About Battery Charger for Semi Truck, When dealing with a vehicle, there is nothing more frustrating than a dead battery.
Because the battery gives life to every component you use in a semi-truck, it must be in good shape and health.
To keep it that way, you must get an efficient battery charger for a semi-truck.
This article will look into the basics of semi-truck batteries and some charger suggestions.
Semi-Truck Battery Understanding
Just like any other vehicle, you will need a good battery that can power up the components in the semi-truck so that it can work efficiently.
You can use a commercial vehicle or wet cell battery with six cells.
Each cell is a lead-acid battery using alternate lead alloy plates or lead dioxide coating.
For electrolytes, they use the sulphuric acid mixture for good current conduction.
If the battery is not in perfect health, your semi-truck will not work, and you must replace it.
But before replacing, you must look into these three ratings to choose the right one for your truck.
Voltages
Semi-trucks need 12V batteries to power up the system and get it to work. Here, the battery will have three cells working parallel to each other and producing the required voltage.
However, some trucks might also use 24V batteries having four 6V battery cells working in a series to each other.
Industrial vehicles use the 24V battery for efficient working of the semi-truck rather than the 12V battery system because the power demands in the industry have increased.
You can also use the 12V batteries to produce the 24V power requirement, depending on your arrangement with them. You can connect two 12V batteries in a series connection to fulfill the need.
As you connect the batteries in series, you will connect the positive terminal of one to the negative terminal of the second, and so on.
Doing this will double the voltage while keeping the current levels the same.
Furthermore, note that using a single 12V battery in such cases will burn out the system quickly since all the load will concentrate on one unit.
Also, a 24V battery system will require less current than a 12V battery to produce the same power.
Hence, you will require a 15-gauge wire instead of an 8-gauge, saving you a lot of money and space in the battery.
In addition, a 24V battery also has more energy reservation, improving the truck engine’s overall performance.
Cold-Cranking Amps
Cold-Cranking Amps, or CCA, is a rating that tells how fast a battery can crank or start an engine when the temperature is cold outside.
In numbers, it is the measure of amps that a 12V battery can give at zero degrees for 30 seconds while remaining at 7.2V.
So, if you live in cold areas, the CCA rating is an important factor to consider.
Reserve Capacity
Reserve Capacity, or RC, is when a battery can keep the components of a system alive after it fails.
A battery having 150 reserve capacity means that it can run efficiently for 150 minutes to maintain a 25-amp load before dropping to a lower voltage.
Hence, the higher the RC value for your battery, the better the performance will be.
What To Do When Your Battery Fails?
As your battery discharges completely in the middle of work, it can no longer start the engine.
To make it work immediately, you can jump-start it using any other truck nearby, which will boost the engine for the time being, helping the alternator and the charging system to run up and recharge the battery.
However, if the alternator is not working, you must also find a replacement for it while charging the battery entirely with a battery charger for a semi-truck.
How to Use A Battery Charger for Semi Truck?
Caption: Scania semi truck
As the battery dies, you have two options to get it back to work; use a charger to recharge the battery or Jump-start it if you are not near a charging station. Let’s look into the former option first.
- Before that, you should know that the batteries work similarly in a car and a truck system. As the truck needs are bigger, you will need more than one battery to cater to them. Similarly, you will need two chargers to work simultaneously for the purpose.
- Moreover, keeping the lead-acid battery half-charged longer can shorten its time. To keep its health intact, use a voltmeter and check the rating. The battery is good to go if the voltage reads higher than 12.5V. But, if the reading falls below 12.5V, it needs a recharge immediately. Also, remember that a battery is half-charged at 12.4V and is completely dead at 12.0V reading.
- To get started, remove the negative terminal wire of the truck from the battery and then the positive one. Repeat the same for the second battery as well.
- Now, attach the positive clamp of the battery charger to the positive and the negative clamp to the battery’s negative. Using another charger, connect the second battery in the same way.
- Set the chargers on a low amp setting and let them charge for a longer period, ensuring stable charging in the long run.
- Detach the charger clamps from the battery after two hours and check if the truck starts. If not, recharge it again for another hour.
- Reinstall the previously removed wires and connect the terminals to the truck system by starting from negative connections first.
How to Jumpstart a Semi-truck?
Caption: Jumpstarting a battery
To jumpstart a truck, follow this simple procedure.
- Start by gathering appropriate jumpstarting tools, including 15 to 20 feet long jumper cables of 2-gauge thickness, safety gear, and a vehicle with a supporting voltage battery.
- Inspect the battery condition and cables to ensure there is no damage done. If there is any sign of damage, you need to replace the equipment first.
- Park the truck next to the booster vehicle so that their batteries are near each other and start making connections.
- Connect one end of the positive jumper cable to the positive terminal of the truck’s battery and the other to the positive battery terminal of the booster vehicle.
- Now, link one end of the negative jumper cable with the negative side of the booster’s battery and the other with the truck’s metal chassis, providing the ground to the residue current, if any. Please do not connect the jumper cable to the discharged battery’s negative terminal; otherwise, it will produce a spark, damaging the system.
- Start the engine of the booster vehicle and let it charge the other’s battery. Attempt to start your truck’s engine after 5 minutes, and if it still fails, give it more time to charge.
- As the truck’s engine starts, removing the jumper cables is time. For that, remove the negative ones first and then the positive ones.
8 Top Battery Chargers for Semi Trucks
After much research and testing, we gathered the 8 best battery chargers you could buy for your semi-truck battery charging.
Schumacher SC 1280
Schumacher SC1280 is a quick charger that can give you full charging on a 105.0 Ah battery in 16 hours.
It offers a 15 amps rating while being super lightweight and portable at the same time.
Pros
- Quick Charging
- LCD screen to display ratings
- Can revive dead batteries
- Adjustable battery amps
Cons
- Automatic shutoff can cause problems.
NOCO Genius PRO50
Next comes the NOCO Genius PRO150 with its durable quality and rugged design.
While it provides many charging modes, it is compatible with almost any vehicle battery that you can have.
However, it may be heavy and expensive, so it’s not for casual use.
Pros
- Sturdy design
- High-quality cables and clamps
- Fast Charging
- Comes with multiple charging modes
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy
- No LCD Screen
Schumacher SC1309
Other than recharging a battery, Schumacher SC1390 can also provide a jumpstart to the vehicle.
Also, it has diagnostic features that can detect the charge levels in a battery.
Pros
- Quick Charge
- Diagnostic ability
- Can Jumpstart the battery
Cons
- Some buyers may have received a faulty product
- Heavier in weight
TOPDON Tornado 30000
TOPDON Tornado 30000 is a charger for all vehicles in any weather. It has multiple charging modes supporting AGM, lead-acid, WET, GEL, and lithium-ion batteries.
While it is long-lasting, it may also be on the expensive side due to the high-quality features it provides.
Pros
- Strong, robust design
- Multiple charging modes for different batteries
- Includes smart charge for battery protection
Cons
- Expensive
- Short power cable
CTEK Multi US 7002
CTEK Multi US 7002 has an automatic switch charging with a good amp rating to charge quickly.
Also, it can work under extreme weather as it has good temperature endurance and is water resistant.
Pros
- Can withstand extreme conditions
- Able to work with boats and ATVs
- Easy to setup and use
Cons
- Expensive
NOCO Genius 10
NOCO Genius 10 is a charger, a maintainer, and a desulfator, all in one.
While it can work on 6 to 12V, it has thermal sensors to prevent overcharging.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Offers Overcharge protection
- Can work as maintainer and desulfator as well
Cons
- Some features are not intuitive for normal use
CTEK MXS 5.0
CTEK MXS 5.0 is a small charger with a 5-year long warranty.
It has an overcharge protection mechanism that stops charging when the battery is full.
Pros
- Has a proper instruction manual
- Comes with a built-in temperature sensor
- Can charge more than car batteries
Cons
- Bad quality clamps
NOCO Genius 1
NOCO Genius 1 is a low-cost charger alternative to NOCO Genius 10.
While it can provide you same features, it may lack a battery repair program.
Moreover, the charger is simple to use and highly energy efficient.
Pros
- Energy efficient
- Good quality clamps
- Small and compact design
Cons
- Overcharge mode may have issues
Conclusion
Semi-truck battery chargers are as simple to use as chargers for cars etc.
Moreover, some car chargers may also work perfectly for your semi-truck batteries.
So, try using them if you have any in your garage, and if it doesn’t work, invest in the one you see fit.
Cloom offers high-quality cable assemblies and wire harnesses for your vehicle needs.