Battery Charging Question
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 36,112
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From: Hotlanta GA
Cruise-In 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08, '15
Battery Charging Question
Ok this might sound a little odd but if I got my car jump started with a pretty dead battery, how long do you figure it would take for the alternator to charge it if it just sat in the parking lot at idle?
Thanks in advance
:cheers:
Thanks in advance
:cheers:
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: All humans are vermin in the eyes of Guru VA
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
Re: Battery Charging Question (theanswriz42)
I would give it at least an hour or 2. I lost juice once at college had a couple of chicks jump me(my car). By the time I got home I was straight about an hour later
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 36,112
Likes: 8
From: Hotlanta GA
Cruise-In 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08, '15
Re: Battery Charging Question (Guru_4_hire)
Thanks Guru, I'll probably do that. Since the car isn't insured yet, I do not want to take it out on the street but I want to be able to keep the battery charged.
:cheers:
:cheers:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: VA
Re: Battery Charging Question (theanswriz42)
I had to jump mine last week. I had forgotten to use my battery kill switch and I hadn't started the car in over a month. Well when I went to start it the battery was dead. I let it idle for about 30 min and it was fine after that. If you haven't installed a battery kill switch it is worth the little bit of money that they cost.
:flag
Ron
:flag
Ron
Racer
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Baja Oregon
Re: Battery Charging Question (Clink69)
What you want is the WirthCo #20128 'Knife Blade' battery switch http://www.wirthco.com/
You can buy 'em online at J.C. Whitney. If you search the archives, I believe you can find a pic of one installed in a C3 posted by Paul79.
You can buy 'em online at J.C. Whitney. If you search the archives, I believe you can find a pic of one installed in a C3 posted by Paul79.
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From: Fountain Hills AZ
Re: Battery Charging Question (theanswriz42)
If the battery is totally discharged, it may take several hours at idle (assuming lights and other accessories are off) before it's fully recharged. Because your starter only needs a fraction of a new battery's power to start the car, your battery can have well less than a full charge before you realize that you have a problem. Typically, once a battery has discharged, the amount of charge it will accept will be less than before it would accept before it was discharged. For example, if you had a 700 amp battery before, you might now have a 650 amp batttery. The most complete charge of a battery is achieved by a long, low amp recharge. Ideally, invest in an automatic trickle charger to use overnight whenever the car sits or when you have any doubts.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: South Central Louisiana
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Battery Charging Question (Vetterodder)
To my knowledge the "old style alternators" like whats in our C-3's are capable of rechargeing a dead battery to near full charge with in 30 minutes. In other words it works its butt off to get that battery charged, and gradualy charges less as the battery comes to life.
NOW, the "new style alternators", like whats in most C-4's and other new vehicles also charge full blast in a dead battery situation, but in most cases, it kills the internals of the alternator. Never let the alternator of newer vehicle bring a dead battery back to life, the less it has to work the longer it will last. Even a new battery should be fully charged by a charger before the alternator is run.
NOW, the "new style alternators", like whats in most C-4's and other new vehicles also charge full blast in a dead battery situation, but in most cases, it kills the internals of the alternator. Never let the alternator of newer vehicle bring a dead battery back to life, the less it has to work the longer it will last. Even a new battery should be fully charged by a charger before the alternator is run.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,645
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From: Schaumburg IL
Re: Battery Charging Question (Guru_4_hire)
The alternator can charge the dead battery but will take hours at best and you may risk burning diodes as the o/p will be at full until the battery is fully charged. Best bet, get a charger for $30 and charge overnight. The alternator was designed as a maintenance charger not a full charger.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Hotlanta GA
Cruise-In 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08, '15
Re: Battery Charging Question (PB82CE)
If you don't run the car every day, get a trickle charger :yesnod:
It works great :yesnod:
It works great :yesnod:
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: WY
Re: Battery Charging Question (theanswriz42)
i use a trickle charger for the winter if i cant get the car started every month or so. its a good investment but imho i wouldnt let the car idle for a long time to charge the battery...puts unneeded strain on the alternator and ive found its not the best to let a car idle for long periods of time. :chevy
[Modified by Yellow79, 8:31 AM 12/28/2002]
[Modified by Yellow79, 8:31 AM 12/28/2002]
Safety Car
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From: Lake Wylie SC
Re: Battery Charging Question (theanswriz42)
Are corvette's prone to running batteries dead? I just got my '72 3 weeks ago. Ran great for the 650 mile trip home. Ammeter read solid the entire way. Ran it a couple times when I got it home, now it's been in the garage for 2.5 weeks. I went to start last night, and it's dead. That seemed kinda fast to me. Note, it is about 15 degrees here, but that still seems fast even with a weak battery. Any thoughts? Any common electrical gremlins I should be searching for?
Brian
Brian
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From: Vancouver, BC
Re: Battery Charging Question (bigvette1)
The alternator can charge the dead battery but will take hours at best and you may risk burning diodes as the o/p will be at full until the battery is fully charged. Best bet, get a charger for $30 and charge overnight. The alternator was designed as a maintenance charger not a full charger.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 36,112
Likes: 8
From: Hotlanta GA
Cruise-In 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08, '15
Re: Battery Charging Question (Bacchus)
Are corvette's prone to running batteries dead? I just got my '72 3 weeks ago. Ran great for the 650 mile trip home. Ammeter read solid the entire way. Ran it a couple times when I got it home, now it's been in the garage for 2.5 weeks. I went to start last night, and it's dead. That seemed kinda fast to me. Note, it is about 15 degrees here, but that still seems fast even with a weak battery. Any thoughts? Any common electrical gremlins I should be searching for?
Brian
Brian
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,631
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From: Fountain Hills AZ
Re: Battery Charging Question (Bacchus)
Are corvette's prone to running batteries dead? I just got my '72 3 weeks ago. Ran great for the 650 mile trip home. Ammeter read solid the entire way. Ran it a couple times when I got it home, now it's been in the garage for 2.5 weeks. I went to start last night, and it's dead. That seemed kinda fast to me. Note, it is about 15 degrees here, but that still seems fast even with a weak battery. Any thoughts? Any common electrical gremlins I should be searching for?
Brian
Brian
