Can You Use a Marine Battery in a Car?

Marine or boat batteries are powerful batteries that outburst high power to meet the marine demand. However, marine and car batteries share several similarities, such as marine cranking amps (MCA), cold cranking amps (CCA), size, capacity, battery terminals, chemistry, weight, and voltage. This prompts many folks to ask, can you use a marine battery in a car?

This article will compare a marine battery vs. car battery side by side and explain whether or not you can use a marine battery on a car. I’ll start by explaining what marine and car batteries are. By the end, you can be able to tell the consequences of using a marine battery in a car.

can you use a marine/rv battery in a car

What is Marine Battery and its applications?

Marine batteries, also known as boat batteries, are deep-cycle batteries designed to be used in a wet environment. Manufacturers engineered them with stronger grinds and thicker plates than the regular car battery to withstand the bobbing and vibrations that occur in wet environments. Marine batteries are also strong enough to withstand regular discharge and recharge.

They are designed to work in extreme temperatures, not just cold but both hot and cold temperatures. The manufacturers also produced them with more cranking amps, meaning they have more power to handle the marine starter motor.

In some cases, marine batteries are considered hybrid batteries. C’mon boy, not the type of batteries found on hybrid cars. Marine or boat batteries are called hybrid batteries because they can be used as an in-house battery or used in a boat to power up the engine.

Marine Battery Vs. Deep cycle, what’s the difference? A marine battery lies between a starting battery and a deep-cycle battery. Though, some marine batteries are true deep-cycle batteries.

Since marine or boat batteries provide sustainable energy, they are used in applications that require more power than what a regular car battery can handle. Some of its applications include;

  • Off-grid renewable energy
  • Golf carts
  • Material handling, such as forklift
  • Recreational vehicles
  • Marine or Boat use.

So, can you use a marine battery in a golf cart, should no more be your question as you now know the answer? Marine batteries are used in golf carts.

Can You Use a Marine Battery in a car?

Whether or not you can use a marine battery on your car depends on several factors, such as why you want to use it and the intended period. If you wish to jumpstart your car with a marine battery, go ahead and do it. It’ll provide enough cranking power to start up your car engine.

But don’t ignore the voltage. If the marine battery is 12 volts, you can install it in your car. It’ll be both a deep cycle and a starter battery.

Aside from the voltage, look at the size of the marine battery. When considering a boat battery on your car, look at the sizes and designs of the target battery. This includes where the battery terminals face. Are they the same as your regular car battery?

Remember I said earlier that marine batteries are hybrid batteries that serve as deep-cycle and starter batteries. Cars don’t necessarily need the deep cycle power from a marine battery. They only need starter power to function correctly. And that’s what the normal car battery is designed for. But do marine batteries work in cars?

All things considered, marine batteries are not recommended to run in cars for an extended period. Using marine batteries on a car will likely reduce the lifespan of your car’s electrical systems and shorten the battery’s shelf life.

While marine batteries are built with strong grinds and thicker plates, which help them provide better power, they are not designed for cars.

What is a car battery and its Purpose?

A car battery is a rectangular black box under the hood with two terminals sticking out. Car batteries are designed to supply the electric voltage needed to start the car. Once the vehicle starts, the battery will stay under the hood and let the alternator recharge it so it can start the car next time.

Because of this primary function, car batteries are often starter batteries. However, car batteries are not only used when starting up the car. They are used to power car lights, headlights, brakes, dome, map, and dashboard lights. The car battery is used to power the lights, headlights, brake, dome, map, and dashboard lights.

Marine Battery
Images Credit: amazon.com

What is the difference between a car battery and a marine battery?

Now that I have explained what marine and car batteries are let’s place them side by side and see their differences.

Battery type

Car batteries are starter batteries, while marine batteries are deep-cycle batteries.

Starter batteries are built to outburst enough electric voltage to start the car. They are made with thinner lead plates and smaller grinds that are best for providing large amounts of power over a short period.

On the other hand, marine batteries are made with stronger grinds and thicker lead plates that can withstand being discharged and recharged regularly.

Simply put, the major difference between a marine battery and a car battery is that marine batteries are built with thicker lead plates and stronger grinds that help them provide more power and can withstand discharge and recharge on a regular basis.

Durability

Marine batteries are designed to last longer than car batteries because they are built with thicker lead plates and can withstand regular discharge and recharge.

Size

Marine batteries are larger and taller than car batteries. This is because they have more cells needed to store more energy.

Cranking amps ratings

Marine and car batteries are measured in different cranking amps ratings. In the automobile context, battery CA ratings are measured in cold cranking amps (CCA), while marine applications are measured in marine cranking amps (MCA). Both car and marine cranking amp ratings have similar names.

The CCA is used to measure the amount of amps a car battery can produce in extreme cold weather conditions. Marine crank amps are rated at 32 degrees Fahrenheit while car cold cranking amps are rated at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The ratings are done with different temperatures since the appropriate operational temperature for cars and marines differs.

So, even if you want to use a marine battery for your car, it’s essential to find a marine battery that has the right MCA necessary to meet your land driving temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are marine batteries stronger than car batteries?

While each battery is designed for a different purpose and environment, you can still determine which is stronger than the other.

Car batteries are designed to generate a large electric voltage for a quick and strong startup. In contrast, marine batteries are built with more substantial materials for bobbing and vibrations that happen underwater. They are 15% more resistant to rough environments due to the more substantial materials used in production.

Can a car alternator charge a marine battery?

Can you charge a marine battery with a car? Your car alternator can charge a marine battery. The time needed to charge the battery fully will depend on the battery cells and power. However, charging a marine battery with your car is not advisable.

Do marine batteries last longer than regular batteries?

Marine batteries last longer than regular car batteries due to the more substantial materials used in producing them. Car batteries last for 2 to 4 years, while marine batteries last for 4 to 7 years on average. Some high-end marine batteries can last up to 10 years.

How long does it take for an alternator to charge a marine battery?

Can you charge a marine battery with a car? The short answer is yes. However, how long it takes for an alternator to charge a marine battery depends on several factors, like the battery capacity, state of charge, battery type, load on the battery, and the alternator output.

Considering all these factors, it’ll take an average of 4 to 6 hours to charge an 80% depleted marine battery to a 100% or reasonable charge.

Is it OK to trickle charge a marine battery?

It is okay to charge your marine battery with a trickle charger. Though it will take longer to fully charge a marine battery with a trickle charger, it will prevent overheating and any damage in the short and long run because the energy flow into the battery during the charging process is quite slow.

Can I use a marine battery to jumpstart my car?

Using a marine battery to jumpstart your car will give it sufficient power to start the vehicle. But before jumpstarting a car with a marine battery, look at the battery voltage. If it is a 12-volt, you can use it to start the vehicle. But if it is a 24 volts battery, do not use it or you will run the risk of damaging your car’s electrical components.

Final Words

If you have been reading to this point, you must have had all your answers to, can you use a marine battery in a car? Several factors determine whether or not to use a marine battery in the car. The first factor to consider is your intent. If you want to use it to jumpstart your car for that early morning drive, it’s fine to do so. 

But replacing your regular car battery with a marine is not advisable. Using a marine battery on a car for an extended period will shorten the battery lifespan and may cause damage to the car’s electrical system.

Osuagwu Solomon

Osuagwu Solomon is a certified mechanic with over a decade of experience in the mechanic garage, and he has over five years of experience in the writing industry. He started writing automotive articles to share his garage experience with car enthusiasts and armature mechanics. If he is not in the garage fixing challenging mechanical problems, he is writing automotive repair guides, buyer’s guides, and car and tools comparisons.

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