn the car on to see if it would start.
- If it doesn’t start, then you need to change the battery.
Note: when you are charging your battery, be sure that the battery is not at a very high rate. Make sure you read the instructions given by the manufacturer for suitable use. If the battery is developing heat, end the charging till the battery cools down. When the battery is overheating, it could cause serious damage. And be very careful and also be sure that the wires are well connected to the right parts. So there won’t be any risk of electrocuting and the explosion of the battery.
Jumpstart Vs Battery Charger
It is necessary to understand the difference between a jump start and a battery charger. A car charger is typically plugged into a household outlet to charge a battery. It naturally takes a few days to get a full charge. Though the alternator in the car has the responsibility of charging the battery most times, using an additional battery is important.
This can be necessary to have if you use your car sporadically or only during important occasions. But it gets pretty useless when there’s a breakdown issue at the roadside, but they can be able to charge the battery at home, to save you money and inconvenience alongside the road.
Contrary to a charger, a jump starter can be used anywhere and you don’t need to plug them into an outlet. They do not recharge the battery but they give the important amp to crank the engine and also start the car. Immediately the engine of the car is on, the alternator begins to charge the battery and also gives power to the system.
You should use and have a jump starter so that you can make it to where you want to go fast but make sure you plug the jump starter at home and make sure it’s fully charged. If you are going to get one, make sure to purchase a very portable one for easy use.
Can I Start A Car With A Battery Charger Connected – Conclusion
I hope I’ve been able to properly answer every question that was asked. Drop your ideas, your questions, and everything in the comment section. Let’s reason together cause we now live in an era whereby we have to learn new things daily. Make us know anything that needs to be corrected and we’d be very grateful to correct that part. Though, an at-home plug starter can be useful and effective.