Car battery overcharging is one of the most common problems that people face when dealing with their vehicle. Now, this might sound like an impossible feat – after all, is there such a thing as being too charged when it comes to car batteries? The answer, unfortunately, is yes, and if you are new to vehicle ownership and maintenance, it can be very easy to do.
You should look out for car battery overcharging when you are maintaining your car. It is not an easy issue to fix, but if you know what signs to look out for or how to prevent it from happening you can keep your car maintained. If you are not careful, car battery overcharging could lead to serious damage to your vehicle and to the battery itself, so below we look at what car battery overcharging is and how to check if this has happened.
What Causes Car Battery Overcharging?
Modern cars have batteries that are charged by an internal voltage regulator known as an Alternator. This provides the car battery with a steady and controlled electrical charge while the car is in use. When this regulator fails, however, unregulated electrical charges can continue to power the battery, which leads to car battery overcharging.
You can also overcharge your battery with human error – that is, by not knowing how to use car battery chargers, using amp settings that are too high, or setting an incorrect voltage. If you have left your car battery charger unattended overnight, you can also overcharge it, which can cause damage to your battery.
How To Check For Car Battery Overcharging?
Now you understand a little bit more about car battery overcharging, you are probably wondering how you can check this is happening. Below are some simple tips for how to check for car battery overcharging.
Use A Multimeter
A multimeter can be used to check the volts of the battery while the car is running. A fully charged car battery will sit at 12.6 volts while idle, 2.1 volts per six internal cells. When the vehicle is started, without the introduction of a load (the lights or air conditioner), the volts will usually rise to an average of 14 volts. If the multimeter reads at more than 14.8 volts, then this can be considered as overcharging.
Look For A Broken Alternator
One way to check for car battery overcharging is to look for a broken alternator. The alternator helps the battery to receive the right amount of energy while your car is in operation. This is done by generating electricity and sending this to the battery. When an alternator breaks, the battery plates will shed their protective coating due to heat, which can compromise the overall structure of the car battery. It could use its ability to charge properly when needed.
Check For Faulty Battery Charger
One aspect that could cause car battery overcharging is to check for a faulty battery charger. This could be caused by incorrect wiring in the battery charger, or even mislabelled charges. Often this can be found on knock-off battery chargers, which can lead to the battery charger supplying the wrong amount of charge to the battery. Be sure to purchase new and unopened battery chargers to charge your battery with.
Manage The Temperature
If you live in an extremely hot climate, this can damage your car battery if your car is left out in the sun for too long. The heat can exacerbate any damage that car battery overcharging can cause, and so the best way to avoid heat damage is to keep your car under shade during hot weather. Look at the weather during the hottest times of the year to ensure your car is protected on these days.
Conclusion
Overcharging your car battery can be extremely detrimental to your car. You will need to be sure that your alternator is not damaged and that your battery charger is not faulty and causing your car to overcharge. Human error can also cause this issue, so if you are not sure how to charge a car battery, ask for help from a more mechanically minded person.
If you are interested in a new car battery or a reconditioned option, speak to Battery Clinic today to find out how we can help you.
