I just bought a battery from Canadian tire and I assumed they would charge it and check it for me but they just handed it to me and said it was good to go. my 2amp/10amp charger doesn't have the grates meter on it so I was wondering if I should buy a 2amp Noco charger and put it on the battery before I Install it into my car. I would like the battery to last as long as possible type thing.
New off the Shelf battery charge to 100% or just install
- Thread starter Sid6.7
- Start date
I don't think you especially need to buy a new charger if you already have one that works, but it is better if you charge your battery fully. It's OK to do it in the car after you install it.
In general, it's a good idea to periodically give your battery a full charge up, especially in the winter as short trips in the cold are often not enough to keep the battery fully charged. I will usually throw the charger on when I'm working a rig.
In general, it's a good idea to periodically give your battery a full charge up, especially in the winter as short trips in the cold are often not enough to keep the battery fully charged. I will usually throw the charger on when I'm working a rig.
I prefer charging it before installation. Alternators are designed to maintain a charge, and do poorly at charging a battery
Have you installed it yet?
Charging a new battery before installation and even jump starting a car in which a new battery has been installed -in order to get the very longest life possible- has come up.
All the pros I've seen just install and start the vehicle.
Experiment with it if you like. Take a voltage reading. If it's under 12.8v, put your 10amp charger on it for an hour or two and check it again the next morning.
As stated above, it's better to be fully charged.
One fellow on a thread here asked why "nobody" takes a voltmeter with them battery shopping.
It's funny...you got me thinking. I always go to a supplier which does a brisk business. I never gave it a thought because I had confidence in their battery's freshness.
Charging a new battery before installation and even jump starting a car in which a new battery has been installed -in order to get the very longest life possible- has come up.
All the pros I've seen just install and start the vehicle.
Experiment with it if you like. Take a voltage reading. If it's under 12.8v, put your 10amp charger on it for an hour or two and check it again the next morning.
As stated above, it's better to be fully charged.
One fellow on a thread here asked why "nobody" takes a voltmeter with them battery shopping.
It's funny...you got me thinking. I always go to a supplier which does a brisk business. I never gave it a thought because I had confidence in their battery's freshness.
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no its sitting on the bench in my garage. my charger goes down to 2 amps as well but I can only really check voltage with a multi meter.
so charge it for an hour or so at 2amp then let the battery sit until tomorrow?
I know, it would literally take like an 8 hour drive nonstop with nothing playing in my car to charge my battery with the alternator and that doesn't sound like an enjoyable day
if it’s older than 6 months, return it and get a fresher one! Either way, no charging required.It's all very well saying the alternator will charge the battery but since the advent of smart alternators they haven't necessarily been designed to fully charge the battery and depending on the type of use may only get the battery to 80%. That will ensure the battery is functional but it won't optimise it's life span.
I always fully charge before fitting. It was particularly important to do this in the days where a wet cell battery was filled with acid just before they handed it over to you but even a modern pre-filled battery is unlikely to be 100% fully charged by the time you get it.
I always fully charge before fitting. It was particularly important to do this in the days where a wet cell battery was filled with acid just before they handed it over to you but even a modern pre-filled battery is unlikely to be 100% fully charged by the time you get it.
I generally install a new one before its a 5 alarm emergency so I do test and charge if needed. I just installed 2 new dekas in my cars this week and both came charged 100%. One was stickered 12-24 and the other was 10-24. Of course Nissan smart charge crap will destroy them within 4 yrs but they’re new for now.
I always charge batteries before I install them. Use your charger on the 2 amp setting for ~8 hours.
I've seen comments like that here more than once. Never in my life have I seen someone "checking" batteries with a meter in a store.
Not necessary, but a low amp top-off charge is good practice. The heavy amp pull is kind of misleading, as most of the charge only accepts 4 amps or less, with the last 20% of the charge taking several hours. A 10A charger gets you unstuck and going quickly. A smaller charger is just as effective for topping it off.
New fresh batteries are not a guarantee.
The last battery I purchased (in November 2021) was defective from the get go. The sticker on the battery indicated it was manufactured in October 2021.
I returned it to Costco and took along my Solar Battery Tester with me to get a new one and I tested it prior to leaving the store with it.
The last battery I purchased (in November 2021) was defective from the get go. The sticker on the battery indicated it was manufactured in October 2021.
I returned it to Costco and took along my Solar Battery Tester with me to get a new one and I tested it prior to leaving the store with it.
Just replaced the battery in the mother in-laws car with a motomaster battery.
it was dated 11/24 so fresh stock .
put it on my noco 1 amp charger it was fully charged and in maintenance mode with 10 minutes.
I too get batteries at Costco, Canadian Costco sells Kirkland brand batts with 48 mos free replacement warranty while prorated after that to 100 mos. Price and warranty are best for those who have Costco nearby. They stand by the warranty and are easy to deal with, used it once on 3.5 y.o. batt.
I always use my charger on a new battery before installing it. 
Small handheld battery check meters have come a long way. They tell you the actual CCA and state of charge. If the state of charge is greater than 60 % or so, just install it and let the vehicle top it off.
I would charge a brand new battery instead of letting the alternator do it for me. Remember that many of today's smart alternators stop charging when 80% state of charge is reached. I want my battery to be in best possible health when I install it. That is why my car batteries get a top off once a week or two.