How Long Should I Idle Car To Charge Battery

Yes, idling does charge car batteries, but not as quickly as when you're out for a drive. So, here's the thing about charging your car while it's just chilling there, idling. Your car's usually a champ at charging the battery in this state, but it's not always a slam dunk.. So even when your car is idling, the engine is still producing enough RPM to power the alternator, which in turn charges the battery. You can read more about the car's charging system here. For example, a stock alternator in a 1997 Camry would produce ~80-90 amps while driving, and around 60 amps at idle (600 engine rpm.) Which is less than when driving, but still sufficient to charge the.

Idling does not charge your car battery effectively. When a vehicle sits idle, the engine runs, but it does not provide a significant charge to the battery. This belief stems from the idea that the alternator generates power while the engine runs. However, the battery primarily charges during active driving.. Here's another common question: Does a car battery charge while idling? The short answer is yes, but not very efficiently. While idling, the alternator does produce electricity, but at low RPMs, it may not generate enough power to overcome the draw from electrical components and still send excess current to charge the battery.