I got a charger, as some of you know I ran the battery down on my '67 pos project.
There's several choices however. The first, "type"...12V or 6V...I assume 12V, correct? The second is the one I'm not sure of, it's "size" 2A Small, 4A Medium or 6A Large....help? I'm headed out to pull the battery right now.

 

12V,

The other setting is "Amps",

For your car battery the "size" does not matter, the amps will come into play with regard to the time you have to charge the battery and how "deep" you charge it.

The 6 amp setting will charge the battery in a couple of hours, the 2 amp setting generally takes several hours, like 6 or 8.

So, if 6A will charge the battery faster, why use the 2 amp setting?

I am glad you asked... the 2 Amp setting will give your battery a better and "deeper" charge, and is better for long battery life.

A lower setting over a longer period is the better way to charge a battery, but in "real life" often a faster charge is all we have time for.

There are some differences with Optima batteries and other AGM batteries, but the above is a general rule of thumb.

 

spot on

 

Wow! Thank you. Sorry guys. I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to the basics. My dad didn't/hasn't taught me much about cars or anything else cool and I have to learn all this on my own.

So, now that I know that. I have two more Q's.

1. can I charge it on 6 amps for now, and then top it off with the "deeper" 2 amps later???

and

2. The battery cable is stuck on the negitive terminal. Will I get shocked if I use a set of fat pliers to spread the gap manually?

 

lol

3. There's white build up near the negitive side. A wet towel will work? I also have some steel wool. will that help?

 

Baking soda in water will neutralize the white stuff on the terminal. Lacking that, a can of soda will work about as well.

You can do whatever you need to on the negative terminal, as long as you don't touch the positive in the process.

Charge the battery at 2A. If it's a manual charger, leave it there for a few hours and check it. If it's automatic, leave it in overnight and you'll be good to go by morning.

Your battery is dead. It needs a nice slow charge to bring it back to life.

 

Thanks Tad. You know who I am, right?

Well...I got it (terminal cable) off and the battery is charging on the 2amp setting. I'm goign to leave it in until bed and then continure tomorrow. I'm not going to leave it in overnight. I'd prefer to not die in a housefire caused by a battery overheating.

 

Short answer...

1. yes

2. no

 

Yeah, I know who you are:P

If you've got an automatic charger, it should turn itself off to keep from overcharging the battery. You should also make sure you charge the battery in a well-ventilated area away from any sources of ignition. As long as you've got those two things, you should be fine.