How do you charge a 12 volt car motorcycle or boat battery with a battery charger?

• red wire or clamp to positive (+) post of battery
• black wire or clamp to negative (-) post of battery
• set charger to 12 volts (if more than one setting available)
• plug charger into wall socket
• let charge for 12 hours

There is a danger of exploding the hydrogen and oxygen gases that are given off from a fully charged battery, so remember Don't Smoke whilst doing the above!

Also, it not safe or in any way good practice just to put both of the charger cables directly onto the battery terminals.

This is the safe way to do it: first clip the +ve cable onto the +ve battery terminal. Then clip the -ve cable to a good "Ground" point somewhere on the vehicle's bodywork, at least a yard or a metre away from the battery.

When you want to remove the cable, do this: first unclip the -ve cable from the "Ground" point; only then unclip the +ve cable from the +ve battery terminal.

Doing it all that way helps to avoid sparks over the battery's air vents when you attach or detach the +ve cable from the battery.

Always remember: NO SMOKING!

Always for safety sake!!!!! Wear safety googles and cover exposed skin before putting any battery on a charger, with that being said be sure to put the positive(red or larger terminal) on first, then clip on the negative(black or smaller terminal) last, also to avoid sparks and possible explosion of the battery acid in your face etc. be sure the battery charger is not powered up before you hook it to the battery, in other Words keep the charger unplugged before you clip up to the battery in question being charged.

Also: Try to be charging in a well ventilated area to help avoid the possibility of explosive fumes meeting up with unexpected sparks Work smart, work safely!!!

More details

Each type of battery charger is different, they are not all the same. Each unit should come with a set of instructions specific to that model and also some important safety precautions.

First check fluid level in battery. Then with charger turned off, connect positive cable, (the red one) to the positive side of the battery. Then connect negative charger cable (the black one) to the negative, (ground) side of the battery. then select how many amps on charger u want to charge at. the lower the charging amps, the slower the battery will charge,but the slower the better, if you have the time. for eg charge at 2 amps and leave all night while charging, remove caps from battery, also you do not need to remove battery from car, but make sure ignition is off and key removed, when battery is charged remove cables black one first then red one.

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1. Read the instructions that came with the battery charger to make sure you know how your specific battery charger works.
2. Connect the battery charger to the battery. If the battery is connected to the car, attach the positive (usually red) charging cable to the positive post (usually marked with a plus sign). Then attach the negative (usually black) charging cable to theengine block. Do not connect the negative cable to the negative post while the battery is in the car. If the battery is not connected to the car, attach the positive charging cable to the positive post. Then attach the negative charging cable to the negative post, usually marked with a minus sign.
3. Volt/Amp Selector on control panel

   Turn the "Volt/Amp Selector" to the appropriate type of battery and amps, and make sure that the correct "Volt" switch is selected for the size of battery.

4. Plug the battery charger into an appropriate outlet. If the cord has a ground, plug it into a grounded outlet. Do not alter the cord in any way.
5. Use the ammeter to measure battery-charging rate.

   Turn the "Charge Time" to set how long you want to charge the battery. Use the ammeter to measure battery-charging rate. Use the battery test monitor to see if the battery is in working condition.

6. Turn the battery charger off. Unplug the battery charger from the outlet. Turn the "Selector" and the "Charge Time" to "Off."
7. Remove the negative battery charging cable first, then remove the positive charging cable.