I’m Not Driving. Do I Need a Dedicated Charger for the Battery to Work?

A car is essentially a giant computer with wheels – at least that’s what I think of them. Which always ends up frustrating me because I have absolutely no doubt that I was messing with my desktop PC, updating it with new hardware, and generally tricking it to make it cool. My car, however, is like a Hellraiser puzzle box: I have no idea what I’m doing with it and I’m afraid that the wrong touch will lead to something terrible.

Recently, I have become more confident about cars, and I have to thank the pandemic for this. After spending several weeks locked up in a house, being able to go outside and work on any project was a welcome relief. So I bought and installed a aftermarket reversing camera myself – soldered the connections, routed wires through the car and all – and I’m happy to report that it’s still working a few months later.

This hard-won experience gives me the courage to answer Lifehacker reader Adam’s question about 911 this week. It’s about cars, not computers, but technology is technology, and I’m always happy to provide helpful buying advice when asked. He’s writing:

So it may be a strange question, it is a technology, but to a lesser extent a computer and a more versatile machine. During COVID, I had a car that was not taken out, and the battery was completely discharged. I started searching on the internet and remembered a thing or two about a car charger (with or without solar). I was wondering more about them, how they work, which ones you can trust as it seems like a lot of them say they don’t drain your battery, but somehow they do.

Do you need a charger at all?

I don’t know your quarantine habits, but I feel like you probably don’t need a car charger. Your description of how they work is correct. Simply put, they keep your car battery alive by ensuring that it doesn’t drain while it’s just sitting idle for a longer than normal amount of time. If you are the type of person planning to put their car away for the winter and you don’t want to deal with a dead battery in the spring – jumping around or replacing it – a drip charger can help you.

And I believe that during these pandemic periods, a constant charger can ensure that your battery stays fresh and fully charged when you don’t drive as often as you used to. But is it really necessary? You’re going to do something, right? Whether it’s a casual drive to quench your junk food addiction , a stroll to the grocery store to restock your essentials, or a simple ride to drive, one of my favorite ways to overcome the quarantine blues is unlikely that you ‘ll ever using my car right now. You are probably just using it less and that’s okay!

As I wrote in response, when the pandemic first began to make our lives miserable , it is very important that you take your car on a short trip from time to time. I can’t count the number of friends who let their cars stand in streets or driveways for weeks and then were puzzled to find that their batteries were completely depleted. And no, it won’t take long.

You should really run your car’s engine for about 5-10 minutes at least once a week. Even though we spend most of our days squatting at home, it doesn’t seem like an unreasonable driving time. It’s one quick trip to grab a bite to eat (quarantine-friendly) and it will cost you a lot less than a regular charger.

A decent charger shouldn’t break your bank account

However, you should be able to get a decent charger for around $ 25. And while there are options that cost over $ 100 or even $ 200, they don’t suit your needs. You need a device that is designed for long-term operation, and ideally, “smart”. That is, the charger does more than just power your battery with constant power; it recognizes when the battery is fully charged and then switches to “trickle charge mode” to replenish the battery as needed.

Why does it charge badly? As Bob Weber describes in the Chicago Tribune :

“Overcharging the battery causes excessive gas evolution — the electrolyte heats up and hydrogen and oxygen are released. In older vented batteries, the electrolyte may have evaporated, leaving the plates exposed and destroying them. In sealed batteries, accumulation of gases can cause the battery to explode. “

If you need a specific recommendation, Battery Tender Junior Charger and Maintainer has a near perfect rating on Amazon with nearly 25,000 reviews, and at the time of this writing, it’s only $ 25. It is designed for long-term storage and will switch between “full” and “trickle” charging depending on what your battery requires in its current state. It won’t charge said battery very quickly as it is a 0.75 amp charger, but it will keep it in good shape – and that’s all that really matters if you don’t plan on driving for a few months.

I wouldn’t buy a solar charger, but this is just intuition. I think I would plug this in, park my car on the street and just assume everything is ok. But if there is a streak of cloudy days, or the charger simply can’t provide enough trickle from the direct and less efficient angled sunlight it receives, you may end up with a dead battery and half-expensive, semi-useless. Solar battery. This doesn’t mean solar chargers don’t work, I just know I would be wary of using them given the potential limitations of the technology. I never doubt my car is plugged into an outlet, so I probably prefer this over anyone else (even if solar is cheaper in the long run).

This is my suggestion. I would still try to drive your car a little at least once a week if possible, both because of the battery and all the fluids in your car that would otherwise just sit there, doing nothing, in for some time. long period of time. Otherwise, a good constant charger will help keep your car battery in good condition. If you don’t want to mess with any of this, you can also just disconnect your car’s battery if you know you won’t be using your car for a while. If you make sure you do whatever is necessary to keep yourself safe , this is an easy and quick way to fix battery drain while your car is hibernating for the winter (or until the vaccine arrives ).

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