How charged does a car battery need to be to start?

[darxus]

Dead battery, 38 amp hours, 0.8 amp charger = 47.5 hours to fully charge. Will I be able to drive to work tomorrow? Or will trying just prolong the process? 2007 Accord. I left the interior light on over the weekend.

Comments

[volta]

The math is actually a bit worse, as the charger is not 100% efficient. That said, you will likely have enough charge in the battery in a few hours (3-6) to run the starter, unless you really killed the battery to the point of needing replacement. Overnight should be more than enough.