If You Need To Change Your Car Battery Read This

By Casey Mintosi

As it gets older you car battery can start to lose its charge. You'll need to get a car battery charger tester to see where it's at. When you battery is weak it can cause your car turn over slower and make for harder starts. There may be times when you have to jump start your car because your battery just can't do it. This is very common when you only use your car for quick trips to the grocery or the weather gets bitterly cold. You could just buy a new battery but if you had a cheap battery charger things could be different. With a low priced battery charger you may be able to keep your battery going for a lot longer.

Just so you know, a battery charging system fault is brought to attention when the warning light on the dashboard goes on. As recharging will not work in this instance, the charging system must be immediately repaired. With a refillable battery, remove the caps and place a damp rag over the openings when you begin to recharge.

If your battery is sealed with only a charge-indicator window on the top, you should only recharge the battery if the indicator is showing as green or dark. If the indicator reads clear, or is a yellow color, you should replace the battery.

When recharging the battery, a trickle charger is your best bet. The trickle charger is specially designed to slowly charge your battery, and is relatively inexpensive. This device has two wires with alligator clips attached, and an electric cord to plug it into the outlet. You will notice that one wire has a green or black jacket, while the other's jacket is red.

You should only attempt to charge your battery with your car's ignition turned to the off position. This first step is important, so don't forget it. You will first connect the red clip to the positive battery post which will be marked with either a + or the letters POS. After you have connected to the positive terminal you will then attach the negative clip to the corresponding negative terminal. It will be marked NEG or -.

When you connect the battery and the charger, the charger should be plugged into the electrical outlet and in the on position. Allow a few hours or even as long as overnight for the charger to be run. When the charger's meter delivers a reading of less than 1 ampere, it is time to turn it off. The next step is to unplug the charger and disconnect the battery.

If the battery charge is unsuccessful, and your engine will still not start, you should then try to jump start your engine. If the engine does start after being jump started, and your charging system light has a normal reading, then the battery is bad, and you will need to replace it. - 31488

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