Car battery charging current.

I have a 10A charger that has a rather low no-load voltage of 13.3V, so it starts at a low rate and stops when the battery is only half charged. The only way it produces 10A is by connecting it to a 6V battery! (in the few seconds before it cuts off). In other words it's a pile of s**te. I ought to chuck it really; don't know why I don't because it's use to neither man nor beast. It's red with a 10A meter on the front.

I used to have a little encapsulated charger that was rated at 2A and actually charged at around 2.2A all night. I never checked but I bet the output was about 15.5V. I once left it on for a weekend and the battery was bubbling on the Monday morning. This was a long time ago. I'm talking about the days when I had to charge the battery every night in winter because I was driving home from college and then school with the lights and wipers on.

Bill

Me too. Cold morniing and the back is stiff. When I used to have to get in the car and go to work, it was brilliant.

And I've never paid for them. I ordered a specific set of options as a factory build, and it turns out that forces a particular control panel that includes seat heating.

In recent years I have not come accross a voltage regulator external to the alternator, or a sense wire connected to the battery.

If you can find such a car you're doing very well and something you would need if you ever intended to overcome voltage drop between the alternator and battery.

Would you care to provide an example to backup your strange claim?

I have a 6V charger that has similar behaviour. However if it is connected to a 6V Lead Acid battery it performs as a smart charger, where it charges at a relatively low current up to 7V and then falls back to a float charge. It has LEDs to indicate the charging process.

So far the batteries have lasted nearly 5 years, so must be doing something right.

Bill Don't be silly. Look it up.

You are making a fool of yourself.

The alternator runs at a higher speed than a dynamo, so needs a different pulley anyway. Although not sure a dynamo one would fit an alternator shaft.

In the front of my car. But the engine is in the middle. ;-)

I live in Central London, so hardly the coldest part of the country. This car is the first I've had with heated seats. And now simply wouldn't be without them.

One of the things you only miss after having it.

You need the Lidl one. About £13. Small enough to fit in a large pocket. Charges full blast until the battery is full, then changes automatically to a maintenance charge which can be left on indefinitely. It's got enough output to charge a 70 amp hour battery overnight.

Reminds me of my Dad's reaction when the 6v battery under the driver's seat of an Austin 12 shorted.

My battery was fine.

I bought the Aldi one a couple of weeks ago. Not sure how well it's working as it doesn't seem to show full charge even after being left on for the best part of 2 days.

I haven't turned my engine over for several weeks. I'd like a starting handle to get a bit of oil spread around first.

Have you got a DVM? Check the battery voltage?

It'll be fine after only such a short time.

You can get the same result by hitting the engine start for a very brief time a few times without hitting it for long enough to actually start the engine.

those are hazardous. Ladas & 2CVs were the last cars with them sold here afaik

NT

Is the "standby" symbol #15 lit ?

Thought I'd do some testing today.

The Aldi and my DVM show about the same voltage with .2v.

The initial reading was 12.14v and after leaving the Aldi charger on for a while it got up to a max of 12.7 though the number of bars fluctuated around 3-4 (out of 5).

I have my neighbours Halford's Smart charger and when I put that on the voltage went up to 13.68 (DVM). When I disconnected the charge the voltage dropped within a minute to 12.89. The Aldi still showed around 3-4 bars but the same voltage.

Now the battery is 10yrs old so maybe the Aldi is telling a truth, and that it cannot get a full 100% charge. But nonetheless it seems to be doing a job at charging even if not getting to the ~15v max it's spec says it produces.

Oh and to add that if I put the multimeter in series to measure current the Aldi didn't think anything was connected.

Symbols on mine nearly but don't quite match and I don't have a "standby mode" whatever that is.

NT