Charging A Completely Discharged Battery

The following procedure should be used to recharge a completely discharged battery. Unless this procedure is properly followed, a good battery may be needlessly replaced.

Voltmeter Accurate To 1/10 Volt Connected - Typical:

1. Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt. If the reading is below 10 volts, the battery charging current will be low. It could take some time before the battery accepts a current greater than a few milliamperes. Such low current may not be detectable on the ammeters built into many battery chargers.
2. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable. Connect the battery charger leads. Some battery chargers are equipped with polarity-sensing circuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger and the battery from being damaged if they are improperly connected. If the battery state-of-charge is too low for the polarity-sensing circuitry to detect, the battery charger will not operate. This makes it appear that the battery will not accept charging current. See the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the battery charger for details on how to bypass the polarity-sensing circuitry.
3. Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage and current they provide. The amount of time required for a battery to accept measurable charging current at various voltages is shown in the Charge Rate chart. If the charging current is still not measurable at the end of the charging time, the battery is faulty and must be replaced. If the charging current is measurable during the charging time, the battery may be good and the charging should be completed in the normal manner.

CHARGE RATE

Voltage Time

16.0 volts maximum up to 4 hours
14.0 - 15.9 volts or less up to 8 hours
13.9 volts up to 16 hours