Battery Drain
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 81
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From: Panama City, FL
Battery Drain
How long does it take my alternator to recharge the drain of starting the engine? I don't have any battery draining accessories installed and I live in a hot climate (Florida) so I almost always have the AC on.
I only live about 4 miles from work so my concern is that the battery isn't being completely recharged when I drive it. The engine barely gets up to operating temperature during this time.
For the past 5+ years I've always lived less than 5 miles from where I work, so I've just replaced the battery in anything I drive every 3 years. I've seen how a failing battery can cook an alternator.
Besides replacing it every 3 years, is there anything I can do to keep the battery healthy? Maybe hook up a tricke charger on my occasional day off? Thanks.
I only live about 4 miles from work so my concern is that the battery isn't being completely recharged when I drive it. The engine barely gets up to operating temperature during this time.
For the past 5+ years I've always lived less than 5 miles from where I work, so I've just replaced the battery in anything I drive every 3 years. I've seen how a failing battery can cook an alternator.
Besides replacing it every 3 years, is there anything I can do to keep the battery healthy? Maybe hook up a tricke charger on my occasional day off? Thanks.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,200
Likes: 39
From: Easton, Pa.
You have just the combination of conditions that would shorten battery life.
Normally, recharge would occurr within less than 10 minutes without any extra loads even at idle.
But with A/C and the blower motor running the the alternator has to supply those demands as well as ignition and leaves the battery short on input charge current unless enough time has elapsed to allow the battery to recover at the lower charge rate.
Charge recovery is battery capacity sensitive,
As the battery ages, it take longer time intervals to recover and really never totally recovers the same amount each time.
It's like people, as they age, lose capacity a little at a time, past their peak years.
A trickle charger would indeed stop at least 90% of all this by keeping the battery fully charged and not need so much recharge after starting each time but not be as much of a help after starting from your work location unless you can hook up there.
Normally, recharge would occurr within less than 10 minutes without any extra loads even at idle.
But with A/C and the blower motor running the the alternator has to supply those demands as well as ignition and leaves the battery short on input charge current unless enough time has elapsed to allow the battery to recover at the lower charge rate.
Charge recovery is battery capacity sensitive,
As the battery ages, it take longer time intervals to recover and really never totally recovers the same amount each time.
It's like people, as they age, lose capacity a little at a time, past their peak years.
A trickle charger would indeed stop at least 90% of all this by keeping the battery fully charged and not need so much recharge after starting each time but not be as much of a help after starting from your work location unless you can hook up there.