How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery?

If you own a vehicle, then one of your primary responsibilities is ensuring that the vehicle’s battery is charged.

There are many ways to recharge the car battery, either of which has its pros and cons.

The last thing you want to deal with is a drained car battery, especially when you are rushing to a meeting.

This leads to the big question of how long does it take to charge a car battery?

If you have an average-sized car battery and you charge it at an amp of approximately 4 to 8 amps, it will take 10 to 24 hours for the battery to be fully charged.

However, you can just have the battery charged to help start the car before letting the alternator do the rest, which won’t take more than 4 hours.

You should also know that the duration it will take your car battery to be fully recharged depends on its size or amp and not only the amp delivered to it by the battery charger.

Charging A Dead Car Battery Time Will Depend On The Amps And Situation

As indicated above, the car battery can be charged in a variety of ways and at any particular rate.

The choice that you select depends on what you require when you connect the car battery to the battery charger.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 40 Amps?

One way to charge the car battery is by charging it at 40 amps. The 40 amps provided to the car battery by the charger is an effective way of charging it and also charges it fairly fast.

If you charge the car battery at 40 amps, it may only take a couple of minutes before using it to start the vehicle.

This type of charging works even for the car batteries that are completely depleted.

This method works just as well as using a pair of jumper cables to start the vehicle.

However, the car battery shouldn’t be connected to this charge for long periods as this may cause damage to the car battery.

In the case of a smart charger, the amps delivered to the car battery can be controlled as soon as the battery is fully recharged.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 30 Amps?

Charging the car battery at 30 amps will have the car battery fully charged in approximately 15 minutes.

This is perfect charging amperage for the car battery when you want it recharged within the shortest time possible.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 20 Amps?

If you are charging the car battery at 20 amps, it will take close to 20 minutes for the car battery to be completely charged.

This works to preserve the lifespan of the car battery since it works to provide the car battery with a constant stream of power.

It also ensures that the car battery is in excellent working condition.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 15 Amps?

When you get a 15-amp battery charger to recharge your car battery, it will take you 3.6 hours for the battery to be fully recharged.

A 15-amp car battery charger is a better car battery charger to use when you want to provide just enough, and not excess power to the car battery.

It ensures that the car battery is maintained and that you will be able to realize the full potential of the car battery.

Car batteries that are recharged in this manner can live as longs as their expected lifespan while still being reliable all through.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 10 Amps?

Delivering power to the car battery at 10 amps will get the car battery fully recharged between 4 to 11 hours.

This is if the car battery was completely depleted, and you are using the best car battery charger you can get.

This is derived from the basic fact that it takes 48 hours for the car battery to be recharged by a charger delivering power at 1 amp.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 8 Amps?

It will take approximately 6 hours for a car battery charger delivering power at 8 amps to the car battery.

This is because a 1-amp charger will recharge the same car battery in not less than 48 hours.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 4 Amps?

If you are charging your car battery at 4 amps, it will take not less than 12 hours to be completely charged.

This may not be the best option if you want the car battery charged within a short time, and that is why the other methods come in handy.

However, it works best for the relatively smaller batteries and if you want to improve the lifespan of the car battery.

A deep cycle car battery is designed to hold 48 amps, meaning that it will take two days for the car battery to be fully charged.

This means that if you charge the car battery at 4 amps, it will take 12 hours for it to be completely charged.

The type of charging here works to charge car batteries that are less used and work in a smart manner, stopping when the battery is fully charged and beginning to charge it when it drops below a set level.

How Long To Charge A Car Battery At 2 Amps?

As indicated above, charging a car battery at 1 amp will take 48 hours for the car battery to be fully charged.

This means that it will take a whole day, 24 hours, for the same car battery to be recharged fully.

This might be too long, and you will be inconvenienced, especially when you are rushing to get to your destination.

Charging the car battery at 2 amps works like a trickle charger and is the best option to use when you don’t want to fast charge the car battery.

This works excellently well for the rarely used vehicles that will do with a charging mechanism that is not fast.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery At AutoZone?

When you take your car battery for a recharge in AutoZone, it will take less than half an hour for the battery to be fully recharged.

AutoZone offers complimentary battery charging, and they will also test your car battery to see if it is in perfect working condition.

How Long Does It Take A Trickle Charger To Fully Recharge A Car Battery?

A trickle charger is used when you don’t want to rush the charging process of the car battery.

Therefore, it is not the choice to go for if you want to boost the car battery with a quick charge. It works to maintain the charge of the car battery at a specific level.

A trickle charger, which delivers power to the car battery at two amps, will get the car battery recharged in not less than 24 hours.

They are not the best type of car battery chargers to use when your battery is fully depleted or has been significant drained-because it will take a long time.

Most workshops opt for this method in order to maintain the level of charge on the car batteries.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery With Alternator?

An original equipment alternator is designed to deliver amps at the rate of 60 and 120 amps.

Since the car’s electronics use up close to half of the power produced here, the car battery might take some time to get recharged.

In this case, the car battery will be recharged in not less than 10 minutes.

However, you should not let the car battery to be fully depleted before you connect it to be recharged with the alternator.

This is because doing so will force the alternator to have to work twice as hard, and this might damage both the car battery and the alternator.

The alternator only works when the car battery is not significantly depleted so that the balance is maintained, and it does not have to work extremely hard to accomplish its main role-as the car battery charger when you are driving the vehicle.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery With Another Car?

If you are unable to get a charger to recharge the car battery, you could always have it recharged with the battery of another car.

This is done by connecting jumper cables and recharging the depleted car battery.

This will take close to half an hour to recharge the car battery and only works if the other battery is in excellent condition.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery While Idling?

The rate at which the car battery will be recharged depends on the RPM that it is at.

The RPM should be set in a manner that an excellent charging current is provided to the car battery for it to be recharged within 2 hours.

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Car Battery While Driving?

The time that it will take the car battery to be recharged while driving depends on the way the vehicle is driven.

If it is driven fast enough, the battery will be recharged within 30 minutes. However, at a low speed, the battery will take more than 1 hour to be recharged.

Otherwise, the car battery might not even get to be recharged when the battery is fully depleted-in which case it will have to be taken through a jump start process.

It Also Depends On 3 Factors For The Amount Of Time It Takes To Charge A Car Battery While Driving

The car battery can even be recharged while you are driving the vehicle. This is unknown to many, even though it takes just a couple of minutes before the car is fully recharged.

However, it may not be a good idea to recharge a fully depleted car battery in this way.

1. The Usage Cycle Of The Car

An excellent way to recharge the car battery is while the vehicle is idling.

This is only effective if the alternator is in perfect working condition to provide power to the battery effectively.

However, the vehicle should not be left “ON” for a significant period as this may fully drain the car battery.

2. When The Car Battery Was Recharged Last

A car battery that was recently recharged will not take much time for it to be recharged while you are driving the vehicle.

This is because the initial charge time duration of the vehicle also counts in this case.

3. The Need To Jump-Start The Car Battery

If either of the above does not work to recharge the car battery when you are driving, the only thing you can do is to jump-start the car battery.

This is the case if the car battery in question is dead.

This should be done with the jump-starting cables and using a battery in good condition. The dead battery does not have to be taken out of the vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Having different amperage will effect of charging your car battery times.

Now i assume that you may want to know some related questions to this subject. You can go ahead and read below the questions I answered.

Q1: How Quickly Should I Charge My Car Battery?

The rate at which the battery should be charged depends on what you want to achieve from the entire process.

For instance, if you are looking to use the battery for a long time and guarantee its reliability, then charging it with low amps will be the best idea.

Otherwise, taking the battery through a fast charging process will only make the battery reliable for a short while.

A recommended way to charge the battery and avoiding damaging it is by charging it at the rate of 8 to 15 amperes.

Any more beyond that will be risking the life of the battery, and it may get damaged. Such types of batteries may not even get close to their expected lifespan.

For most battery chargers, they charge the battery at a rate of 4 to 15 amperes, and this might work for most charging processes.

You can also go for the maintenance charging rate of the battery that is at the rate of 2 to 4 amperes, and this will take the whole for the dead battery to be fully recharged.

If you are clueless on the rate at which the battery needs to be charged, you could always the battery for the recommended settings that should guide your next step.

Q2: What Type Of Car Battery Charger Should I Use?

The type of battery charger you go for solely depends on what you want to achieve from the process.

The reason you are charging the battery should guide you to charge the battery appropriately and ensure that it works perfectly.

There are different types of car battery chargers, each of which has its distinct uses.

Either of them fully charges the battery within specific time limits. This is also affected by the type of car battery that you own.

Type 1. Linear Charger

The linear charger is probably the simplest charger that you might ever have to use to provide juice to your car battery.

It is the cheapest type of car battery charger that you will ever have to use.

The power is provided to the battery through a wall socket through a procedure that is simple and easy to understand.

However, it may not be as quick as you wish to since it provides juice to the car battery at low amperage. This makes it take rather too long to fully charge a car battery.

This type of car battery charger may take as long as 12 hours to recharge a dead battery. It does this by providing a continuous charge to the battery.

It also lacks a controller that works to stop the charging process even after the battery reaches its peak.

Type 2. Multi-Stage Charger

The multi-stage car battery charger is costlier than the first option in this list.

Another difference is that it provides power to the car battery in bursts and not through a continuous charging stream.

You should go for this option because of its ability to prevent damaging the battery cells.

The multi-stage charger is the type of car battery charger you should get because if the bursts provision of power.

You will also find it to be an intelligent charger that also provides relatively higher amperes of charge to the car battery.

Using this type of charger may recharge the car battery in less than sixty minutes.

Type 3. Trickle Charger

A trickle charger is a type of car battery charger to go for if you want to maintain the level of the juice in the car battery.

This type of charger runs at low power and is not the best to use when the battery is completely dead.

You should go for it if you don’t want to risk the battery going completely dead.

You can use the trickle charger when the vehicle is not running for the best performance.

The trickle charger can also impact the duration needed to charge a battery if it is able to maintain the battery condition at a particular level.

By the way, you can go to read this article on what are the best car battery chargers if you are interested in buying a battery charger.

Q3: Can A Completely Dead Car Battery Be Recharged?

Yes, a dead battery can be recharged, provided you use a method that is effective. A jump starter is the best option to use for the case of a dead battery.

=> You can check the best jump starters by going here.

This is because of its ability to restore the dead battery in a safe manner without causing damage to the battery or other related components.

You could also get a dedicated battery charge that will also work as well to restore the charge of the car battery.

In either of the cases, you might not even have to take the battery out of the vehicle.

Conclusion

All in all, as a vehicle owner, you need to know the best way to recharge your car battery whenever the battery is depleted.

It would be a good idea if you understood the best types of chargers that work for the car battery and at what rate the battery should be charged.

This will guarantee that your battery is charged in the best way and that it is not at risk of being damaged.

Sources:

1. CAR FROM JAPAN – https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/how-long-does-it-take-to-charge-a-car-battery-while-driving/
2. Mechanic Base – https://mechanicbase.com/electric/how-long-to-charge-a-car-battery/