09 ACR - can i charge the battery?

[msp282]

it has been mostly parked for winter and was kinda hard to start... can i charge the battery off of that terminal under the hood? i looked in the manual but it just said to use that for jump starting... i was just going to put a charger on it...?

sorry for the dork noob question.

thanks

 

[bluesrt]

yes you can, charge it as slo as you can, better for battery

 

[msp282]

perfect.... i just put it on 2amps...

THANK YOU!

 

[PeterMJ]

yes you can, charge it as slo as you can, better for battery

If the battery is low, then it actually may not be better. Usually, you charge up the battery using minimum 10 amps to prevent sulfation and surface charge only. After the capacity is restored, I think this is when you apply the low current to top it off and to keep it charged up. Things are a bit different for AGM batteries but this is typically handled by the charger designed for AGM batteries (nominal charging voltage is higher for AGM batteries).

 

[PeterMJ]

it has been mostly parked for winter and was kinda hard to start... can i charge the battery off of that terminal under the hood? i looked in the manual but it just said to use that for jump starting... i was just going to put a charger on it...?

sorry for the dork noob question.

thanks

IF the battery is low, you should really charge it up at the terminals, there is a voltage loss involved in long wire going to the battery. Jump start requires higher current, if you use a charger with jump start mode, you should be OK but if you try to mup off another car and battery is old and low, this may not work.

 

[Boxer12]

I just put a trickle charger on mine all the time, even sometimes after I forget and the battery gets low....it will be fine either way. Leave a trickle charger on it when not driving if you can. They cost about $40 at any auto parts store. Hook the leads to the 'jump' posts under the hood, that's fine and easy, or the battery (you can access from underneath if the rear of the car is more accessible for some reason).

 

[bluesrt]

IF the battery is low, you should really charge it up at the terminals, there is a voltage loss involved in long wire going to the battery. Jump start requires higher current, if you use a charger with jump start mode, you should be OK but if you try to mup off another car and battery is old and low, this may not work.

you are lookin at this too deep and school text, some things you need not to go at it from a book, no disrespect. he will be fine. as far as the charge at the terminals i agree, but under the hood will work ok also

 

[PeterMJ]

you are lookin at this too deep and school text, some things you need not to go at it from a book, no disrespect. he will be fine. as far as the charge at the terminals i agree, but under the hood will work ok also

LOL, I am not a textbook guy, this is a case of many years of dealing with stuff and applying some basic principals to make life easier.

 

[SSGNRDZ_28]

It is always better to connect directly to the battery, but this doesn’t mean other methods won’t work. Electrically speaking a direct route to the battery is more efficient… just like lighter wheels, aftermarket exhaust, etc.

Peter MJ is correct, there is always a voltage loss associated – think of the wire as a resistor. The higher the current, the longer the wire, and the smaller the gauge, the higher the voltage drop will be.

 

[01sapphirebob]

Charging it up should be fine. I would also suggest that that you use a battery tender or use the battery save feature. Vipers eat up batteries like they are going out of style. Forgot to put my tender on the car after VOI last year and subsequently I will be getting a new battery for my '08 in the spring. Good luck!!

 

[PeterMJ]

It is always better to connect directly to the battery, but this doesn’t mean other methods won’t work. Electrically speaking a direct route to the battery is more efficient… just like lighter wheels, aftermarket exhaust, etc.

Peter MJ is correct, there is always a voltage loss associated – think of the wire as a resistor. The higher the current, the longer the wire, and the smaller the gauge, the higher the voltage drop will be.

I would like to point out another aspect, safety related. Car manufacturers are not known for using large gauge wires, if the battery is real low and demands high charge, undersized wire can potentially get hot and even worse since resistance in thin wire is higher than in a thick one and any resistance related losses will be dissipated as heat.

 

[SSGNRDZ_28]

I would like to point out another aspect, safety related. Car manufacturers are not known for using large gauge wires, if the battery is real low and demands high charge, undersized wire can potentially get hot and even worse since resistance in thin wire is higher than in a thick one and any resistance related losses will be dissipated as heat.

Yes, and as temperature rises resistance goes up and the cycle can continue (higher resistance>higher temps> and so on). Completely fused wires and/or melted insulation are possible if the gauge is small enough or the current is large enough.

This isn’t likely for what the OP is asking about since the engine bay terminal is meant for larger currents; but the safety of cigarette lighter charging comes to mind. That is not something I'd personally ever attempt without intensive research of the charger and car wiring being used.

 

[PDCjonny]

Get a $40 Battery Tender Jr and be done with it.

 

[cowger]

Yes, and as temperature rises resistance goes up and the cycle can continue (higher resistance>higher temps> and so on). Completely fused wires and/or melted insulation are possible if the gauge is small enough or the current is large enough.

This isn’t likely for what the OP is asking about since the engine bay terminal is meant for larger currents; but the safety of cigarette lighter charging comes to mind. That is not something I'd personally ever attempt without intensive research of the charger and car wiring being used.

I could be wrong, but the fuse that protects the wires when current is flowing OUT of the cigarette lighter should protect those same wires when current is flowing IN. If you're trying to charge a depleted battery from the cigarette lighter with a full-sized charger, then yes, I agree, you'll blow the fuse. But you can't melt a wire...

 

[viper_itch]

The voltage drop is not significant at charging currents. Just get a charger on it

 

[SSGNRDZ_28]

I could be wrong, but the fuse that protects the wires when current is flowing OUT of the cigarette lighter should protect those same wires when current is flowing IN. If you're trying to charge a depleted battery from the cigarette lighter with a full-sized charger, then yes, I agree, you'll blow the fuse. But you can't melt a wire...

Assuming the correct fuse has been installed, yes, the wires should be protected. I'm sure some in a pinch would put whatever fuse they have in just to get things working and hopefully it wasn't oversized.

In practice these things are rare but I'm just trying to provide another perspective. Usually all of the things people are talking about here will charge the car. Maybe not in the most efficient way but it will work.

 

[msp282]

o well.... i put the charger on at 2amp and left it on for a couple days.... car fired right up this morning.... when the motor is warm it seemed to be struggling to start a couple weeks ago.... i will see at lunch if it is the same or if the charger helped some...

 

[cowger]

Assuming the correct fuse has been installed, yes, the wires should be protected. I'm sure some in a pinch would put whatever fuse they have in just to get things working and hopefully it wasn't oversized.

Agreed. If you have incorrect fuses installed in your car then you have much bigger concerns than just charging the battery...