Can i charge the battery like i would my car battery? it is my mom's & she did not start it once a month so it is dead. Don't want to mess it up, so wanting to make sure can charge battery with battery charger as i would a car. It is an 8500iE generator 12v-35Ah. Thnak you

Seems you have a dead battery. Could be anything related to the charging system (alternator, control, wiring) or the battery itself. It takes a methodic process of testing to determine the cause(s).

Start by having battery tested and charged. If the battery checks ok and holds a charge then "likely" the problem is with the charging system, but it's a multistep process of elimination and very few parts store do a complete full load battery test.

If the battery test fails then you'll need to replace the battery and then promptly have the charging system tested to verify its working or you'll have another dead battery.

Once the battery and charging system has been verified functional you need to have a parasitic current test done. Excessive parasitic draw can ruin a new battery in a few months depending on your driving habits. Is this a daily driver or every other week or longer?

Is the battery fully charged??

First use a battery charger to charge the battery, instead of a jump start. Second, with a complete dead battery you may want to pull the connection for the horn under the hood till the battery is completely charged.

Most likely you battery is dead. Take it in and have it tested. Most auto parts stores and Walmart will test it for free. After you replace the battery, you will want to buy a trickle charger and give it an overnight charge once a month. You can get them for about $20 if you shop around. If your battery checks out then it could be you alternator.

if problem is a parasite drain the following links will help
How to Find Parasitic Battery Drain How To Perform Parasitic Draw Test EricTheCarGuy How to do Parasitic Battery Drain Test

I'm gonna give you 2 possible solutions,since you didn't specify if it clicks once when turned to start,or clicks repeatedly.If it clicks once,and the dash lights don't flicker,it's probably an issue with the starter(dead winding or solenoid contacts worn).If it clicks repeatedly when turned to start,then the battery is low on charge or has a bad cell.If you're messing with the battery cables,make sure you clean any green corrosion off of the cxables at the battery(because of GM's side post design,the corrosion is hidden and often forgotten).I have actually have seen corrosion between the battery and cable mimic a dead battery.If you do find a lot of corrosion,clean it up and try charging the battery on 10 amps charge overnight.

3 possibilities are:

• Dead cell in battery; a battery with a dead cell won't accept a charge from the alternator
• Bad alternator; if the car will run on it's own without stalling, the alternator is probably still good; if the car stalls you may have alternator problems
• Bad starter; (assuming you've ruled out alternator problems) a bad starter will start when the car is cold; once warm, it requires more power to engage than the battery has therefore, it needs a jump start

I'd advise bringing the car to a shop (most autoparts chains will do a free electrical system check) and have the electrical system checked.

You may have a light that stays on of a very minor short. You have to put an amp meter on the battery cable and then start pulling fuses until it reads no draw.

It can be a real pain to troubleshoot. Or use a battery keeper to maintain charge when you are not using it.

theres a draw somewhere. these are sometimes hard to pinpoint.start by checking that all lights turn off,glovebox underhood light all lights,you will need a meter to meter the draw amps, then with key off doors closed look at the draw amount,.02 to.03 is allowable, start removing fuses and watch if amps drop,one fuse at atime, start with this to try and pin down a location of the draw.hope this helps.

Check the alternator to see if it is charging.The car might be drawing the battery down.