plymouthcolt

I am working on my suspension and have not driven the car since October. Of course my battery died and I would like to recharge it. I checked the voltage and it is showing 1.5.

I would like to slowly charge it at 2 amps-can I recharge it safely?

Paul902

I recharged mine from dead flat once with the Porsche battery maintainer. It took over two weeks, but it recharged.

2Many Cars

It should be OK to charge it but keep the electrolyte level up and be sure it's well vented as it's going to outgas some hydrogen. Be VERY careful not to cause a spark around the battery while it's charging. I'd recommend connecting the charger to the battery then plugging in the charger. Also leave the hood open (with the latch closed so the trunk light stays off) or better still remove the battery before charging. The battery should charge up but once a lead acid battery is fully discharged (or close to it) you'll get shortened battery life so if it's a few years old you'll likely need to replace it soon.

IXLR8

Even thought that is only a 2 amp charge rate, the temperature of the battery should be checked for the first hour or two to make sure it does not get warm or hot. Check it periodically during that time.

Also measure the open circuit voltage to see if it is accepting a charge. The voltage should be increasing over time.

If it is a flooded lead acid battery (the type with caps), prior to charging, the electrolyte level should be checked and topped up with distilled water if necessary.

If it accepts a full charge, have the battery load tested.