Your car battery plays a crucial role in your vehicle’s operation. The biggest worry of any car owner is to realize that the car battery has run out of charge.
As a driver, a good rule of thumb is to keep your car battery adequately charged. It helps to avoid the hassles that may arise due to the unexpected death of the battery.
Operating a car with a non-functioning battery can be nerve-wracking. You have to keep on jump-starting so that you can at least start the engine. It can also be risky and detrimental for your motor vehicle. That’s why regularly assessing your car’s battery charge level is essential.
The most effective and safest way to charge the battery of your car is using its designated charger only. A charger is created to charge an automobile battery in the most efficient and proper way. Therefore, if the charger is readily available, you should stick to it. It is crucial to avoid trying out any other method.
Your car battery can run out of charge unexpectedly. It is imperative to be conversant with charging your automobile battery using other techniques apart from using a charger. Fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert in applying this technique.
5 Method of Charging Your Car Battery Without a Charger
You can apply several techniques to charge a vehicle’s battery without using a charger. They include:
1. Use Jump Leads
When your car battery stops functioning unexpectedly, you need to jump-start the battery. With this, you can at least ignite the engine.
A car battery is not complicated. It does not require sophisticated devices or expertise. All that is needed is to attach the jump leads from another vehicle to your car battery. To execute this, you can apply jumper cables.
This is the most prevalent and the best alternative. Jumper cables are readily available in any automobile shop near you.
To charge the battery effectively, park the two vehicles close to each other. Kick-starting a car requires the use of a different automobile power system. Ensure the bonnets are widely open and go ahead with the cable installation. However, don’t connect the cables when the two cars are on.
Attach the jumper wire to the positive terminal of the non-functioning battery. Repeat the same process with the negative.
Fix it tightly on the left terminal of the functioning battery. Also, on the dead batteries’ left terminal. Proceed to ignite the car with the charged battery.
After starting the car, do not switch on the vehicle with the dead battery immediately. This can disconnect the jumper cable connection. Instead, you should give it approximately ten to twenty minutes.
Ensure it has sufficient charge to keep it operational with the aid of the alternator charging it. After that, you can slowly withdraw the cables.
2. Use Solar Panel and Solar Charger
If you are contemplating charging your car at home, it is easy if you have an already installed solar panel.
However, this may not be the best alternative if your car battery is completely dead. This is because it will take a lot of time for the battery to get charged even after starting.
A typical 100-watt solar panel can offer approximately five amps to charge a battery. It can spend about 12 hours recharging a battery with a voltage below 11.85.
So, how do you set up the solar panel when you want to charge your car battery? It is crucial to understand that it is detrimental to use a solar panel above 5 watts to charge an automobile battery directly.
Due to the sun’s strength, the solar panel voltage will always decline. Extremely high voltage drives the amps to your battery faster and overcharges the battery.
Overcharging can compromise the structural integrity of your car battery. Eventually, it will reduce its longevity. To avoid this, you need a charge controller.
Secondly, your cables must be long enough to access the battery from the solar panel. It also ensures you can conveniently mount the panel where there is adequate sunlight and still get where the battery is placed.
You can also use a solar battery charger to charge your car battery. This is the most secure alternative, especially if you are charging from a solar source.
3. Use UPS Inverter
An inverter and UPS are both used in offering power supply to electronic devices in the event of a power cut.
Their fundamental role is the same. They save electricity in a battery when power is available. They also distribute it to different devices after a power outage.
Today, almost every home has a UPS inverter. It helps restore the power supply from the home inverter when there is an electricity outage. Usually, a home inverter is a 12V battery similar to a car battery.
Therefore, it can be utilized to charge a motor vehicle battery. However, you should go through the manual thoroughly.
This is to ensure that the inverter and its battery are appropriate for charging a car battery with the same capacity. Most inverters are fitted with displays to assess the charging process. Inverters also help curb overcharging and reverse current.
4. Put the Dead Battery into Another Vehicle
Putting the dead battery into a different vehicle is an excellent alternative. However, this is only possible if you have another car. The other car’s battery should be equivalent to the one you want to charge.
Suppose you are not sure that the batteries are of the same size and shape and possess similar features. In that case, it is essential not to connect them to another vehicle. It helps to avoid damaging the battery and the internal parts of the other car.
5. Use a Battery Isolator
A battery isolator is necessary for charging a secondary battery. You only need to move the charge from the alternator of the primary battery.
Although it is not one of the top-notch alternatives, it can at least get the job done. However, it may be challenging to use a battery isolator if the car battery is completely dead.
First, the isolator will charge the primary battery. It then transmits it to the battery isolator to supply charge to the secondary battery. A battery isolator is prevalently used by Recreational Vehicles and campsites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Charge My Car Directly?
So, is it possible to charge an automobile directly? The simple answer is Yes. You can still charge the battery while in or out of the vehicle.
First, connect the red clamps to the positive post on the battery. The positive post will exhibit a positive sign on it. After that, connect the black clamp to the negative post on the battery.
What Duration will My Car Battery Take to Charge While Driving?
One of the most effective ways to charge your car battery is when your car is on the move. It will only take one hour while driving for your car battery to be fully charged. However, you need to take a minimum 1000 RPM speed to bring about an additional charge for your car battery.
To adequately charge your car battery while driving, drive on the highway. This is because you have to drive at about 55 miles per hour. The highway has enormous space and minimal traffic. Therefore, the automobile’s battery can charge while operating.
Wrapping Up…
The above list is not exhaustive. Avoid the hassles that arise from your battery running out of charge unexpectedly.
It is crucial to understand that charging a car battery without a charger is not encouraged. The vehicle’s manufacturer always advises car owners to charge their car batteries with the appropriate car battery charger.
