Can A Completely Dead Battery Be Recharged? And How

Can a completely dead battery be recharged? This question comes to car owners’ minds when they find some signs of a dead car battery.

A completely dead car battery means when the car battery is fully discharged, and the battery voltage is below 12 volts.

So, recharging a completely dead car battery is not that easy because the options of recharging a completely flat car battery are limited.

Here, we are going to know whether a completely dead battery can be recharged, how long to charge a completely dead car battery, how many times can a car battery be recharged, and how you can charge a completely dead car battery, and more.

Can A Completely Dead Battery Be Recharged?

A completely dead battery can be recharged, but it’s a little more difficult than recharging a healthy battery. Jump Start is the only option to recharge a completely dead battery which requires another car to help.

When your car battery goes completely dead, that means your car battery voltage is much below what it should be.

And if a completely dead car battery is fully discharged, it makes it more difficult to recharge a completely flat battery.

An automobile battery needs between 12.2V to 12.8V to start the car engine. Using a multimeter, you can measure your car battery voltage.

When the car battery voltage goes below 12V, we consider that car battery as a dead battery.

Bringing the car battery to the right voltage is the only way to recharge a completely dead car battery.

With the help of an alternator, the car battery recharges when the car is running. So, you must drive the car to recharge a completely dead battery.

See Also: Why Car Battery Keeps Dying

How To Charge A Completely Dead Car Battery

The only way to charge a completely dead car battery is by jump-starting, and to perform jump-starting a dead car battery, you are going to need another functional car next to your car.

Charging a totally dead car battery can be confusing to you if you have not performed the jump-start or this dead car battery trick before. But, no worries because here you find all the instructions.

To jump-start your completely flat car battery, you are going to need jumper cables and another car that has a fully charged battery.

Let’s see how to jump-start a completely dead car battery:

• Step 1: Turn off the vehicle
  As I mentioned earlier, to charge a completely dead car battery by jump-starting, you are going to need two cars. So, first, you must turn off the functional car.

• Step 2: Connect the positive jumper cable to the battery positive terminal
  The positive jumper cable is red, which you need to make a connection to first. Connect the positive jumper cable to the dead battery first, and then connect the other end of the positive jumper cable to the charged battery on the functional car.

• Step 3: Make the negative jumper cable connection
  Usually, negative jumper cables are black. First, connect the negative jumper cable to the negative terminal on the charged battery, and then connect the other end of the negative jumper cable to the car’s grounded metal component.

• Step 4: Start the functional car for a couple of minutes
  When you have finished making connections between both dead and charged car batteries, now it’s time to charge the dead car battery. Start the functional car which has a charged battery for at least three minutes.

• Step 5: Try to start the completely dead battery car
  Put your key into the ignition and try to start your dead battery car a couple of times. If the jumper cables supply enough power, your dead car should start.

• Step 6: Remove the jumper cables connection
  When the dead car is started, you just need to disconnect the jumper cables from both cars. You should disconnect the negative jumper cable first and then the positive jumper cable.

• Step 7: Run the jump-started car
  Now you need to drive your car for at least twenty minutes to let the alternator recharge the car battery. And this is the final step of jump-starting a completely dead car battery.

Related: Who To Call When The Car Battery Dies

What Are The Signs Of A Dead Car Battery

After knowing that a completely dead battery can be recharged, it’s necessary to know what are the signs of a dead car battery.

Here are some common signs of a dead car battery:

1. Dim Headlights
   The most common signs of a dead car battery are dim or no headlight. When the car battery is dead and holds no charge, it simply cannot provide enough charge to the headlights to turn on.
2. Check Engine Light On
   Check Engine Light can be turned on for various reasons. When your car battery is dead, Check Engine Light also turns on to warn you.
3. Car Starts But Dies Immediately
   Vehicles need a battery charge to start the engine, but a dead car battery cannot hold that charge. If you notice your car dies immediately after starting the engine a couple of times, then you might have a dead battery in your car.
4. Suddenly an Odd Smell Coming From The Battery
   A healthy or properly operable car battery does not smell but a dead car battery does. A dead car battery smells completely different from a new car battery. So, an odd smell is also a sign of a dead car battery.

Related: Causes Of Car Keeps Dying But Battery And Alternator Are Good

Will Car Battery Recharge Itself After Being Dead?

A car battery cannot charge itself. Car batteries need human help to get charged. That’s why your car battery won’t be able to recharge itself after being dead.

Not only a dead car battery but a healthy or property-operable car battery also cannot charge itself.

So, if your car battery is dead, you should not wait to see whether the dead battery recharges itself or not; you must need to charge the battery.

How Long To Charge A Completely Dead Car Battery?

A dead car battery takes between 12 to 15 hours to recharge at 6 to 8 amperes. But, the time duration of charging a dead car battery also depends on the type of charger.

Low amperes charger is going to take more time to charge a dead car battery than a high amperes battery charger.

On your car’s user manual, you will find the time period suggestions for charging your car battery.

More Solution: If a car battery dies will it recharge itself?

How Many Times Can A Car Battery Be Recharged?

In short, a car battery can be recharged unlimited times until it becomes completely dead.

Every time you drive your car, the car’s alternator recharges the battery to help flow the current into the car’s electrical components.

Generally, a quality car battery from a better brand tends to recharge more than a poor quality car battery.

Therefore, choosing a good quality battery is essential to get more support from the battery and also limitless recharge capacity.

Final Thoughts

A completely dead car battery can be recharged by jump-starting. And jump-start is the way you can charge a completely dead car battery.

Keeping the car battery from dying is simple and easy, so you must follow these ways to keep the car battery healthy.

Learning to jump-start a car with a dead car battery is essential for every car owner, no matter what type of car you drive.

A professional can also help you recharge your completely flat car battery, so you can connect with them.

About Dead Car Battery:

• Ways To Move A Car With A Dead Battery
• What Can Drain A Car Battery When The Car Is Off?
• Why New Car Battery Dead