1 Home Entertainment Tech Community & Resource. Whereas, when you are driving the same car in a busy traffic scenario, it can take up to 1 hour or more to charge the car battery. It uses its charge to power the vehicle systems while it's parked and to turn over the engine when you want to start it. Assuming I can get the car started after a friend gives me a jumpstart, how many miles (approximately do I need to drive the car) in order to charge up the dead battery (so that if I drive it a week later, it will most like just start up)?? Check your car battery charger for any settings for the charging rate and apply the charging … Typically, a car battery will last for about 5 to 6 years and about 30,000 to 50,000 miles before needing to be replaced. There are many possible causes behind your battery's inability to deliver enough electricity to your car, and not all of them have to do with its ongoing performance. Now, over 3 decades later, I've started this site as a place for me to share my knowledge, to teach others how to care for and maintain their vehicles themselves, so they can get the most out of their vehicles and save a pretty penny compared to always seeking out professional help. John D Think about your cell phone or laptop — any battery that can be recharged can only withstand so many charge… For cars being stored for long periods of time. Nothing but my anecdotal evidence but I think I've flattened the battery on most of the cars I've owned at one point or another. It is a relatively minor cost to keep your car running strong. That means of 45Ah we have 27Ah remaining, so we need to put 18Ah back in. If you want to know how long it takes to fill the pool up, you’ll need to know the volume of the pool, how much water is already in it, and how much water is coming from the hose. Learning through manuals, books, trial and error, and more knowledgeable family members, I've also enjoyed tinkering with the mechanics and electronics of any vehicles I've owned. For a relatively new battery even 5 miles would suffice. Tip to … (Again, the charger amps may vary, but just go with the maximum rate you’ll be using.). Consider a swimming pool. If you try to fast charge a deeply depleted battery, you’ll be generating heat for an extended period. – You can test this with a proper. You need to trickle charge the battery to replace the energy lost. For an EV car or plug in Hybrids with Lithium Batteries: Typically, the batteries using the latest technology are good for 1,000 charges while retaining a certain level battery level, typically 70% capacity. But if you don’t intend to drive your car for some time for whatever reason, you should still start it up once a week to recharge the 12V battery. I would get a mains powered charger designed to trickle charge a lead acid battery. My opinions are my own and do not represent those of the AVForums or its associated websites. It might be the one your car makes when you turn the key, and nothing happens. 2-4 ampere is typical for maintenance charging, and it will take around 24 hours to fully charge a dead battery at this load. Charging costs – Summary In the sections below, we explain in detail how to work out EV charging costs in any situation.First, however, we provide a quick overview. Therefore, any calculation you might make to figure out how long your charge time will be will likely be a bit off. AVForums.com is owned and operated by M2N Limited, Panasonic TX-P50ST60B, Oppo BDP-80, Humax DTR-T2000, OSMC Vero 4k+, Marantz NR1608, Tannoy M3/MC/M1/HTS100. A 25A charger will charge more quickly than a 12A charger or a 2A trickle charger. That makes sense; a compact car doesn’t need a battery big enough to start a V8 4×4 quad cab pickup. I really wouldn't stress about it! Have you ever heard of … Just as not all vehicles are the same size, not all batteries are the same size, either. It was sitting in the garage for 2 months and the battery is now dead. Maintenance or trickle charger. To fully recharge, take it for a spin for about an hour, and try not to use the radio, DVD, lights, or anything else that draws electricity. And all that new knowledge we gave you? This new meaning of mph is both confusing and useful at the same time. You must log in or register to reply here. Living with the Nissan Leaf....6 month update! A typical electric car (Nissan LEAF 30kWh) takes 4 hours to charge from empty with a 7kW home charging point. Factors That Affect Car Battery Charge Times, Fast Charging Versus Slow Charging My Car Battery, chargers recharge batteries at different rates, a basic formula to help you calculate your charge time, How to Use a Car Battery Charger – Step by Step, Safely and Effectively, How to Wash Your Car: The Ultimate Guide (28 Steps & An Infographic), How to Rotate Tires, Why Bother, and How Often to Do It, Best Antifreeze And Coolants In 2020: Reviews & Buyer’s Guide. There is only 12500 miles on the clock from brand new. They told me the previous battery went done prematurely because I wasn't running the car enough! Jumped or back in the day bumped them to life, driven for half an hour and never thought about it again. No point adding insult to injury by wasting hours only to end up needing a replacement! According to our chart, that means the battery is at 60%. How long does it take to charge a car battery? Different chargers recharge batteries at different rates. = 400 *15. Best Car Scratch Removers In 2020: Easy Do It Yourself Fixing! Sign up to receive new articles, tips, tricks, and guides, as well as discounts on top products, hitting your inbox every week! https://www.racq.com.au/cars-and-driving/products-and-services/batteries/battery-myths said: The charger voltage needs to be high enough to mix the battery acid evenly in the electrolyte to prevent ‘stratification’. The battery was replaced on the 1st May, 2006 by the AA when the old one supplied by them went dud. It will likely charge at 8-10 amps for at least 24 hours. Other factors can impact charge times. (Again, the charger amps may vary, but just go with the maximum rate you’ll be using.) “A conservative rule of thumb is that an electric car gets 3 to 4 miles per kWh,” Voelcker says. We expect and count on that engine to roar to life every time we get behind the wheel. The not-so-good news is that a car battery should be kept topped-up, and it … ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGE TIMES / MILES RANGE PER HOUR ACCEPTANCE BATTERY LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1 Cordset LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1 Cordset RATE SIZE HCS-40PR120V, 12A 120V, 12A (kW) (kWh) 32A Max Charging Current (provided with car) 32A Max Charging Current (provided with car) BMW ActiveE 7 32 4.5 23 23 4 BMW i3 2014-2016 (60Ah battery) 7.423 3 16 24 4 … Europe's busiest forums, with independent news and expert reviews, for TVs, Home Cinema, Hi-Fi, Movies, Gaming, Tech and more. You test it and get a reading of 12.2. If you need just a few amp-hours, go ahead and crank it up a bit for a short time. Charges your battery from empty to full, which can take anything from two to 24 hours for a full charge, but usually about 10-12 hours. The fastest charging time happens in the battery’s nucleus, (often called the battery’s sweet spot) which is approximately 20% and 80% of a full charge. Here’s a basic formula to help you calculate your charge time, more or less: Charge time (Hrs) = (Amp hours – (Charge percentage x Amp hours)) / Charger amps, Get your amp hours off your battery, and the charger amps off the charger. Divide the remaining amp-hours by the amps of the charger and the result is how long, in hours, it will take to replenish the battery fully. When it doesn’t, you can feel the frustration surging through your body – which is ironic, considering nothing is surging through your car. We recommend that you opt for a slower charge to prevent the risk of the battery … Can You Mix Synthetic Oil with Regular Oil? The only way to charge your car battery while your car is off is via a trickle charger or other car battery charger. This can damage the battery, or even start a fire. The likely culprit is a dead battery. Keep Your Engine Safe! In modern day, there are many smart chargers that are easy to use and automatically switch off or turn into maintenance mode once your battery is fully charged. The time it takes to charge depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point. Thanks. Car with a smaller battery, keeping it above fast idle for 5–7 minutes minimum. You cannot rely on the coolant temp gauge in the dashboard, but a drive of at least 15-20km at moderate speed should do the trick, charging the battery as a side effect. From childhood go karting and motocross, to collecting and obsessing over scalextric, matchbox and radio controlled cars, I've always had an obsession with cars. We discuss the different factors that can affect charging time, fast vs slow charging methods and more. Taking perhaps pessimistic values, you might draw 400 Amps for 15 seconds while starting the car. Car batteries are designed for one purpose – provide a powerful, quick, high-amperage current to the starter to start the car, and then constantly have this charge of 12.4 volts maintained by the alternator once the car is running. Imagine you have a 45Ah battery. A fully charged 12V battery at rest should have a reading of about … You need to take the battery out of the vehicle, put it on a charger at a slow rate (2A or less) and let it charge overnight (or longer). =1600 Coulombs. Let’s put the equation to the test, shall we? The main function of a car battery is to start your car. How long it takes to recharge will partly depend on how depleted the battery is to begin with. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Next, determine your depth of discharge. Cheaper chargers often su… What’s the most annoying sound in the world? Halfords Jump starter with USB Socket, Inverter and Tyre Inflator, 690 miles in an electric car with a 18 months old :). 40 minutes is 0.66 hours. Shorter, heavier gauge cables will charge faster than long, lightweight wires. The only time I've had to do this more than once is when the battery is end of life. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You can do this with a jump starter, jumper cables, or by calling your roadside assistance service and letting them worry about it. A fully charged 12V battery at rest should have a reading of about 12.7V. Today, most cars have a single maintenance-free 12-volt acid battery (in the photo). If you let your vehicle idle for about 20-30 minutes (depends on how many RPMs your engine idles at) that should return enough charge to restart later without trouble. I'd say there's good & not-so-good news here: Apologies for the resurrection of this old thread but it contains some useful info I would like some help with. Depending on how long the battery has sat around, it may not be able to take a charge any longer due to sulfation of the lead plates within the cells. 7kW home charger provides about 30 miles per hour of charge. But how long does it take to charge a car battery? Charging your battery this way often requires a battery to be charged beforehand by an amp charger. Alongside the petrol-powered Smart range, the citycar specialists also offer the EQ fortwo coupe, EQ fortwo cabrio, and EQ forfour as EV models. Sorry, I know you were hoping to dodge the M-word, but it’s unavoidable in this situation. (Or, adding injury to insult by hurting yourself with a dangerous recharge.). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. "Realistically, you have to be in excess of 1,000 rpm before it starts charging," Brown-Harrison says. If you need to get on your way immediately, you’ll need a set of jumper cables or a jump starter. In the end, the important thing is to charge carefully to avoid damaging your battery. The EQ fortwo models – both coupe and cabrio – can complete around 100 miles on a single charge according to official figures. “If I plug my car into a CCS charging point at the motorway service station, and leave it for an hour, how many more miles will I then be able to drive?” If 1 hour of charging at a rapid charge point gives you an extra 100 miles, then you could call it a 100 mph charger. Note on charge rates: Most chargers these days are “intelligent,” meaning they adjust the rate of charge as the battery fills up. The charger is the same, so you still get 2.5 kilowatt-hours delivered per minute of charging. 3.7kW home charger provides about 15 miles per hour of charge. Local children running out in front of cars on the cul-de-sac how do I address this. Either by sitting still and pushing the gas pedal to bring it to about 3500–4000 rpm, or by driving at freeway speeds for that timeframe. I stupidly left the key's to the wife's Kia Sedona in the ignition last night parked on the driveway........ turned on as well (yeah i know. The 2018 Nissan Leaf, with a 40 kWh battery, is a popular all-electric car on Britain’s roads.. So, we hook up to our 12-amp charger (just pulled that number out of the air), and we’ll be back to 100% in about 1.5 hours. Park the vehicle out of the way with a clear path between the plug and the vehicle. Ironically, there’s no charge for that. So, if you had, say, a 40Ah battery and an 80Ah battery, it would theoretically take twice as long to charge the 80Ah battery, assuming the same level of depletion and rate of charge. You’ll need a voltmeter or car battery tester, and our article for guidance on how to test a car battery for this, by the way. To find out which car battery charge fitted for you need, you should know what amp rates you want for your charger. Usually, a standard car battery charger is giving out 4-15 amperes. But if you’ve got the time, you can hook up to a battery charger and set your battery right again. You are using an out of date browser. If you are interested in buying a car battery charger I’d recommend the Battery Tender 1.25 Amp or 750 mA version (link to Amazon.com) . When driving your car on high-speed lanes, charging of the car battery will take up to 30 minutes on average. You should now be a car battery charging expert and ready to get back on the road again! The bigger your car’s battery and the slower the charging point, the longer it takes to charge … It’s not going to be 100% accurate, but it’ll be close enough unless you’re using this to time a roast in the oven. Thanks for checking in with us today, and letting us share in your automotive journey. If you don’t own a battery charger, you’ll need toget your car jumpstarted. To take a look at our range of chargers, click here. This website uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb. If you're wondering how long to charge a car battery, the first and most important detail to take into account is the underlying reason behind why your battery needs charging. There are three basic types of charger: Battery charger. I have a 2003 Mercedes E class sedan. Note that common car batteries may need 10-20 hours for a full charge, so don't expect a 15 minute drive … Just because a battery isn’t starting your car, that doesn’t mean it’s completely drained. It will take many hours to fully charge an empty battery, depending of course on how big the battery is. Before the end, you should have a good idea of whether you’ll be going to work late, or taking the day off. Charge = Current * Time. However, unless your battery was on its last legs, it may be recharged and give you many years of good service. company number 03997482, registered in England and Wales. The car battery is rechargeable. Be careful not to place wires in the way of foot traffic. How To Charge a Car Battery. Most likely, you want your car battery charged up ASAP. The mechanic said that with all the computers now, a car must be driven much more than 4,000 miles in a year or else the battery will drain down. This is because the charge rate will slow down as you approach 100% charged. How to Use an OBD2 Scanner – Diagnose Your Car Using Engine Codes. These include the condition of the battery, its ability to take and hold a charge, and the condition of the terminals. But the LEAF can go 5 miles on a kilowatt-hour. Get your amp hours off your battery, and the charger amps off the charger. VehicleScene.com is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program. 70 miles is more than suffice. So what’s the verdict? The No. High speed charging is usually 6-10amps, whereas low speed charging is typically 2-3amps which is usual for a gradual overnight charge. Thanks all, I agree I don't think I need to panic. It’s kind of like that scene in The Princess Bride when Billy Crystal explains that Carey Elwes is only, “mostly dead.”. Powered by Xenforo, Hosted by Nimbus Hosting, Original design Critical Media Ltd. Originally Answered: To recharge my car battery fully, what is the minimum speed and time do I have to drive my car? If you wish to know how long it takes to charge a car battery this is the article for you. To a lesser extent, the length and gauge of the charging wires will also affect charge times. How to Remove Tree Sap from Your Car & Prevent It from Coming Back, Best Tire Pressure Gauge – Our Top Recommendations for 2020, 5 Best Car Battery Chargers in 2021 – Buying Guide and Reviews, 9 Best Battery Maintainers for 2021- Buying Guide and Reviews, How To Test A Car Battery – An Easy Step-By-Step Guide, How drained is the battery? Do you have time for lunch before you’re ready to roll, or time to binge watch a season of your favorite show? However, it’s easier on your battery to take your time. The slowest way to charge is on a standard 120-volt outlet, which adds just a few miles of range per hour. Obviously, how fast the power is flowing back into the battery plays a part in determining overall charge time. Most car batteries which are in good condition will last at least two weeks without needing you to start the car and drive to recharge it, according to the AA. © 2021 Vehicle Scene, All rights reserved. You’ll need a voltmeter or car battery tester, and our article for guidance on how to test a car battery for this, by the way. Halfords can check your battery for free and advise if a replacement is required. If you suffer from leftalightonagain syndrome or don't use the vehicle for long periods I recommend a solar panel trickle charger. Slow charging is best for a deeply depleted battery. The car is nearly 12 years old and never gets a good run. Copyright © 2000-2021 M2N Limited E. & O.E. Battery charging times can vary from make and model, and can differ depending on the batteries amps and charger that you’re using. If the battery is deeply discharged, 15-30 minutes on a 40-amp charger will provide charge and give the alternator a chance to finish charging the battery while driving your car. For many Tesla models, it takes about an hour to produce a 40%-80% charge, depending on how low the battery was beforehand. JavaScript is disabled. The good news is that 70 miles is more than enough to charge up the battery. Then, during running, if the alternator can supply 10 Amps more than is being used to power the vehicle's systems. Also remember that batteries don't last forever and if your battery is losing charge, it may have reached the end of its life. This article will explore the many variables that affect car battery charging time. From there, the percentage of depletion goes something like this: The manufacturer of your battery may provide an accurate chart, but this is a good guideline for most 12V lead-acid batteries. A “dead” battery isn’t always dead. All the same variables apply to recharging a car battery: Let’s take a quick look at each variable and see how they all fit together into a simple equation. In fact, it’s not good to go even below 75% of full charge for any length of time. Once the vehicle is running, the alternator will go about its usual task of recharging the battery. Recharging a battery creates heat, and the faster you do it, the more heat there is. I doubt your jumpstarter has enough oomph in it to properly recharge it fully, so just driving it regularly should be fine. Most drivers top up charge rather than waiting for their battery to recharge from empty-to-full. So 2.5 kWh multiplied by 5 m/kWh equals 12.5 miles of range per minute of charging—double the distance that the Model X could get for charging the same number of minutes! For many electric cars, you can add up to 100 miles of range in ~35 minutes with a 50kW rapid charger. 1 Answer1. Knowing the depth of discharge allows you to calculate how many amp-hours you’ve used and how many are left. How long until it’s recharged?