Charging A Completely Discharged Battery

The following procedure should be used to recharge a completely discharged battery. Unless procedure is properly followed, a good battery may be needlessly replaced.

Battery Charging Rate
Voltage Hours
16.0 Volts MAXIMUM up to 16 Hours
14.0 to 15.9 VOLTS up to 24 Hours
13.9 Volts or LESS up to 36 Hours

Voltmeter Accurate To 1/10 Volt (Connectod):

1. Measure the voltage at battery side terminals with a voltmeter accurate to 1/10 volt. If below 10 volts, charge current will be low, and it could take some time before it accepts a current in excess of a few milli amperes. Such low current may not be detectable on ammeters built into many chargers.
2. Connect charger leads. Some chargers feature polarity protection circuitry which, prevents operation unless charger is connected to battery side terminals correctly. A completely discharged battery may not have enough voltage to activate this circuitry. This may happen even if the leads are connected properly.
3. Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage and current they provide. For the time required for the battery to accept measurable charger current at various voltages, refer to Charge Chart. If charge current is still not measurable after charging period the battery should be replaced. If charge current is measurable during charging time, the battery may be good, and charging should be completed in the normal manner.