How long to charge a dead car battery with alternator

One of the most frequent reasons for automobiles not starting is a dead battery, so how can you keep it in good condition? If it ever fails, how long does it take to charge a car battery, what is the best technique for doing so, and what are the indicators that your battery is nearing the end of its life? Well, in this article, the answers to the following questions will be discussed:

  • How long does it take to charge a dead battery?
  • How many amps is your car battery?
  • Which battery charger do I need?
  • What is a linear battery charger?
  • What is a multi-stage battery charger?
  • What is a trickle charger?
  • How long does an alternator take to charge a car battery?
  • How many volts is there in a fully charged battery?
  • How much driving is required to fully charge a car battery?
  • Do car battery charge while idling?
  • How long does a car battery last without driving?

So, let’s dive in!

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How long to charge a dead car battery with alternator

Contents

  • 1 How long does it take to charge a dead battery?
  • 2 How many amps is your car battery?
  • 3 Which battery charger do I need?
    • 3.1 Linear battery charger
    • 3.2 Multi-stage battery charger
    • 3.3 Trickle charger
  • 4 How long does an alternator take to charge a car battery?
  • 5 How many volts is there in a fully charged battery?
    • 5.1 Join our Newsletter
  • 6 How much driving is required to fully charge a car battery?
  • 7 Do car battery charge while idling?
  • 8 How long does a car battery last without driving?
  • 9 FAQs
    • 9.1 How long does it take to charge a dead battery?
    • 9.2 How long does it take to charge a battery at 2 amps?
    • 9.3 How long does it take to charge a battery at 4 amps?
    • 9.4 How long does it take to charge a battery at 6 amps?
    • 9.5 How long does it take to charge a battery at 8 amps?
    • 9.6 How long does it take to charge a battery at 10 amps?
    • 9.7 How long does it take to charge a battery at 12 amps?
    • 9.8 How long does it take to charge a battery at 50 amps?
  • 10 In summary
    • 10.1 Kindly Share!

How long does it take to charge a dead battery?

Depending on the type of battery in your car and the charging method you select, charging a flat car battery might take anywhere from an hour to a day. Four things to keep in mind when charging a car battery:

  • It will take roughly 10–24 hours to fully charge a standard automotive battery with a usual charge amp of 4–8 amperes.
  • It would take about 2-4 hours to sufficiently charge your battery so that you could start the engine.
  • Recharging carefully is the greatest strategy to ensure that your car battery lasts a long time.
  • Your battery can be recharged more quickly, but doing so could compromise its long-term function.

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How many amps is your car battery?

No, we’re not referring to amps that start-up cold. We’re referring to how long your battery can operate at one amp of electricity before needing to be recharged. Car batteries typically have a 48-amp rating. This is still the best technique to estimate how long it will take to charge your battery even though your automobile doesn’t use amps per hour. This is so that battery chargers can be produced uniformly by manufacturers. It makes determining how long to charge a car battery simple.

It will take 48 hours if you are using a 1-amp charger and your battery is fully dead (0 amps). It will take 24 hours if you’re using a 2-amp charger, though. The charger will recover one amp in the battery per hour for every amp that the manufacturer rates it for. It is important to remember that the battery also plays a role in this. You’ll need to leave the battery on the charger for longer if it has a defective cell or can’t retain a charge because of calcification if you want to have any chance of saving it.

Read more: Understanding battery used in automobiles

Which battery charger do I need?

Battery chargers come in three different types: trickle chargers, multi-stage chargers, and linear chargers.

Linear battery charger

The simplest charger available is the linear battery charger. It allows you to use the plug-in at a wall socket to recharge the battery in your car. Even though it requires little setup and electricity, the charger’s low amperage means that it will take a while for the battery to charge and, depending on the amperage, could take up to 12 hours for the battery to be fully charged.

There is always a chance that you could overcharge your battery and harm it because the linear battery charger operates at a continuous charge and lacks a controller to halt the charging when the battery is at full power.

Multi-stage battery charger

In contrast to a continuous charge, the multi-stage battery charger operates in power bursts. This is preferable for the battery cells and avoids the long-term harm that linear batteries may cause when charged continuously. When compared to a linear charger, multi-stage chargers operate much more quickly. Your automobile battery might be recharged in as little as an hour with a top-of-the-line multi-stage charger.

Trickle charger

The operating range for trickle chargers is 0.8 to 4 amps. They are not designed to replenish a dead battery because they operate at a low power output level. If you attach them to the battery while the car isn’t being used, they can help prevent the issue. When their vehicles are stored for the winter, owners of classic cars frequently keep their batteries on a trickle charge.

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How long does an alternator take to charge a car battery?

If you’ve ever had your car jumpstarted, the mechanic undoubtedly advised you to let it run for a while before turning it off again. This will allow the alternator to recharge your battery and prevent you from having a dead battery again as soon as you turn off the ignition.

But how long exactly is a “bit,” and when is it okay to restart turning off your car? It’s not that easy to determine how long the alternator in your automobile should run to fully charge a battery. It all depends on how fast you’re driving. Your engine’s RPM directly affects the pace of the belt that drives your alternator.

Your alternator can work harder the faster you drive. Therefore, your alternator can normally revive your battery within 30 minutes of you traveling down the freeway, but it can take many hours if your car is parked in the driveway. It’s also critical to remember that your alternator is pumping power into your battery as quickly as it can, charging it as a 40-amp charger would. While this works well to quickly charge your battery, it may also hasten the battery’s deterioration.

Your alternator, however, functions as a smart charger. You don’t have to worry about your battery getting overcharged since as soon as it reaches the right voltage, it starts dumping the excess electricity to the ground.

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How many volts is there in a fully charged battery?

A 12-volt battery is typically found underneath the hood of modern cars. Six cells make up a 12-volt automobile battery, and when completely charged, each one will produce 2.1 volts of power. An automobile battery is therefore deemed completely charged at 12.4 to 12.6 volts while the engine is off.

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Even a slight decrease in your battery’s voltage can have a significant impact on how well it works overall. For instance, a voltage of 12.1 volts indicates that your battery is only using 50% of its full charge. When the voltage reaches 11.6 volts, the battery is virtually entirely depleted.

How much driving is required to fully charge a car battery?

To create the power required to charge your battery, your engine must turn at least 1000 revolutions per minute (RPM). Your battery will recharge more quickly at speeds of 55 MPH or higher since quicker speeds produce more RPMs. Most vehicles’ batteries can be fully recharged after around 30 minutes of highway drive. Remember that the average time is 30 minutes. It can take even longer to recharge your battery if it is severely drained.

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Do car battery charge while idling?

Your battery will still recharge in an idle automobile, but considerably more slowly than if you were driving. Modern automobiles include numerous additional devices that use electricity, which is the cause of this. Identify the mechanism that supplies energy to these extra units. You are correct; it is your alternator.

It will take significantly longer for your battery to recharge if your automobile is just idle because it isn’t producing many RPMs. How many? We have been speaking for a while. Your best option is to simply go for a drive rather than keeping your car idle in your driveway.

How long does a car battery last without driving?

In a little under two months, an idle battery can go from fully charged to completely dead. If your battery is more than three years old or wasn’t properly charged the last time you drove it, it will degrade even more quickly. A factor that is bad for your battery is making numerous short drives in a row.

There is nothing wrong with running a ton of errands, but your battery will become fairly low if you keep starting and stopping your car with only brief periods of driving in between. To give your alternator the time it needs to completely recharge your battery, try to take a 30-minute highway trip at least once a week.

Read more: How long does it take to change a car engine oil?

FAQs

How long does it take to charge a dead battery?

An average battery charge amp of 4 to 8 amperes will take 10 to 24 hours to fully recharge. However, it would take about 2-4 hours to boost your battery just enough to start the engine. If at all possible, you can jumpstart your battery using another vehicle.

How long does it take to charge a battery at 2 amps?

A 2-amp charger will take 30 hours to completely charge a battery with 60 amp-hours. A 2-amp charger needs 24 hours to fully charge a battery with 48 amp-hours if the battery has that capacity.

How long does it take to charge a battery at 4 amps?

It will take roughly 10–24 hours to fully charge a standard automobile battery with a usual charge amp of 4–8 amperes. It would take about 2-4 hours to sufficiently charge your battery so that you could start the engine. Recharging carefully is the greatest strategy to ensure that your car battery lasts a long time.

How long does it take to charge a battery at 6 amps?

If your battery is completely dead, charging it at six amps will take eight to ten hours to fully recharge a small car battery with a reserve capacity (RC) of 40 to 60 and a cold-cranking amps (CCA) range of 200 to 315. A mid-sized battery of 315 to 550 CCA or RC 60 to 85 takes 10 to 12 hours to charge.

How long does it take to charge a battery at 8 amps?

It will take roughly 10–24 hours to fully charge a standard vehicle battery with a usual charge amp of 4–8 amperes. It would take about 2-4 hours to sufficiently charge your battery so that you could start the engine. Recharging carefully is the greatest strategy to ensure that your car battery lasts a long time.

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How long does it take to charge a battery at 10 amps?

Your car’s battery will typically take a 10-amp battery charger four to eleven hours to fully charge. The battery doesn’t have to be fully charged, though, in order to start the vehicle.

How long does it take to charge a battery at 12 amps?

A 48-amp battery requires 4 hours to fully charge using a 12-amp charger. In order to reach 48 amps, the charger must run for 4 hours at a rate of 12 amps each hour.

How long does it take to charge a battery at 50 amps?

A car battery should typically charge at 50 amps for around an hour. However, if your charger isn’t compatible with the battery or if the battery itself has a flaw, it can take more time. It might take up to five hours in those circumstances.

Read more: Understanding Engine Lubrication System

In summary

Understanding how a car battery is charged can save you a lot of time, money, and effort. As you can see, the charging process can undergo different power amps which determines how fast the charging will take. That’s is all for this article where the following questions are being answered:

  • How long does it take to charge a dead battery?
  • How many amps is your car battery?
  • Which battery charger do I need?
  • What is a linear battery charger?
  • What is a multi-stage battery charger?
  • What is a trickle charger?
  • How long does an alternator take to charge a car battery?
  • How many volts is there in a fully charged battery?
  • How much driving is required to fully charge a car battery?
  • Do car battery charge while idling?
  • How long does a car battery last without driving?

I hope you learn a lot from the reading, if so, kindly share with others. Thanks for reading, see you around!

Will an alternator fully charge a dead battery?

An alternator cannot do everything a charger can. For starters, an alternator can charge a battery with a low charge, but it cannot charge a dead battery. As we said above, the battery's job is to start the engine and then work as an electrical load balancer.

How fast does an alternator need to turn to charge a battery?

Alternator may not generate sufficient charging voltage until alternator speed is greater than about 2000 RPM. Typically, alternators have their full output rated at 6000 RPM but can continue to spin up to 12,000 RPM or more without any additional increase in output.

Does alternator charge battery while idling?

The simple answer to this question is yes, your car's battery will start to charge as long as your engine is running. As long as the electrical systems aren't draining the battery quicker than the alternator is charging it, it is technically possible to completely charge your battery using this method.

At what rate does an alternator charge a battery?

If you are using an alternator, a 40 amp alternator will take half an hour or less to fully charge the battery, a 2 amp charger will take 2-4 days. Of course you don't have to get the battery to full charge to get it to start the car, 11.8V will usually do it.