#Advance auto 6 volt battery charger how to#

“Again, slower is better for the battery, but you might not have the luxury of waiting around that long and need it up and running in a hurry. “Trickle chargers are rated at below one amp so it may take a few days to fully charge a battery,” Liston says. Understandably, these are the more expensive option, but they are also the safest.”īe sure to check the amp rating on a potential car battery charger, as this will let you know how quickly it will charge your battery. “They can also detect if you’ve accidentally connected the cables to the wrong terminals, called ‘reverse polarity protection.’ A trickle charger will ruin a battery if connected incorrectly while a smart charger just won’t begin to charge at all. The standard versions have the automatic stop feature to avoid overcharging, damage, and explosions,” Liston points out.

#Advance auto 6 volt battery charger how to#

“Smart or multi-step chargers employ the use of a microprocessor to assess the battery and make automatic decisions about how to charge. If safety is top of mind, a smart charger might be a better choice. “It’s actually better for the battery to charge slower than faster as a fast charge can generate a lot of heat and damage the battery.”

“If you aren’t in a major rush to recharge, a trickle unit will serve you well,” explains Liston. While this might seem like a downfall, it can be an advantage in certain situations. “Trickle chargers are the most inexpensive,” Liston says, “but they are also the slowest.” Learning the pros, cons and capabilities of a car battery charger type is helpful in the decision-making process. “I don’t consider the float chargers to be actual ‘chargers,’ as they won’t resurrect a dead battery and are only used to maintain the charge.” “There are two basic types of car battery chargers: trickle and smart (also called multi-step) chargers,” shares Liston. Vicki Liston is the writer, producer and narrator of “On The Fly…DIY,” an award-winning home improvement and DIY show of unique project tutorials for the casual DIY’er. The primary consideration to determine is what type of car battery charger will best suit your needs. Choosing the right vehicle battery jumper or charger device depends on several factors unique to your situation. A car battery charger is one of those things you might not think about buying until you need it, but then you will wish you had the foresight to purchase one in advance.