charging a depleted non-deep cycle battery

Here's my regimen when the lights are left on in a vehicle and assumes a battery in the middle of it's life cycle: Remove cell caps and check water level, hook up shop charger at the 10 amp rate (mine really pushes the juice), Read the amperage meter on the charger and I can usually tell SOC and what the battery is doing. Measure with a meter, if handy. For a good sized truck battery, I leave the charger at 10 amp for 1-2 hrs. Occasionally, while I'm keeping my eye on the battery, I'll flip the charger over to the 200 amp rate, momentarily. After an hour or two, I check water level, fill if necessary, and I select the 2 amp rate letting it charge overnight. If the battery is older it may need another dose of the treatment above.

At Sears, where we recharged die hards, a trickle charger for 72 hours was the preferred method to completely recharge a battery. Loaned the customer a battery with a deposit while theirs was recharged.

Develop a routine, write it down, and adhere to it, before closing up your RV... there are a lot of little details to remember, hence putting the list in writing and make it waterproof.

At Sears, where we recharged die hards, a trickle charger for 72 hours was the preferred method to completely recharge a battery. Loaned the customer a battery with a deposit while theirs was recharged.

Hi,

Slow steady charging may be the best way for the battery to recover. It can take 168 hours. Do use a "smart" charger if you have access to one.

my brother worked in a battery store for years and he told me that when they got a battery in with those symptoms they put the charger on start mode for about 5 or 10 minutes, don't want to get the battery too hot or boiling over and then put it on a slow charge over nite. the start mode will excite the plates to the point where it will make the crud that gathers on the plates fall off and you will get a fresh start but this maybe a temp fix, if the battery is too far gone it may not work for you.

Next time don't jump it and let the poor alternator work at max output.......you will shorten its life. Better to charge up with charger before you start driving.

Leave it on overnight and see how it does. Batteries don't LIKE being held flat for any period of time but it may recover.