Car Battery Charger Guide

A car battery charger can be the best investment you can make in a relatively inexpensive tool that will save both money and time. If your car or truck sits idle for any period of more than a few days, it is wise to have a maintenance charger connected to it. This assures the battery will remain at full charge. But more importantly, it will keep the battery alive and fully functional.

Batteries that drop below 12 volts charge may never regain their full capacity and reliability. Many drivers do not realize that allowing a battery to discharge will often kill it, and it may not come back to full charge at all. When a battery is discharged the plates are able to begin to corrode, and sulfation can occur from the sulfuric acid solution reacting with the plates. A battery charger can de-sulfate these plates by varying the voltage that is applied in the trickle charge.

Battery Minder

A great charger for this steady maintenance is a Battery Minder. This charger is easy to connect and disconnect quickly with a plug in cable that stays attached to the battery. Battery Minder chargers will send a high frequency pulse of charging power at steady intervals to keep the plates from sulfating. This can add a lot of life to a battery while left on charge, and also bring batteries from a low discharge state back to full life. In the event that your battery is accidently discharged this is one way to revive it. Keeping the Battery Minder connected especially on a car that is not driven daily will give you some peace of mind that the battery will be there to crank the starter when needed. Battery Minders are manufactured by VDC Electronics and sell retail for process starting at 69.95 for an onboard mounted quick disconnect charger. This is less than the price of a replacement battery.

Schumacher Starter/Charger SE-4022

Every garage should have a car battery charger that has the amperage to crank the car or truck if the battery does go below full charge. One that does a great job at this, with variable amperage output and good portability is the Schumacher Starter/Charger SE-4022. The wheeled charger has up to 200 amps cranking power to start a car or truck with a dead battery. It is adjustable for maintenance charging to as little as 2 amps, and also can be set to either 40 or 100 amps for steady charging. The light roll about model is a serious charger for a reasonable price of $134.95. In workshops that have more than one vehicle to maintain, and especially for the shade tree mechanic, this charger can come in very handy.

Clore Automotive JNC660

A great item to keep around the garage is a battery jump box. Keeping a jump box fully charged it will be available to carry in a car trunk or truck storage box, and then ready to boost a battery quickly at anytime it is needed. Having one of these could make you a hero in the parking lot. A good choice in a portable jump box is the Clore Automotive JNC660. This little beast is the most powerful car battery charger of its type available and extremely portable and practical. It weighs in at 18 pounds which may make it a little heavy for some users, but most will find it easy to carry and operate. It is straightforward and not encumbered by radios, or other unnecessary features. The reviews on this unit by trucking companies and car dealers are excellent. Having a jump box can be a practical solution for those who keep a fleet of vehicles and are always having to start one up that has been sitting awhile. The alternator may then charge the vehicle back. To be safe though, a full on charger should be used after the jump box when the vehicle can be safely connected.

Another maintenance car battery charger system is one that will maintain, diagnose and restore up to 4 batteries at a time. The Granite Digital Save a Battery 8250 4 bank charger is made for this type use. This unit is great for anyone with more than one battery to maintain, or a situation where multiple batteries are being stored. It will help maintain, revive, re-condition, and also test the batteries connected to it while alerting you to any problem.

This is an excellent option for car collectors, maintenance shops and anyone who stores car batteries for use as needed. The Save a Battery 8250 retails for $399.95.

With the higher cost of automotive batteries today, car battery chargers are a good investment for anyone who drives.