The battery will charge faster if you rev the engine faster. Why? Because the faster the crankshaft turns, the faster it turns the belt that runs the alternator. And the faster the alternator turns, the more electricity it produces to run all the electrical stuff in the car — and recharge the battery.
How Much Driving to Fully Charge a Battery? You need a minimum of 1000 revolutions per minute (RPM) from your engine to generate the power needed to charge your battery. Faster speeds generate more RPMs, so your battery will recharge faster at speeds of 55 MPH or higher.
When an alternator turns faster, it produces more electricity. Ray: So by revving your engine up to 2,000 rpm or 2,500 rpm and holding it there while the other car tries to start, you're increasing the output of your alternator and giving your battery a little bit of extra power, which it can donate to the other car.
Available at your nearest Interstate All Battery Center®. However, the electrical system in your car can't charge your car faster than a plug-in battery charger. At least you are generating a charge. Driving to charge your car battery works better than idling the engine.
By revving your engine up to 2,000 RPM or 2,500 RPM and holding it there while the other car tries to start, you're making the alternator turn faster and thus supplying a little bit of extra power to your battery, which it can in turn donate to the other car.
While idling older vehicles for 15-20 minutes may give them enough of a charge to restart, this approach is generally not recommended. Many modern cars are equipped with sophisticated battery management systems that are designed to help extend battery life.
Use a Trickle Charger
You don't need to charge your car fast. A slow charge is much better, as batteries tend hold the charge for a longer period of time with this method. The trickle charger has an electric cord with a plug and two jumper cables with alligator clips.
Since cells do not produce energy, they do not have any other mechanism to charge themselves. Simply put, no car battery, whether healthy or dead, can charge itself. It always requires an external power source to get charged.
Inactivity can really bring down your battery's lifespan.
If you don't drive often or you only use the car for short trips, then it's going to weaken your battery.
Charging output can be tested on a vehicle with a digital voltmeter. A good alternator should produce about 13.5 to 14.5 volts with the engine idling. If the voltage reading is low (12.5 volts or less), it indicates a charging problem but does not tell you what's causing it.
TOO HIGH OF RPM WILL DAMAGE ANYTHING. INCLUDING ALTERNATORS. YOU IMPORTANTLY MUST BE AWARE THAT IF THE ALTERNATOR IS BELT DRIVEN, THE DIFFERENCE IN SIZE OF THE TWO BELT PULLEYS MIGHT HAVE THE ALTERNATOR TURNING FASTER THAN THE ENGINE RPM, MAYBE MANY TIMES FASTER.
TOM: Revving up the engine during a jump-start is not a bad idea, within reason. You never want to "floor" the gas pedal, under any circumstances. But when your engine turns faster, the engine's alternator also turns faster. And when an alternator turns faster, it produces more electricity.
Revving a car engine might sound cool, but it's not the best idea for your car engine. It can cause additional wear and tear, car engine damage, waste gas, and isn't good for the environment. Knowing your car's history is important.
Yes, revving the engine will still charge the battery faster.
For battery charging to occur, the alternator's voltage must exceed the battery's voltage. Alternator may not generate sufficient charging voltage until alternator speed is greater than about 2000 RPM.
Factors that can shorten its life include an extended period of partial or full discharge, vibration from not being properly secured, under- or overcharging, extreme temperatures, water loss, electrolyte contamination and corrosion on terminals.
“Electrical devices or lights left running, a defective charging system or alternator, and extreme weather are some common reasons but maybe it's just time to get a new battery.”
To keep your battery fit and healthy, it's helpful to start the car up once a week and let it run for 15 minutes, in a well-ventilated place. Never leave your car's engine running in an enclosed space like a garage, as this can cause a deadly build-up of carbon monoxide gas.
A parasitic drain refers to when your car's battery continues to drain even after the car's parked, and the amount of drainage is much higher than normal. Usually, it's a faulty accessory in the car causing the drain – for example, a sensor or interior light doesn't switch off automatically.
What may drain a car battery when it's off are things such as interior lights, door lights, or even bad relays. While your engine runs, the alternator recharges the battery — which is why you typically don't have to worry about the battery dying while you're blasting the radio on your drive to work!
Keeping a car battery plugged in for twenty four hours can fully recharge your battery, and chargers are typically quite affordable.
Most car batteries will last between 500 and 1,000 charging cycles, which works out to a lifespan of between three and five years, depending on driving and weather conditions.
To check the voltage you'll need a voltmeter, which can be purchased cheaply from most major automotive parts stores. Check the voltage of your battery using the voltmeter to help determine your next course of action. 12.6V volts or above - Your battery is healthy and fully charged. No further action is required.
At 12.4 volts the battery is considered 75% charged and can still ignite your engine. When the battery voltage lowers to 12.2 volts without the engine running, it is considered a bad battery that may start your engine but is no longer capable of holding a charge.