How To Charge A Car Battery

Keeping your battery in tip-top condition with plenty of charge will help reduce the risk of you being left unexpectedly stranded.  We’ve put together this handy guide to help you charge a car battery.

Check your battery type

If your car has an EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery) or AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery type this means you have start stop technology and you won’t be able to use a regular battery charger.  If you’re unsure of your battery type, our batteries team can help.

Inspect your battery

Before charging your battery, we recommend that you inspect its condition, looking for corrosion on terminals and clamps.  To rid your battery of corrosion, use a toothbrush combined with baking soda and a little water.  Wipe the excess away and allow to dry before disconnecting your battery.

Disconnect your car battery

Always disconnect the negative (black) lead first and reconnect it last.  Loosen the clamps on the terminals and keep them to one side.  We recommend covering them to ensure that they don’t unexpectedly contact the battery.  If you’re unsure about how to disconnect your car battery simply and safely, we’ve put together a handy guide.

Connect and turn on the battery charger

For safety reasons always keep the charger as far from the battery as the cables will allow.  Never place the battery charger directly on top of the battery.  

Connect the battery clamps to the respective terminals, plug in and turn on the charger. Depending upon your charger it may automatically turn off when your battery is fully charged; alternatively it may require disconnecting once the battery is charged.  If you are unsure of how your charger works, check your user manual.

When your battery is charged, unplug the charger and disconnect the clamps.  Once you’ve done this, reconnect your battery – positive (red) lead first – and you’re good to go.  Your smart charger (if you have an EFB or AGM battery) will indicate to you once the battery is charged.

Battery Testing and Battery Replacements

Like any part of your car, your battery won’t last forever.  There will reach a time that your battery is losing (not holding) charge and will require replacing.  Our team offers a FREE on-site battery check and will advise if a battery replacement is needed.  

We also offer a battery charging service that costs £10 if your battery is disconnected, or £15 if it’s still connected in your car.