Care tips

Recharging car and motorcycle batteries

Car and motorcycle batteries should actually be fully recharged via the alternator while driving. If more is discharged than the alternator recharges, this leads to a gradual discharge and premature ageing. To compensate for this negative balance, only charging with the charger will help.

You can also watch the corresponding video here:

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Charge the battery before installation

Directly after the first filling with acid, dry pre-charged batteries only reach 75 to 80 % of their nominal capacity. They must therefore be charged before installation. Even factory-filled and charged lithium batteries can lose charge during storage. We recommend that they are also fully charged before installation.

Is charging while driving sufficient for motorcycle and starter batteries?
Charging in normal use - e.g. while driving through the alternator - does not replace this first charging process with a charger.

Charging the battery correctly - how exactly does it work?
We will show you instructions further down on this page.
Charging the battery - step by step

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Typical reasons for a negative balance

Short-haul traffic

When driving at low speeds, only in small villages and perhaps with traffic lights, you do not reach the necessary speeds for an effective charge. Short journeys are the number one cause of battery failure because the battery then goes into deep discharge.
The graph shows the gradual deep discharge of a battery.

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Long downtimes, seasonal vehicles

A battery produces electricity as soon as it contains electrolyte. And it does this even if it is simply standing around until a chemical reaction is no longer possible. Especially with seasonal vehicles, motorcycles, motorhomes and boats, it is not only annoying if you want to use the vehicle but the battery is empty.
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In addition, the gradual discharge also damages performance and service life in the long term.

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Installation of additional consumers

As a rule, vehicle manufacturers try to design the battery in such a way that it is just enough with the available equipment. However, additional consumers are the order of the day: cell phone or iPad for music playback or children's entertainment on the headrest, an additionally installed navigation device, manual seat heating or a seat cushion that I plug in via the cigarette lighter. As soon as you connect additional consumers to the battery, this usually leads to the original battery being overloaded. Richtig laden Zusatzverbraucher

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Extreme temperatures

Cold and heat play a role in battery performance. It is easy to notice when the vehicle starts to start sluggishly, to emit eggy sounds and to rumble. Then it's time to take care of the recharging.
Temperaturen Batterien Header
More on this in our detailed article

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Charging the battery - step by step

Attach the positive terminal to the battery.

Always connect the red cable/terminal to the positive terminal first.
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Attach the negative terminal to the battery.

Then attach the gray/black cable/clamp to the negative terminal.
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Connect chargers to the socket.

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Switch on the charger.

If the charger does not automatically make the correct settings, please adjust the voltage and select the charging characteristic.
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Charge the battery.

In the meantime, observe the LED, display or other indicator on the charger. Is the battery being charged as required?
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Switch off the charger.

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Disconnect the charger from the power supply.

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Disconnect the charger from the battery.

In reverse order, that is:
First disconnect the gray/black cable/terminal from the negative terminal.
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Then disconnect the red cable/terminal from the positive pole.
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Tips for charging

Never charge a damaged battery! If the battery does not look normal, has housing damage, frayed or burnt terminals, you should leave it alone.
It is also best to replace a battery that only has 10.5 volts or less.
Select a suitable charger .
The order in which the terminals are connected to the poles is now irrelevant. Modern chargers have reverse polarity protection.
The battery can remain in the vehicle while charging.
If you want to remove the battery, for example when winterizing your motorcycle, place it on a flat, clean surface for charging.
Pay attention to the temperature. Ideally at a moderate room temperature.
Only charge in a well-ventilated room.
Secure the clamps so that they cannot slip off.
Always check how the battery behaves during charging.
- If a battery has a short circuit or was very heavily sulphated, there may be heavy gassing during the charging process. The escaping gas is highly explosive!
- If the battery does not accept a charge when you start the charger, you must stop.
With an old charger, you had to set the values, open the plugs, check from time to time how full it was and then disconnect it.
Modern chargers run automatically. They can also remain connected to the battery for trickle charging.
When disconnecting: First disconnect the mains plug, then the terminals.
Do not install until the battery has reached the resting voltage again.

Charging the battery twice a year with a charger is not a mistake.
Check the voltage at least before the winter season, when the battery is subject to heavy use. And a battery that is well looked after in summer is also less likely to reach its limits in winter.