Is it possible to charge a battery without removing the terminals?

A car battery does not require special care during operation, but it is necessary to periodically descale it, maintain the electrolyte level and recharge it as necessary. The charging process does not cause problems if you follow the rules specified in the instructions. A number of car owners believe that in order to charge the battery, there is no need to disconnect it from the car’s electrical circuit. For many years, debates have continued among car owners on the topic - is it possible to charge a battery without removing the terminals?

Is it possible to charge the battery without removing the terminals?

Disconnecting the terminals from the battery of a modern car can cause serious problems, such as:

resetting the on-board computer settings;
reset RAM;
blocking of some systems, requiring their subsequent configuration or reinstallation.

Nobody wants to create problems for themselves every time they disconnect the terminals from the battery, therefore, the majority of car owners charge their batteries without disconnecting them. And the electronics of different brands of cars behave differently after a blackout, so it is almost impossible to foresee the consequences in advance.

If you don’t want problems with your car, remove the terminals when recharging the battery, especially since it’s not that difficult

Typically, car owners keep a backup parallel battery. Car enthusiasts who do not want to install a parallel battery and tinker with the settings charge the battery without disconnecting the terminals.

Charging the battery without removing the terminals

Is it possible to charge the battery without dismantling it - a difficult question. There is no specific answer to which. There are opinions among car owners that charging the battery without removing the terminals is completely safe, as well as opinions about the negative consequences that arise when charging without disconnecting the battery. In their opinion, a voltage surge may occur. As a result, the vehicle's electronic devices may require expensive repairs or replacement.

Why drivers don't like to disconnect the battery from the network

Many drivers do not like to disconnect the battery from the network. There may be several reasons for this decision:

Laziness.
If you turn off the power to the vehicle's on-board system, the settings in many devices that are not equipped with a backup power source can be completely reset. For example, the time in a radio may be lost if the battery installed on the board of this device can no longer cope with autonomously supplying the device with electricity.
Many drivers are in no hurry to disconnect the terminals again due to possible breakdowns of these elements. According to statistics, when removing and connecting connecting elements, failure of parts occurs much more often than when charging the battery without removing it from the car.
Disconnecting and reconnecting the terminals may result in insufficient electrical contact. In such a situation, an electric arc may form, which will melt the battery leads and terminals. Many drivers, precisely because of the possible failure of the connecting elements, try to charge the battery connected to the on-board system of the car.

The listed reasons for the reluctance to disconnect the battery are quite convincing, therefore, even despite the possible risks, car owners try to restore the battery charge using this method.

Using an auxiliary battery

Auto electricians recommend using the following method when dismantling the battery, which prevents the car’s electronics from being reset:

take a 12-volt battery with a sufficient charge level that can support the car’s electronics;
Using special wires, connect this battery in parallel to the car terminals;
disconnect the main battery.

In the absence of the main battery, the vehicle's electronics will be “powered” by an auxiliary energy source. After charging the main battery, it can be returned back into the electrical circuit without any problems. This method is complicated by the fact that not every car owner has a spare battery and wires for connecting an auxiliary battery.

How to properly disconnect a car battery

Almost every car owner knows how to remove the battery from a car. Before dismantling, it is important to turn it off correctly; improper shutdown can have serious consequences.

During the work process, it is necessary to follow some rules and precautions. Before disconnecting the terminals from the battery, you must:

read the instructions for the alarm, find out about its “behavior” when the car is de-energized (there is a possibility of the doors being blocked).
turn off all electrical equipment and ignition;
turn off the mass, if any;

Mains switch - to turn it off you just need to twist the “cap”

When the car is completely de-energized, you can remove the battery.

How to remove the battery from a car

There is a sequence for disconnecting the terminals. Regardless of the make of the car , the first terminal that is disconnected from the battery is the negative terminal . If there is no terminal designation, they can be identified by the color of the electrical wires.

Is it possible to charge a battery in the cold?

If there is nowhere to go, then you have to charge the battery even at critically low temperatures. The success of the result in this case will directly depend on the location of the battery, which is usually located under the hood, in the trunk, or has an external mount. And most often, motorists have to resort to all sorts of tricks to restore the battery as quickly as possible: heating the house near the radiators and covering the car with tarps and blankets.

In case of prolonged inactivity, it is recommended to charge the car battery in the standard way.

Charging the battery without removing the terminals

Quite often, car owners who do not have the opportunity to install a parallel battery and who do not want to configure on-board systems charge the batteries without disconnecting the terminals.

There are a lot of opinions on the Internet, and it can be difficult to know what information is accurate. Let's try to answer whether it is possible to charge a battery connected to the car's electrical network or not. To get the most accurate answer, it’s worth understanding the physics of the charging procedure.

The main danger to which car electronics are exposed when charging a battery connected to the on-board network is overvoltage. If the maximum permissible voltage value is exceeded, the vehicle's electronics may fail, which will require subsequent replacement of burnt-out elements.

Each brand of car has its own maximum permissible voltage parameters for the electronics. A car enthusiast who plans to charge a battery without disconnecting the terminals should know the minimum maximum permissible voltage for all elements of the car’s electronics. On average, for all cars, the voltage withstand by the electronics is 15 – 16 V. Knowing the value of the maximum permissible voltage, the charging station is selected based on its output parameters.

Using a high-quality charger for charging, you can look at the parameters at the output of the device in the documentation for the equipment. Based on the output parameters, we can conclude that it is possible to charge the battery without disconnecting the terminals.

Having made a choice in favor of a low-quality charging station, there is no guarantee that information about the output parameters can be found in the documentation for it. The bulk of chargers on sale have an output voltage of about 17 - 18 V. When choosing such a device to charge the battery without disconnecting the terminals, there is a high probability of damage to the car's electronics. Most manufacturers of high-quality “chargers” equip them with surge protection.

The output voltage is usually written on the charger packaging

Choosing a charger with surge protection makes charging the battery without disconnecting the terminals completely safe for electronics. When choosing chargers from little-known manufacturers, it’s worth thinking about - most likely, it will be easier to configure the car’s electronics than to restore expensive electronic equipment.

Safety precautions when charging a battery without removing the terminals

Only from the outside, the charging procedure seems simple, since it does not require any special actions from the car owner. In reality, charging a battery without disconnecting the terminals is far from a simple process that requires control. When charging in this way, the following safety precautions should be observed:

the charging station is connected to the network after connecting the terminals to the battery terminals;
upon completion of the process, the terminals from the battery are initially disconnected, and only then the charging station is turned off.

Compliance with the following operations in the specified sequence will avoid overvoltage at the output of the charging station when it is turned on and off:

you must connect the charger starting with the “positive” wire;
disconnect - starting from the “negative” terminal;
prevent any of the car's electrical consumers from turning on;
prevent contact of exposed parts of the charging wires with the car body or ground;
Choose a ventilated area to charge the battery;
exercise control over the charging procedure.

You can charge the battery without disconnecting it from the car only if you follow safety measures and have 100% confidence in the output parameters of the charging station.

How to properly charge the battery without removing it from the car

In practice, many novice drivers do not know how to solve a problem that suddenly arises. In fact, everything is not so difficult, the main thing is to follow certain instructions, not forgetting about general precautions.

Volkswagen

As a clear example, we can cite the algorithm of actions for such a popular car brand as Volkswagen. It consists of performing the following steps:

First of all, you need to connect the charger wires in pairs to the battery terminals (plus to plus, minus to minus).
If necessary, you can not even remove the battery plug, in which case the substances released during charging will exit through the ventilation holes in the plug itself.
If there is no increase in the acid density indicator within two hours, the battery is fully charged.

In addition to safety precautions, a mandatory condition for compliance is the level of charging current, which at the initial stage should not exceed 10% of the total battery capacity.

Further, this indicator should automatically decline.

It is recommended to perform almost identical actions when charging without removing the battery on Renault models, although experienced motorists still advise limiting yourself to only one positive terminal, removing the negative one. In addition, you should ensure that the charging terminals do not come into contact with the car body.

Peugeot 308

This French small car can easily be charged without removing the battery, which is even more useful for the car itself, given the evaporation of the electrolyte during charging in the removed state. It is important to follow the connection sequence in order to avoid failure of the fuses on the charger being used.

The voltage in this case should be 14-16 V while maintaining a constant current and its initial value of 25-30 A. As the battery is charged, this figure will gradually decrease, and if you have to work with boosters, then all these values are quite easy to control.

Ford Kuga

The American crossover battery is also charged in two ways: with and without removal. In this case, the maximum voltage level does not exceed 15.5 V, since anything higher is already dangerous for the car. In addition, there are a number of other conditions that must be met. Among them:

Connect to the network only after connecting the charger to the battery. Disconnection is carried out in the same sequence - first charging from the network, and then from the battery.
It is unacceptable to start the engine and other power units during charging.
First of all, the “plus” is connected, and then the “minus”. Disabling is done the other way around - first “minus” and then “plus”.

Also, do not forget about special devices that allow you to obtain the most accurate information about the serviceability and condition of the battery, because it is possible that the unit has simply outlived its useful life and needs to be replaced.

The most common mistakes when charging a battery

Sometimes even experienced motorists make “classic” mistakes when charging a battery, forgetting about basic safety rules. The main ones are:

Charging the battery at home or in an apartment. It is strictly forbidden to charge the battery in a residential area due to poor ventilation of the room and the possibility of the battery exploding.

It is not recommended to charge the battery in a residential area
Smoking or open fire near a charging battery. During the charging process, electrolyte vapors are released, which, when interacting with an open flame, can cause an explosion.
On batteries to be serviced, the plugs must be open when charging. They must be opened before charging. Failure to comply with these measures may cause an explosion of electrolyte vapors.

Twisted battery plugs
Current too high. Selecting a current that is too high significantly reduces the life of the battery or can completely damage it.

Compliance with all these standards will increase the battery life and protect the person charging the battery and surrounding people.

Features of the car battery charging process

There are certain rules for charging batteries, compliance with which is considered a guarantee of safety, both for the motorist and the vehicle itself. According to them:

To replenish the battery charge, it is recommended to partially dismantle it (negative terminal).
The charge must be carried out in non-residential premises (garage, outbuildings, etc.).
It is important to remember that in cold weather the battery takes a charge much worse and professionals advise performing the procedure at a temperature range from 0 to +25 degrees Celsius.
And it is for this reason that in winter the battery restores capacity much worse directly during a trip, since the electrolyte does not have time to warm up.
Directly during charging, harmful volatile substances are released. In addition, there is a risk of electric shock, so it is better to immediately remove rings, watches, bracelets and other metal jewelry from your hands.

If charging is carried out under conditions that do not involve removing the battery, which happens quite often, then the motorist will have to use a special device that provides reliable protection of the battery from damage.

Before starting work, all units must be turned off, since it is necessary to unload the battery as much as possible.

And if this is the case in winter, then the cooled battery must be moved for some time to a warm room and only then resort to manipulation with it.

How long does it take to charge a car battery?

There are two types of battery charging: constant current or constant voltage. For each of these types, the battery charging time may differ by an order of magnitude.

Approximately half of car owners adhere to charging the battery with direct current. Current strength is a significant characteristic, exceeding which is unacceptable, and underestimating it will make charging take a long time.

When charging, the voltage is set slightly higher than the nominal one - about 14 V. The generator produces approximately the same voltage. At a lower voltage - 11 - 12 V, charging will be in vain, and most likely will discharge the battery more.

A voltage of 10% of the battery capacity is considered normal. For example, for a capacity of 55 Ah, the battery must be charged with a current of 5.5 A. If the battery is completely discharged, it will be charged in approximately 10 hours. If the discharge is incomplete, this time may be shorter.

It is easy to determine that the battery is charged on the battery being serviced - this process is characterized by boiling of the electrolyte in the jars.

There is constant voltage charging, which is no less popular among car owners. This method is very convenient for chargers where there are no “Voltage” and “Amperage” indicators, but only indicator lamps or a scale indicating battery charge. Such chargers are designed for maintenance-free batteries. Since on such batteries you cannot visually see the process of electrolyte boiling.

When charging using this method, the voltage can vary in the range of 13.8 - 14.5 V; the higher the voltage, the faster the battery charging speed. This method is very convenient for those who do not want to “mess around” with the charger and configure it - it will do everything on its own.

The main amount of charge is taken by the battery in the first 3 – 4 hours of charging. Its capacity will be 90 - 95%. In the following hours, the current will drop to approximately 0.2 A, and charging to 100% will take the same 10 hours.

However, in general, battery charging time varies from person to person and will depend on the charger used, the type of battery and how discharged it is. On average, the charging time to 100% will be as follows:

for a current of 10% of the nominal – 10 hours;
for variable voltage - 4 - 5 hours to 95%, this is quite enough and 8 - 10 hours until fully charged.

Features of charging without removing terminals

Basic requirements for charging the battery without removing it from the car:

Connecting the car charging station to the AC mains is done after connecting the terminals and contact pins of the battery. After the battery charge level is restored, the terminals are disconnected, and then the plug of the charging unit is removed from the socket. The procedure reduces the likelihood of a power surge in the on-board network that can damage electronic components.
When connecting the battery without removing it from the car, connect the positive cable first, and then the negative cable. When switching, it is necessary to avoid short circuits that damage the structural elements of the vehicle and the charging station.
The connecting wires coming from the charging unit to the battery must not have damage to the insulating layer. It is recommended to lay the cables in separate corrugated sleeves that have increased strength. The cables are laid away from the exhaust tract parts and the engine cooling fan (the device can start without a key in the ignition switch).
When charging, it is not recommended to connect devices that consume electricity or turn the key in the ignition.
The process of charging a lead-acid battery is accompanied by the release of gases that form an explosive mixture. Batteries with thickened electrolyte are characterized by reduced gas formation. But when charging, it is necessary to ensure ventilation of the engine compartment and the room in which the car is installed. If the design of the power source includes ventilation plugs, the elements can be unscrewed. At the same time, the electrolyte level in the jars is checked.
When charging in winter, it is recommended to use a heated garage. Connecting the charging unit to a battery with a negative temperature increases the recovery time.

Does a new battery need to be charged?

Car owners should be aware when purchasing a new battery - it needs to be recharged. Often the culprit is illiterate sellers who must recharge at points of sale.

Before “leaving” the manufacturer, the battery is charged, but then it can remain at the point of sale for a long time. After this time, the battery will definitely lose some of its charge.

Initially, it is necessary to clarify the release date of the battery; after six months or more, it will definitely need to be recharged before use. You can evaluate the charge level of a new battery using a voltmeter. A fully charged battery has a voltage of 12.6 – 12.9 V.

Is it possible to charge a battery without removing the terminals
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