As a rule, the battery is discharged at the most inopportune moment, when the car is especially needed. It does not matter whether it is your car or a rented one. In this case, special power wires equipped with so-called “crocodiles”, which can be easily connected to the battery of another car, will help. Your neighbor in the parking lot will not refuse you this small service, knowing perfectly well that tomorrow he may find himself in a similar situation.
But the wires themselves should be purchased in advance, buying the first accessories for your iron friend. After all, you can plant the battery even on a new car, for example, demonstrating to your friends all the advantages of a full electric package with heated seats and a powerful stereo system equipped with a huge low-frequency sub. Even a new battery will not withstand such a load for a long time.
What to say about rented sports cars with powerful engines. Let’s say you find yourself in Miami and want to impress your girlfriend or friends with Miami Lamborghini rental. As in the case of your own car, the battery of the rented car may run out unexpectedly. In such cases, having special power cords in the trunk can come in handy. When renting a car, it is always a good idea to ask the rental shop about the availability of power cords or connecting cables.
As a rule, this issue can be discussed at the rental salon, so that they can be given to you if they are not provided by default by the rental service. Especially when it comes to sports cars for rent with powerful engines, such as a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Porsche. You’re unlikely to be happy to find yourself in the middle of the road in a top-of-the-line but stalled car you paid a lot of money to rent, right?
Remember that you should connect the plus to the plus and the minus to the minus, and only when the donor engine is off. If your battery is badly discharged (lights on the dashboard are burning at half intensity), you should start the donor engine and let it run at rpm for 5-7 minutes. During this time your battery will be slightly recharged. But when starting your engine, the ignition of the “donor” should be switched off, otherwise voltage fluctuations may destroy both your and its electrical equipment parts.
“Lit” from someone else’s battery, you can only complete the planned day trips, because the charge of the regular generator is enough only to start the warmed engine. At night, the battery should be charged from the household network through a special charger.
Charging the battery
Modern chargers are maximally automated, so the process of charging the battery does not cause any problems. But we will dwell on the main points.
It should be remembered that the charging current should be no more than 1/10 of the battery capacity. The higher the current, the faster the battery will be charged. But charging with a high current has a negative effect on the battery life. Therefore, less amperes means longer charging, but less damage to the battery.
When the battery is fully charged, a modern battery charger will automatically shut off. Many stationary batteries are equipped with a special charging indicator, the color change of which can be used to judge the degree of charge of the battery.
In addition, maintained and low-maintenance batteries require electrolyte level monitoring. As a result of chemical processes, water from the electrolyte evaporates and the battery needs to be periodically topped up with distilled water. There are special markings on the battery cans to check the level of the liquid. Under no circumstances should ordinary water be added! The salts contained in tap water are destructive to the active plates of the battery.
Access to the banks of the batteries being serviced allows monitoring of the electrolyte density in them, which varies depending on the degree of charge. The density of a charged battery should be at least 1.25 g/cm3.
Therefore, in order to be able to constantly monitor the state of the charging process of the serviced battery, you can purchase an areometer together with the charger. This device is an analog of alcohol meter, only it is designed to measure the density of the electrolyte.