Can a Car Be Charged by Idling in Place?
2 Answers
Idling in place can charge a car and will not harm the vehicle, but it is important to avoid using power-consuming devices in the car during charging. Below is more information about idling in place: 1. Precautions: If the car is parked for a week, idling in place for 10 minutes can ensure sufficient battery charge. If the car is parked for more than 20 days, idling in place for 20 to 30 minutes is more reliable. 2. Brief Description: Idling in place refers to a working condition where the engine runs without load and the gear is in neutral, meaning "working without output," consuming fuel while the car remains stationary.
As a seasoned driver with years of experience, I can confidently say that idling in place does charge the car battery. When the car engine is running, the alternator starts working and delivers current to the battery, whether the car is moving or stationary. However, the issue lies in the fact that the RPM is too low during idling, resulting in an extremely slow charging speed. If you just want to replenish a small amount of power, like idling for 20-30 minutes, it might help the battery recover slightly, but it's definitely insufficient for recovering from severe power depletion. If the battery voltage is too low, idling charging is almost ineffective. More importantly, prolonged idling is bad for the engine, as it can easily cause carbon buildup and waste fuel, making the overall cost quite high. I have a friend who relied on idling to charge the battery, only to end up spending thousands on engine repairs. So, for effective charging, driving around for about ten minutes is much better—when the car moves and the RPM increases, the alternator output multiplies. If the battery frequently runs low, it's better to check the charging system or replace the old battery sooner rather than later.
