Title: Module 4: Battery Charging - Activity
Course: ASE A6 Battery Service > Section: Module 4: Battery Charging

Q: A classic car will be stored for 6 months with no plans to drive it. The battery currently reads 12.6V. Which charger type is most appropriate?
- Manual charger (10A)
- Automatic smart charger (2-40A, auto detect)
- Battery maintainer/tender (1.5A float)
- Jump starter/booster pack
A: Battery maintainer/tender (1.5A float)

Q: A customer's car won't start in the parking lot and they need to leave immediately for a meeting. Which option addresses the immediate need?
- Manual charger (10A)
- Automatic smart charger (2-40A, auto detect)
- Battery maintainer/tender (1.5A float)
- Jump starter/booster pack
A: Jump starter/booster pack

Q: A technician needs to charge an AGM battery overnight. The shop has both a manual charger and an automatic smart charger available. Which should the technician use?
- Manual charger — it charges faster
- Automatic smart charger with AGM setting — it controls voltage precisely
- Either charger — AGM batteries are not sensitive to voltage
- Manual charger — automatic chargers cannot detect AGM batteries
A: Automatic smart charger with AGM setting — it controls voltage precisely

Q: What is the maximum safe charging voltage for an AGM battery?
- 13.8V
- 14.1V
- 14.6V
- 15.5V
A: 14.6V

Q: A charger displays the following readings: voltage 13.8V, current 40A, battery voltage 12.3V. Which charging stage is this?
- Float
- Absorption
- Equalization
- Bulk
A: Bulk

Q: A charger displays the following readings: voltage 14.5V, current 8A, battery voltage 14.4V. Which charging stage is this?
- Bulk
- Absorption
- Float
- Desulfation
A: Absorption

Q: A charger displays the following readings: voltage 13.4V, current 0.5A, battery voltage 13.3V. Which charging stage is this?
- Bulk
- Absorption
- Float
- Equalization
A: Float

Q: During the bulk charging stage, which of the following best describes what is happening?
- Voltage is held constant while current decreases
- Maximum current is delivered and the battery voltage gradually rises
- A small maintenance current is supplied to offset self-discharge
- Voltage is pulsed on and off to break up sulfation crystals
A: Maximum current is delivered and the battery voltage gradually rises

Q: Why should you NOT attempt to charge a battery that may be frozen?
- Frozen batteries charge too quickly and can overheat
- Charging a frozen battery can cause the case to crack or the battery to explode due to gas buildup in ice-blocked cells
- Frozen batteries have higher internal resistance, which makes the charger shut off
- The charger cannot detect a frozen battery's voltage
A: Charging a frozen battery can cause the case to crack or the battery to explode due to gas buildup in ice-blocked cells

Q: Connect the battery maintainer to the battery at your workstation. Describe the steps you took in order, including which clamp you connected first and where you connected it.
Feedback: The student should describe: (1) Identified the battery type from the label. (2) Connected the positive (red) clamp to the positive terminal first. (3) Connected the negative (black) clamp to the negative terminal second. (4) Plugged in or turned on the maintainer. The maintainer should show a float/maintenance indicator since the battery is already charged.

Q: What does the maintainer display show after connection? What charging stage is it in? Why is a maintainer appropriate for this battery's current state?
Feedback: The maintainer should show a float or maintenance indicator (green light, "full" indicator, or similar). It is in the float stage because the battery is already fully charged. A maintainer is appropriate here because the battery does not need recovery charging — it only needs to be kept at float voltage to prevent self-discharge during storage. A maintainer is not designed to charge a dead battery.

Q: Connect the automatic smart charger to the battery at your workstation. List the steps you took, including what settings you selected on the charger and why.
Feedback: The student should describe: (1) Identified the battery type from the label (flooded or AGM). (2) Connected the positive (red) clamp to the positive terminal first. (3) Connected the negative (black) clamp to the negative terminal second. (4) Selected the correct battery type setting on the charger (flooded or AGM). (5) Selected a charge rate appropriate for the battery. (6) Started the charger. The student should explain why they chose the battery type setting — to ensure the charger does not exceed the voltage limit for that battery type.

Q: After the smart charger has been running for at least 2 minutes, what stage is the charger in? What readings do you see on the display (voltage, current, or indicator lights)? Based on these readings, is the battery close to full charge or still charging?
Feedback: The student should report what the charger display shows — voltage, current, and/or stage indicators. If the battery is already fully charged, the charger should be in float mode (low voltage around 13.2-13.6V, very low current). If the battery needs charging, the charger may be in bulk (high current, rising voltage) or absorption (constant voltage around 14.4-14.7V, decreasing current). The student should correctly identify the stage based on the readings and explain whether the battery is still actively charging or at maintenance.