# Recharge regular car batteries?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [February 25, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463 "2016-02-25T05:42:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vassock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/46a35a/32.png) [@vassock](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/vassock)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 5:42am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/1 "2016-02-25T05:42:23Z")

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The yellow fuel indicator is at 1%. How do I charge it? Just run the regular engines?

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**Author:** ![Litppunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/litppunk/32/409_2.png) [@Litppunk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Litppunk)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 6:29am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/2 "2016-02-25T06:29:40Z")

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if there is an alternator attached to the engine then yes. Alternatively you can use the handheld batteries to give it a little juice or find a pair of jumper cables and attach it to a battery that has a charge.

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**Author:** ![vassock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/46a35a/32.png) [@vassock](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/vassock)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 6:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/3 "2016-02-25T06:47:59Z")

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It is a police car. Do the overhead lights lead to a net drain of the batteries even with the engine on?

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**Author:** ![Litppunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/litppunk/32/409_2.png) [@Litppunk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Litppunk)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 7:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/4 "2016-02-25T07:31:18Z")

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shouldn’t. I think you can look at the individual parts and see how much energy they drain/create. At least I know you can if you try to install/craft them. The the lights, like anything will use SOME power, even if its not much but just the overheads shouldn’t draw anywhere near what the alternator creates with motor on.

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**Author:** ![jcd](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/jcd/32/338_2.png) [@jcd](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/jcd)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2016, 8:39am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/5 "2016-02-25T08:39:08Z")

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make sure that the cars battery and/or alternator is not badly damaged (red condition).  
If they are, the battery leaks and the alternator should be generating quite less power than it should

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**Author:** ![Litppunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/litppunk/32/409_2.png) [@Litppunk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Litppunk)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/6 "2016-02-26T02:30:59Z")

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^ yea unless that. Its fairly rare to find a vehichle without at least 1 issue that keeps it from being drive-able.

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**Author:** ![BeerBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@BeerBeer](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/BeerBeer)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/7 "2016-02-26T03:47:14Z")

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You can reload car batteries…

- With normal batteries (the type that flashlights use). Don’t ask why. Just have batteries in inventory, 'e’xamine car, browse to the car battery tile, hit ‘f’ for ‘refill’.
- With jumper cables and a car with a better battery charge. Just like in real life, I don’t know how to use jumper cables in CDDA. Life imitates art, and vice versa.
- By letting the engine run. Again, battery and alternator should be in green condition.
- By attaching solar panels on the car.

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**Author:** ![John\_Candlebury](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/john_candlebury/32/6437_2.png) [@John\_Candlebury](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/John_Candlebury)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/8 "2016-02-26T03:57:39Z")

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> [@BeerBeer](#):
>
> - With jumper cables and a car with a better battery charge. Just like in real life, I don’t know how to use jumper cables in CDDA. Life imitates art, and vice versa.

Its rather easy, you just hook the cars together and then turn on the car that you don’t want to charge.

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**Author:** ![Litppunk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/litppunk/32/409_2.png) [@Litppunk](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Litppunk)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 6:56am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/recharge-regular-car-batteries/11463/9 "2016-02-26T06:56:50Z")

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or if one battery has sufficient charge that you are not worried about it becoming dead (just want the dead battery to have enough charge to start car for example, instead of charging a battery that is actively running things) just hook em together.