Car Battery Charger | is it okay to charge a car battery with a charger while the battery is still connected to the car?

5 Responses to “is it okay to charge a car battery with a charger while the battery is still connected to the car?”

1. itsjustme

   As long as the ignition key is off, it won’t hurt anything. I’ve done this many times. One thing you need to do, though is to disconnect the battery cables, clean the posts and the inside of the clamps to insure that the charge is getting through. But, then if you do that you may as well connect the charger directly to the battery posts, after cleaning. Be sure to check the solution level in the battery prior to charging. Charging a battery with a low solution level can warp the plates and ruin the battery permanently

2. alvarz

   No it is not. All cars today are run on very expensive electronics and if you spike those little ICs then you will be spending big bucks to MAYBE get it fixed correctly. Always charge a battery with the NEGATIVE cable from the car disconnected.
   And I also never jump start a car,,not even my own,,i would rather either charge the battery or if there is no time i will buy another.

3. James E

   How old is the car?

   Pre-2000, the answer would be, yes, for all but the most unusual cars.

   Post-2000, look in your owner’s manual – most cars yes, a few no. (and the noes can be gotten around by disconnecting one of the battery cables).

4. Robbie C

   yes its fine just turn your key off ive done it a hundred times

5. mdk68gto

   you do want to use caution to avoid any power surges through the system but that is easy to do, connect the wires to the battery then plug in the charger. if you have a severe drain to the battery, some chargers will cycle off doe to the high load.

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