Reconditioning a car battery at home is a DIY process that restores worn-out batteries to their former performance using simple steps. To begin, clean the corrosion, check the battery’s voltage, remove the acid, clean the battery, apply the electrolyte solution, and recharge the battery.
To recondition a battery, you need to clean the terminals, check the voltage, replace the old electrolyte solution, and recharge it with just a few tools and basic elbow grease. Test the battery to ensure it will respond properly to the reconditioning process. Lead-acid batteries are specific to this guide.
To successfully recondition a car battery at home, you will need a few supplies, a couple of tools, and good old-fashioned elbow grease. A checklist of everything you will need includes safety, measuring battery voltage, inspecting the cells, adding water, turning on your PSU, testing the battery, and creating a cleaning solution.
Connect the battery to a trickle charger or charger designed for recharging old batteries. Charge at 1-2 amps for maximum charge retention. The process involves cleaning the battery cells, fully charging and discharging the battery, and finally, recharging it to its original capacity.
To make the cleaning solution, mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 spoon of water until it transforms into a fine paste. Rub the solution onto the battery with a toothbrush and charge the battery slowly to recover capacity. With some effort, you can get a 100 functional battery.
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How do you bring a battery back to life?
To clean a battery, mix baking soda and distilled water, pour it into the cells, shake them, and then empty the solution into a clean bucket. Prepare an electrolyte solution by mixing Epsom salt and boiling distilled water, pour it into the cells, fill them completely, and close the lids. This will increase the voltage and amps needed by your car. Use a car battery charger, affix the correct terminals between the devices, and leave it on a slow charge for over a day. If dead batteries cause breakdowns, storing a device like a car battery charger portable power pack can be helpful.
Can you bring a bad battery back to life?
The premature deterioration of a battery can be attributed to a number of factors, including inadequate maintenance, the occurrence of excessive deep cycles, the tendency to overcharge the battery, and the incidence of excessive deep discharging. Adherence to the manufacturer’s recommended care and maintenance procedures is essential for ensuring the optimal lifespan and performance of any battery.
Can you recondition a completely dead battery?
The recovery of sulfated batteries can be achieved through the implementation of appropriate pulse charging techniques. However, Wehmeyer cautions that the multitude of techniques employed by diverse equipment may impede the complete recharge of the battery to its optimal capacity.
How do you regenerate old batteries?
This guide outlines the process of reviving old lead acid batteries. It includes steps to measure battery voltage, inspect cells, add water, turn on a power source, and test the battery. It also mentions that if the batteries are not used, they should be charged before use and recharged every three months. The guide also mentions that this method can be applied to maintenance free, sealed, and sealed lead acid batteries, with the latter having hidden caps.
Can I bring a battery back to life?
In order to recover a sulfated battery, it is recommended that a long, slow charge be used in order to save money. In the event that a battery charger is equipped with a reconditioning or equalizing charge mode, this may prove to be the optimal solution.
How long do you leave a battery on recondition mode?
The reconditioning process has been observed to take up to 24 hours, during which approximately four hours of battery redundancy is lost.
How do you fix a dead battery by yourself?
To jumpstart a car, start by turning it off, identifying the battery terminals and clamps, connecting them to the car’s battery, and then turning on the portable jump starter. This process is facilitated by Tim Miller, an auto mechanic and Editor-in-Chief of OBD Advisor, who shares his expertise on car repair, parts, and tool reviews on his website. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
How to recondition a 12V battery?
To recharge a dead battery in a car, place the charger as far away from the battery as possible and connect it at a speed of 12V / 2 amps. Allow the battery to recharge for 36 hours. All cars need a battery, whether they have internal combustion engines, hybrids, or electrics. Hybrids use larger batteries to power a small electric motor, while plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles have larger Li-ion battery packs for pure electric driving range.
When a 12-volt lead-acid battery goes dead, a jumpstart or battery recharge is the obvious solution. Traditional batteries can be replaced easily, but it may be costly to replace them every time. Instead, recharge the battery to full strength several times and do so several times. This will help prevent the battery from dying and ensure the car starts properly.
How can I recondition my old battery at home?
Solution 5 involves a time-consuming process of charging a laptop battery until it is 100 full, then charging it until it is almost empty. Repeat this process several times until a reconditioned battery is obtained.
Solution 6 is simpler and requires a removable battery. Plug in the laptop, charge it, and remove the battery when fully charged. This method is not effective without a battery, but it can extend battery life if possible. This is because the chemical process in the battery is stopped and reset, resulting in better charging and longer battery life.
Is there a way to make old batteries work again?
In order to recharge batteries that have been previously discharged, it is recommended that they be connected to a trickle charger or a charger that has been specifically designed for this purpose. The batteries should be charged at a rate of 1-2 amps in order to ensure the maximum retention of charge.
How do you revive a dead battery at home?
To revive a low electrolyte level in a car battery, use Epsom Salt Solution, a stronger acid with various hydrates, to create an electrolyte solution. Dissolve 1 part Epsom salt with 3 parts warm, distilled water and add to each cell until the plates are covered by ¼ to ½ electrolyte solution.
For the hard hand cranking method, jack up the rear wheel drive, secure the front wheels, and put the vehicle in fifth gear while the ignition is on. Wrap a rope around the drive tyre to spin the wheel in the normal direction of its rotation, then pull hard to turn the engine over and start the motor.
For the chainsaw method, use a chainsaw to drive the alternator and charge the battery. Remove the chain, blade, and spoked drive sprocket from the chainsaw to make it look like a pulley, then remove the drive belts from the alternator and use the belt to connect the chainsaw drive spindle and alternator drive pulley.
In summary, using Epsom Salt Solution, the hard hand cranking method, or the chainsaw method can help revive a low electrolyte level in a car battery.
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The method is quite sound. I’m in my 60’s. When I first started driving, a full service Gas Station would not only fill your tank, but also wash your windshield, air your tires, check Oil, Brake Fluid, Trans Fluid and best of all, your battery water level. Batteries lasted the life of the car. Better stations would give the battery a soda bath before checking. (Soda bath is 2 tablespoons of Baking Soda dissolved in 1 gal of water. This is poured over the entire top and down the sides of the battery. It neutralizes the acid that develops as the battery is used. The top of the battery is wiped dry, to ensure none of the soda bath enters the battery when the fill caps are removed.)
This worked 💯 percent top off with distilled water charge at two hundred amps for 15 minutes then let it sit and cool for an hour repeat that cycle several times took my 10 v battery back to a 12-volt battery my only advice would be to turn off battery charger instead of disconnecting terminals cuz the Sparks can and will ignite the hydrogen fumes splashing acid into your eyes so was my personal experience on the third cycle so highly recommend taking advice and not getting acid into your eyes
Great article. When I was a young kid, I had a scrap hauling business. An old farmer neighbor showed me how to do this with older batteries that I would take out of old cars that I would scrap. I had a pallet full and one day he asked me what I was doing with them. I told him that I was making a full pallet to take to the scrap yard to recycle and get money for each pound. He said to forget about that, because he could show me how to make them work again and sell them as working batteries and make more money. He said as long as the casing wasn’t cracked or the posts weren’t broken, it would work. He did tell me to only use distilled water, like you mentioned. However, I didn’t hear you say anything about the fumes and making sure that all of the caps were removed and water was inside the cells Before heating them up. Also, the fumes and being in a well ventilated area is a major safety factor.
I had several batteries that were weak (ie would not start my diesel tractor even after charging). I tried your method and it worked like a champ. I had another battery that was completely toast (after charging with my “smart” charger, it wouldn’t get more than 2 volts). I though it was worth a try. I have cycled it 4 times and now it is up to 12 volts. I think that I will probably cycle it at least 3 more times, but I am sure that it will be good as new. Thanks for the article. It really works.
I used to work at Costco Tire Center and we also sold batteries. By the end of the week we’d have a pallet of old used batteries, we’d shrink wrap the lot and this guy would pick up every week. He said he refurbished batteries and makes a pretty penny. I never knew it was this easy to do this. Outstanding article Karl thank you man
The bubbling is the gassing phase. This is when the battery is producing hydrogen gas and is at least 80% charged. It’s in its most fragile state at this point and there is a risk of losing active material on the plates, but since you’re desulfating a battery that most people would scrap, your 15 min cycles at 200 amps shouldn’t cause much if any. You’ll begin to see cloudy and dark electrolyte when the active material begins to shed. Good article and good tips 👍
I remember 20 years ago in Athens, Alabama a man with a small farming tractor emptied out all the water out of his battery added a cup of sulfuric acid and the rest distilled water. ( I honestly do not remember the parts of water to powdered sulfuric acid) Poured it in the battery and charged it. It probably cost him not even a dollar back then and he had a new battery. Absolutely crazy what companies are charging us for simple batteries. Thanks for the article! :goodvibes:
The Schumacher SC1309 does a decent job but is a pain to get there. As mentioned here many times, the ‘smart’ modes in the chargers help from battery damage, but they time out. The SC1309 will give 10 minutes of high power on the 40 Amp/Boost mode, and this is the best mode if the battery holds a good charge and you’re trying to clean the plates. Basically i would have to press the Start/Stop button twice every 10 minutes (the charge would drop down to ~13.5V then go up to ~15.5V). (Luckily the charger didn’t break after doing this 30 times or so, and i was within warranty period). After 30 minutes of high power charging, I would give it the hour break. I did this on 4 batteries. The 200 Amp mode will only charge with high power if the voltage is low (<11V), therefore i didn't have success over charging a battery with 12.5V. It will only give high power for a few minutes, so not long enough to start boiling the water. Hope all this trial and error helps someone.
Just saw this and looking to try it on my deep cycle battery group (8 in all) as they are 3 yrs. old and not performing well. Question is if I don’t have the $400+ charger or an arc welder are there any other options for me? I have a 30/90 amp Dewalt charger. Would that work but just leave it on longer. I also noticed on that model it only allows me to be in start mode for 60 sec. Finally it has a Recondition mode. Does that do anything? Thanks again.
Hey SPC, thanks for the vid! I’ve been perusal you for quite some time now and have bought/used many of the products you suggest with really good results. Thank You! This one has me stumped, however! I bought the Associated Equipment battery charger you show as “best”. I got it literally just before my battery failed in my truck. I just completed the “15 minutes on and 1 hour off” sequence – 5 times. But, I still have one cell that is not responding – nothing. All of the others are actively boiling. Suggestions??? Thanks!!!
There was a battery manufacturer in Sydney Australia (Besco) that used fibreglass envelope style separators for the plates. The lead sediment was contained and never shortened a cell. Those batteries lasted for many years. I have also found the batteries that last have room for cells to expand as they age.
UPDATE My diesel truck has two 12 volt batteries. I tried the 200 amp setting on the first one. It boiled the battery for seconds, then cycled off for a couple minutes. I tried multiple times with same results. I gave up and switched to the 12 volt HI setting and it boiled the battery vigorously. So I used the SPC method over a couple days. Resting the battery for several hours each time. Probably 10 cycles over all and it worked. Battery restored to like new. With the remaining battery, I started off with the 12 HI setting since I knew the 200 amp setting wasn’t working, and it wouldn’t boil the battery. I tried multiple times same result. So I switched to 200 amp setting and it boiled for a few seconds and cycled. I switched it back to 12 volt HI and low and behold it now boiled vigorously. I continued on with the same process as described above for many cycles and long rest periods. This battery is now testing like new. These are 4 year old batteries in Arizona desert heat. Thanks SPC for showing us the technique.
I used to work in an auto parts store. I would buy cores for 15 bucks and everybody thought I was crazy for not buying new batteries. meanwhile I have a like new battery in all 5 of the cars, atv’s and the tractor. that would have cost about 700 bucks!! I did it for 75 bucks. thing is, you do have to use and old school non digital charger cause the new solid state ones suck due to the industry not wanting you to be able to do this, since they lose money.
This is a really practical and money saving article regarding automobiles. Thank you for the article and knowledge. If you have patience a few tools (including sometimes needing to be able to solder) Alternators too can be easily fixed. As 90% of all alternators fail due to faulty brushes. Which is a $5-10 part.
I did it with the blue charger like yours. 200 start position, on my two batteries in my 2017 F250 diesel. It took a couple seconds for all of the cells to really start boiling. So I figured my batteries must not be that bad. So I did this for about 20 seconds on 20 seconds off, 3 times on each battery. I mean, the batteries seemed perfectly fine before, but since they’re 6 years old, I figured I’d top the water off and try rejuvenating them. Do I need to rejuvenate them longer, even though they were aggressively bubbling equally in every cell? Thanks
I used to charge batteries as a Navy electrician on an old diesel-electric submarine… 504 batteries at once – each one was about 14″ X 14″ and about 4 feet tall… weight of each battery was 1,000 lbs or so. Trickle charge, deep charge, equalizing charges… good times! Great article! by the way, the bubbles are hydrogen.
Hello there I went out and bought a 200 amp battery charger today to try to wake up my semi batteries that I have they were pretty drained added the water did the 15 minute charge. When hour break five times did not get the bubbling like you showed finally had to quit. I have to go to work tomorrow but was wondering about how many times on semi batteries would you have to do this process and is it safe since I’ve already did it five times this next weekend to keep doing it until it starts bubbling like you showed. Thank you for all you do I really do hope you get back with me.
Fixed my girlfriends battery last night following this method, battery was around 8v, when you tried to crank the cars starter obviously didnt engage and dash goes off (lacking amps and voltage), unfortunately i did not have my load tester available for before and after comparisons. She didnt believe me it could be fixed and was willing to pay 100$ for a replacement. This morning she has gone to work in her own car now and no longer needs to use mine, which i am happy about – battery at 12.8v now even after sitting off charge over night. Thanks mate.
OK. Have looked at several ways to fix a battery and this one definitely works! I can get free batteries from our local junkyard where I live in Alaska. I am trying to get enough deep cell batteries to use in case our power goes out since it is locally generated. So far I have done 8 that tested bad under load. All I did was what is said in the article. Don’t recommend filling up the water completely until your done because it does book out. Check your batteries every time after you do this because some don’t require five times. With the exception of one all have been rejuvenated. The one that did not I am still working on. I am on around the 10th cycle. Only doing it because it seemed to gain a little every time I checked it. It slowly charged to a little at a time to 12 volts. The first several times I checked it it would not hold a load. I just checked it and it is at 12 volts and still reads weak but it actually holds that reading. I am so confident it will eventually read good. I have also done 4 car batteries that checked bad and are now good and hold a load. Thank you for this. The best and easiest article on battery repqair.
100% works. Some batteries may take way longer than others. I’m doing a 12 volt 200 amp hour battery right now for a semi truck. So far has taking me 10 tries with the 15 minutes on 1 hour off. I’m starting to bubble in all cells. Definitely need patience but works. The battery has been sitting for 2 years dead outside
If I remember back to my science school days, (many years ago) at some point the far distant future, the electrons in the acid will become UN-revivable. That is when you dump out the acid (after charging as best as possible) and replace it with new sulfuric acid and voila, a new battery. Maybe that idea no longer applies with this great method, but who knows, it might. Great article. Thank you. I saw the one with the stick welder too. Awesome.
I wish I had seen this article before I bought a new diehard gold. I can’t wait to use this method on my two cars ( 1968 Dodge Polara 318 ci and 1966 Dodge Dart 225 ci slant six) both cars have fairly new diehard gold batteries (3 to 4 years old). They are in Florida sitting since I came to S.C. for Christmas 2019 and have been here because of COVID-19 and other reasons. When I finally get back to Fl I will give your method a shot and leave more comments. Also the 1966 Dodge Dart had a diehard gold that was over 11 years old when I replaced it.Wish I still had it that would have been a good test subject.
20+ years ago I worked for a company that rented trucks and trailers for “you to haul” your own crap around the country/city…. the reginal mechanics shop was located at my store. They had a room aprox 14×30 with a row of chargers like those (I remember the LOUD “Hum” from that room and the smell), several racks of batteries and a large bank of trickle chargers. There where 2 mechanics that ran the room, they ALWAYS had holey shirts and pants… Things starting to line up.
I have a Interstate workaholic battery in my international tractor for 21 years now and the 2 original batteries in my 2007 silverado duramax for 13 yrs. My secret is I keep a 1amp trickle charger on both vehicles 24/7. The only time I take the chargers off is when I’m actually using the tractor or truck.
Dude! Okay, I feel like an idiot for not delving into this earlier in my my life as I’m old enough to remember “topping off” batteries with distilled water. However, I didn’t know about the reconditioning aspect so better late than never, and I’m going to go give it a go on my John Deere tractor/mower battery that crapped out. I have discovered as a newbie in Arizona that the heat kills pretty much everything which is logical when you think about it, but hey, live and learn. I’ll report back in a couple days to probably say the same thing everyone else is saying in response to your article. Thank you for putting your knowledge out there and also adding improvements as you go. I’m excited to try this out and by the way, I’m a woman and like to challenge myself with these types of things and learn how to help myself and not expect others to do it for me or pay greedy manufacturers to sell me something I don’t need. God bless you!
I’m 40 and can remember my dad topping off batteries with distilled water and doing something to bring really old batteries back to life…. I think it was this process. He’s getting up in age now and his mind isn’t what it once was so i don’t bother asking mechanical questions anymore. Thank you for the information, I’ve got a dead battery in my truck right now and live pretty far from civilization to aquire a new one without paying an arm and a leg ($300+ for a group 78 is outrageously high priced)
So, I have a question… at the 5:27 mark in this article, you mention that this battery is completely dead and ready to begin this process. So my question is this. Does the battery need to be completely dead before beginning this process, or can the battery be at normal charge? Please clarify. Thank you.
I don’t have a 200 amp charger to try this out. They start at $175 which is more than I pay for batteries with 7 year warranty from a farm implement store. Those seven year batteries last 8-9 years. When they are about six years old and winter is coming on, I buy a new one for my Jeep and put that six year old in one of my several John Deere machines. I trade in the oldest one for the new battery. Starting about 25 years ago I bought the seven year batteries and some have lasted 10 years. None have died before the 9 year mark. That is so nice, I remember years ago the best battery was a five year warranty and they barely made it, sometimes died at 4 and a half. Now, the batteries are way better. I hate to spend that much on a charger when I don’t need the 200 amp style. My 20 amp charger does a fine job if I happen to leave lights on or when the JD quit charging its battery. I bought a GOOLOO device in case someone needs a jump. That way I’m not risking my Jeep charging system. Maybe I’ll give this a try, I have two batteries in the John Deeres that are approaching the nine year marks. I’ll make this article a favorite and if I spring for the 200 amp job, I’ll try to remember to come back and share if it worked for me. One important thing you didn’t mention was, hold long will the battery be functional after you get it the treatment?
If you never allow the battery to go below 50% charge (~12.35 volts) it will last much longer. Topping it off with distilled water is also a good idea but don’t overfill it and make a mess. water level just has to be above the top of the plate stack. Some batteries have “dropped” a cell when drained down only once and others don’t seem to mind as much. But amp-hr capacity is lost with just one draining.
Thanks for the article.. Very informative. I recently have been looking at prolonging battery life. I started with protecting the battery from engine heat and been trickle charging the batteries weekly. I had come across people topping up maintenance free batteries and you have taken it a step further. I would consider doing something similar but the maintenance free batteries we get dont have any stickers or plastic cover you can remove to access the individual cells. You would effectively have to dig out the plastic at the top and drill holes to access the cells. At that point i stopped looking as it was a lot of work just to add water to get maybe another 6 months. Now seeing the comments about how much longer people get, i will have to rethink and see if i can find a maintenance free battery that has access to the cells and do the recharge that you have shown.
I rewatched the article. So, this method has a fifteen year payback. Just bought a new battery for the car after five years. It was half the cost of the charger. You would have to go through two bateries (ten years) to break even, then another five years for it to pay back the cost of the charger and that doesn’t factor in the electricity. 😂
I followed this precisely. I had a cell short out after the 2nd 15 minute 200 amp cycle. Not sure why it did, but it didn’t work on my battery. I had nothing to lose as the battery was showing 6.5 volts at the start. I tested it after the 2nd cycle and it was up to 12.7V. Any ideas on why it would short out after 2 cycles? I’ll try this again on other batteries that I don’t have anything to lose on them. Lol.
I’ll be trying this out in the near future with high hopes. I plan to build a battery bank to power my house out of scrapyard junker car batteries. With this method I hope to revive them, then with a windmill or two that I’ve built, I’ll be able to charge the bank and then offset a ton of electricity bill expenses👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Do you have to add the distilled water to it, or drain the old water out and put in fresh distilledwater, or whatever kind of water you said ? ? Thanks for the info ! Well, no one is answering the question, just thumbs up . I’m going to assume drain the old water, add new, start the process 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
Hi 👋 @sweetprojectcars ! One question, the us20 charger on 200amp will it hang on 15min or will just boost the battery for a couple of seconds and shut down ( due to timer or thermal protect)? There others like Nielsen CT3393, will this one do the procedure ? My battery is a German brand Varta F18 that died due to no running the car enough.
Great article, I don’t have that charger but I’ve learned you can use a welder to do the same thing. Yeah you hook the ground to the ground and the stringer( make sure it’s electrode positive) to the positive. Turn up the amps. My welder’s is 140 amps DC. This should be interesting I’m going to try it on an old lawn mower battery that’s been dead for years.
I have six Trojan batteries in my golf cart that have been there for approximately 4 years and the current state of the batteries is fading fast. I struggled to climb inclines and the charge dissipates rapidly. I certainly presume this will cure that, and if so how long will the cure last? Will they go another full lifespan or is this strictly a temporary gesture for let’s say several months and then the charge will begin to fade quickly as it is now?
First time I’ve seen your website…Great article!! Should this be done as routine maintenance every couple of years, or should we wait until the battery shows signs of failing? It gets nasty cold here in the winter, so I’m hoping the idea is to do this as regular maintenance when it’s nice outside….and not wait for Ma Nature to turn off the heat!! Keep up the good work.
Worked like a charm on my 2 year old trolling motor battery, it had no power, two cells were bad, an 845 MCA battery produced only 498 MCA. Tested with an Ancel BST200 battery load tester before and after. Here are the results before and after. I used a Speedway Model 7216 200 amp manual charger that I picked up on EBay 7 days ago for $140. Thanks and God Bless. Battery\tEverstart Maxx 29DC Marine deep cycle Before After \t\t Volts\t\t 12.65\t\t 12.86 Measure Amps\t\t 498\t\t 871 Rated Amps\t\t 845\t\t 845 RES (Resistance in mili-ohms, \t\t 8.1\t\t 4.71 .5 to .7 is normal)
I have a 2003 S10 extreme that has not been driven in the winter time,as I’m from Michigan. It was outside until 2017 in winter, at first I would start it on the coldest day and it always started. There was some years I wouldn’t start it at all in winter, and it would always start in the spring like new. Never had a problem with the battery, still starts like new. I contribute it to the insulated battery cover that encased the whole battery. The battery is 20 years old and still starts like new, never ever had to put a charger on it. But I’m glad I came across your website. Now I know what to do with it if it ever goes bad. Thanks very much for the information on how to rejuvenate batteries.👍
watched lots of articles, THIS is by far the best, best explained and it made absolutely sense. Now i have to find a 200Amp Charger here in Thailand. Cheers to Michigan ….it says Michigan on Top… been there only once for a couple of month for the AutoShow and i loved the City and its Detroits ppl. no Snobs, just real humans – workers!
Hey! I’m trying this right now on two batteries with 650 cca and 780 ca. These two batteries are used on a Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax 6.6 liter diesel. They both started at like 0.01 volts. After round 1 each was about 8 V, Round 2 just over 10V so it is increasing but I noticed the voltage is now slowly dropping, seems to have stabilized about 9 V. So far no boiling/bubbling. Round 3 thru 5 same story. Ok so just completed round 6 and they are finally just starting to bubble!
Thanks for the great article, VERY informative! A question, when do you top the battery with Distilled Water? Before or after or just check once a year and top it off when needed? BTW: The Charger you suggested is ~$450!! Since I’m not a business, as long as it that that one feature (200A start mode) it will work just fine? BTW2: I see a LOT of people suggest using epsom salt to help re-condition/repair/fix a 12v battery, what is your take on it, use or no? Thanks again!
Thanks for an awesome article!!! I wish this was up a month ago. I had a 5 year old Sears Gold Die Hard Battery and my son left the ignition on for about 45 minutes and the battery wouldn’t start the car. So figuring you only get 5 years out of a battery and with winter at the doorsteps I bought a new battery. Would this method bring it back to full cold cranking amperage of a new battery?
Sir, I know this article is 3 years old, but I had to comment. I did exactly what you instructed in your article, and it worked perfectly!!! My truck starts like a brand new battery was dropped in!!! The battery in my truck died today. With the battery prices the way they are this purchase I was about to do today would have killed my budget for the month. I cannot thank you enough. I do have a quick question. Would this also work on Marine Deep Cycle Battery? How about a lawn mower battery? If there is any variation in the technique could you please share? Once again Thank you, you got a new Sub and a like.
Hi Sweet Project team. Whats the difference btw the charger you’ve recommended and normal chargers? The charger description states its a 40Amp charger with/and also has a 200Amp cranking assist function for starting dead batteries. Im assuming the recommended charger doesn’t have the smart trickle charger function, so it charges at 40Amp straight hence why you’ve recommended it?
There was an old school battery shop in Fresno that did this . They’d hit it about 500 amps for about 10 minutes (depending on battery size ) and then 20 amps for an hour and then the trickle charger. Old Joe had a heart attack and his family sold it . They just sold new batteries for awhile and now it’s gone .
I use a 10 amp solar panel. Fill the cells with distilled water, hook up the panel, and let it cook. It may take a few days of sun to get it done, but it’s a very easy way to do this. Just be sure to check the cells a few times and keep them filled. This long slow process will evaporate the water away. Yes, this works perfectly well to rejuvinate tired out car batteries. 10 amps won’t make the battery become over heated. Don’t let the sun hit directly on the batt, that could cause it to get to hot. Shade the battery from direct sun
I just did a very similar process on a 36v 2200ah forklift battery. I was charging at 135a for 10 minutes and let it cool down for 30 minutes. I still have to do a couple more cycles on it but the old forklift is back up and running. The actual forklift tech, said it needed a new $10k battery. Also the battery had a major self discharge issue and after I wiped down the top of the battery with wd40, the problem was gone. If a lead acid battery is kept clean and well watered, it will last a very long time.
I’m so happy to know this procedure now. I’m clear on everything but when you add the distilled water. You did that first but it was to the other battery and it looked like the one you demonstrated on was low on water so I’m not sure if topping off the water is the first step or the last. Thanks for the valuable knowledge
Wow! Incredible, I learned how to do this, when I did my Garage Ops class at College, I have always done this with my own and Hubby’s vehicles. I am shocked that folks don’t know this!! Damn, my Dad wouldn’t have let me have any kind of vehicle, until I was able to take care of it myself!! Thank you for teaching people about this!! 🙋♀️💞AX
Got a interstate battery that i tested firstly and it had 12.4 volts and my battery meter would show 600 cca reading and battery is rated 730 cca battery is from 2018 i’ve charged it 100% and got 640 cca 12.6 volts wondering why it won’t go past this cca rating. Been reading up on what people have found to work so i poured the acid out got some baking soda and clean water boiled it nice and hot put 1.5 cups of baking soda in 1 gallon of water filled the battery up it foamed like crazy for a short while shook the hell out of it dumped it then grabbed the water hose and started cleaning everything out of it lots of junk came out black done this a dozen times still back coming out figured it was good enough then grabbed some distilled water to have a nice clean rinse out got my new battery acid put it in there and put it on the charger and let it boil a couple times and all cells boil instantly then let it charge for 2 hours and check it and guess what it still reads the same 12.4 and got 646 cca guessing thats all i can do about it was thinking about discharging it down to 10 volts and recharging it back up several times to see if that makes any difference. I wonder if its the lead content is what made the loss?
I have a hack to add for you, when using a new fancy charger on a completely flat battery, connect another charged battery in parallel with it then connect and turn on the charger. After a few hours the dead battery will have sufficient voltage for the charger to acknowledge at this point you can disconnect the good battery and leave the charging process to finish. Your welcome. 30 years experience I have.
Thanks for the great explanation and procedure for battery restoration. I always thought it was a crime that a battery cant be serviced since my father told me back in the old days he was able to open up a car battree (that’s how they say it in Baltimore), clean the plates, put it back together and charge em up again! Question though, will this procedure work on batteries that have been dead for years. I’m ready to give it a try!
If I had the tools then I might consider recharging the battery myself or not because the battery charger you recommended is $334.84. The trickle charger is attainable for me at $39.95. Nonetheless thank you very much for sharing your experience. Just last week my Interstate battery MTP 34/78DT went dead. I own a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 VHO and I have had three- Interstate batteries, but I think the original battery was a AC Delco and it lasted 6 1/2 years from when I purchased my truck in July 2005. In my truck’s maintenance records, the first replacement battery I purchased was a Interstate Mega-Tron Plus MTP 34/78DT in January 2012 then in July 2017 that battery went dead, so I purchased another Interstate battery MTP 34/78DT while I was visiting family in Houston, Texas. In July 2019 while residing in northwest Florida that battery went dead, so I received a free new Interstate battery MTP 34/78DT because it was under warranty. All I had to provide was a copy of my purchase receipt and the auto garage shop (Interstate battery dealer) took care of the rest and my new battery arrived within a couple of days with their weekly delivery of batteries.
I bought 300 dollar battery charger. Renaissance battery charger few years back and it brings the volts up to 16 volts and keeps it there for awhile and it kills the battery. I feel like I got ripped off but maybe because I was over charging the batteries.. I’m going to give 15min and 1hr rest a try.. nice article as always..
Actually 2 questions… 1) During the 15 minute 200A cycles do both of these recommended chargers cycle on/off multiple times? 2) Your Schumacher recommended charger is considerably cheaper than the Associated.. What extra value do you feel is brought with the Associated at the considerably higher price? Thanks so much in advance for your reply!
I would be very interested in what the voltage is when the battery is on the 200amp start setting. Unfortunately I don’t have a charger like that, but I have various lab power supplies (including powerfully ones). If you could tell me the max voltage limit on this setting it would be very helpful. Thanks for the article!
All that, without sending you $19.99… Thanks! I’ve thought along this idea many years ago, even using desulfating powders but couldn’t get it to work … Now I know why, my old 1990’s battery charger didn’t go up to 200amp boost setting … Will definately be doing this when it comes to all our marine Batterys . Thanks!
I know this is a four year old article but if anyone can answer this question it would be great. I have a timer plug, not a digital timer but a segmental timer. Each segment is 15 minutes. In theory I could hook up the battery charger to the timer and program the timer with 15 minute bursts followed by one hour rest and just leave it be for 5h 15mins. Is there any reason i cannot do this. Are there any checks you need to make between charging bursts or can i just leave it to do its own thing.
I tried this .first issue battery had sealed cap ..Used a chisel to break it apart.it is glued on solid.. My welder kept overloading and cut out after a few minutes ( cheap 100 amp welder) water diid boil.diid it a few times .Did have charge after but could not use it as cover was damaged and requires special glue..it has to be sealed or else water will evaporate.or spilled when braking.All new batteries are like this.Manufacturers want to sell batteries.
It works fairly well as long as you don’t have a dead cell. Batteries only last 2 years in phoenix and almost always end up getting a dead cell because the heat evaporates all the water and the remaining acid eats the lead. I try to tell ppl to add water once a year. But all these damn companies say “maintenance free” so ppl just throw another $150 away for a new battery. Such a waste. Thank you for your time to make this article
I never remember my parents having to replace the battery in the old trucks and cars, I do remember them adding something to it. Since I’ve been driving and living in Arizona I have replaced a lot of batteries back in the day they were still inexpensive. Today in 2022 the cheapest battery I have bought was an ATV battery for $172 it was an AGM. I need to replace the battery in my fusion and Camaro and each battery is $200 +. This becomes expensive because I have 2 trucks, an SUV, UTV, and 2 cars. I dont mind trying to save an old battery now that there is information available to do such things.
i dont have a 200 amp charger..but the fotovoltaic inverter hits them when sun shines with like 30-40 amps..problem is that after 5 years my 225Ah lead acid batteries are not great and i replaced the acid inside ..but one of them sits at 10.5 v..i ll see if i can find a 200 amp charger. The batteries heat up and also stink ..the sulph ..i guess its alright as long as i keep an eye on the lvl of the acid so it doesnt evaporate..
I found this article most interesting, i think i will try this if I’m in a fix. I live out of town and if I’m stuck i have the five hours needed to try this rather than getting a cab to town to buy a new one. I have the charger with the start capacity. the bastards hide the caps under the label. almost criminal.
Don’t drop or rattle your battery too hard or the lead plates will dislodge and your fucked. You do want to slosh the baking soda/distilled water solution in the battery though, just not crazy hard. You know what I mean? Anyway this method worked fantastic with my battery. It’s only 2 years old, but I don’t use the vehicle very much. I did go to Harbor freight and buy a cheapo $10 trickle charger with the solar panel. I’ve heard good reviews on it, so I’ll have to see. I payed $150+ for the stupid battery a couple years ago and it’s already gone up to almost $200. This is January of 2024.
Use sodium sulfate instead of epsom salt (Much gentler on the electrodes and does not heavily oxidize the positive plates when charging And it’s even more conductive too) And it also has much higher output current than magnesium sulfate. Alum sulfate will also work as well. but its not the best choice. Just add about a tablespoon worth into each cell (Not too much!) This will raise the conductivity of the electrolyte if its weak. and also aid in forming the electrodes gently. re-forming the lead sulfates into lead and lead oxides. without over-oxidizing the positive plate like the magnesium sulfate/espom salt would I have had nothing but bad experience with magnesium sulfate and several tests ive done. it is simply too aggressive and attacks the positive electrode quite strongly. (it is fast at forming the lead oxides. but it will increase corrosion) No need to use any baking soda either or removing or replacing the electrolyte.. Just charge the battery with the sodium sulfate added to it for a long time at a low current and allow the voltage to rise to whatever it takes to accept that low current (Charge at about C1/100) Until the voltage is about 14-16v. Then the battery can be put on a normal charger and held in absorption (14.4-14.8v) for several additional hours. until the current has stabilized at a low value. Watch for heating of the battery. Take a measurement regularly if it starts warming up at any point. let it sit for several hours to cool completely. Regularly check the voltage and current as well.
Batteries die because the lead plates create a sulfate on the plates. Eventually the sulfates build up to the point that they no longer flow electrons . Cleaning may expose more of the lead and get the flow going again, but usually by this time the lead plates are pretty much used up, so even cleaning the sulfates and putting in new acid will not save it, it may have voltage but very low cranking amps. Another old trick was to overcharge the battery with a high amp charger which would cause the sulfates to flake off the plates, but this was only a temporary solution as well. When you’ve got no lead, your battery is dead.
Thanks for trying this out .Other attempts suggest that Epsom salts will result in a battery that will only give 9 volt but last for over five teen years .That is interesting for making large static battery banks for off grid use where 48 volts is wanted do 5 of these 9 volt batteries will give the 45 volts which works for them .The upside with salt battery it seems they don’t get damaged from total discharge but they don’t preform well under large loads . Many You tubes on Epsom salt replacements .Also in third world many YouTube’s on how to melt the lead plates and remake new battery using acid systems . LSO many you tubes an using welder equipment with 200 amps to boil battery in five minute bursts until battery works again . I have yet to see a 12 volt Epsom salt battery return 12 volt solutions for any interesting time periods so very interested for your results now 11 months on .Can it supply cranking power to start gasoline engine .I don’t mind to gang together several to get cranking power for my 13 HP marine engine on my boat and for domestic us . Li thuim ion ferros oxide phosporn type Li Fe PO4 has problems with cost and expensive chargers and cold temperature charging and high temperature s and Alternator charging in marine use . Lead crystal battery costs per cycle is also a problem . We need more people to do these experiments to see if we can rescue lead acid batteries to keep from forkingbout big bucks every few years especially in warm countries where lead acid batteries have much shorter lives than temoerate regions
Back in the early 80’s I worked for a used battery service’ the owner had a contract with JCPenney’s/Sears Kmart to buy all their old batteries’ we’d pour all the old acid water out and use a 50/50 mixture of white distilled cleaning vinegar to wash them out then rinse out and repeat’ fill with new acid’ place them on the charging tables’ up to 200/250 batteries at a time’ hook them up all together in parallel and charge them on 2 amps for 3 days’ then let them sit for a week off charge’ about 25% of them would not hold charge’ the ones that did’ we were selling them for $15.00/$20.00/$25.00 depending on appearance’ some would last a couple of months some would last for years. Slow charge is the key after cleaning and new acid.
After dumping out the baking soda water you should have rinsed the battery a couple times with water to get all that out of battery, then before adding any of your Epson salt concoction used a specific gravity tester to test the strength of your concoction to ensure proper strength 1st before adding any of it to your battery. Filter your used electrolyte and pour equal amounts into each cell and top up with your concoction. After adding the proper strength solution to battery, then put charger on deep cycle battery setting if you have that setting. A smart charger may do the same thing by charging at different rates until fully charged over a 24 hour period or longer. I have seen batteries after trying to fix them that showed 12.8 volts but as soon as I went to turn the engine over the battery went to 7 volts and would not turn the engine over. This indicates that simply charging to 12.3 or above doesn’t always translate to the battery being fixed, especially if the battery originally went dead while below freezing and as such froze up and broke some plates inside the battery. I usually use the specific gravity tester in each cell to see which cell is showing weak solution and which are showing normal, I will remove with a suction device like a fluid transfer pump or just the bubble device I am using which is the specific gravity tester, until the fluid is below the plates in that cell. At this point the strong concoction of Epson salts and water can be added just to the specific cells that are showing they are below normal on the tester.
Will this same process work for deep cycle batteries? Or is it different to refurbish them? Also at 10:00 you said you let the new salt solution sit in the battery for 24 hours. Then you showed it being charged for about 8 hours. At that part you didn’t say whether or not there needs to be a break in that period before you start charging it? Or can you start the charging while its sitting with the caps off? Thanks. … At some point people will be redoing all of these kinds of articles because now more people use deep cycle batteries than before. And those are different than car batteries. And lithium reacts… badly to water. And people didn’t have to used to worry about lithium batteries. But now a lot of people are using lithium batteries, and someone will probably try to refurbish them like this also. And that will probably be dangerous and have a different process. People will probably start to put warning tags also to not refurbish batteries the same way for Lithium, etc.
For some of the comments who are quick to go to the shop and replace or repair, Please such DIY are for people who find themselves off grid, imagine you are in Alaska or some very rural African place, this can really help. And again some people even if they may be located in big cities they still don’t have money to replace a battery .
You removed sulfuric acid from the battery but did not show the proper (safe) disposal of it. You “cleaned” the lead and lead oxide plates with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), which would just neutralize any remaining acid and form the participating sodium sulfate. Then you supplied a rich solution of magnesium sulfate and charged the battery. The charging current would cause the magnesium to plate out on the negative battery plates. The chemistry of your “experiment” just doesn’t work. Although you may have what appears to be a good voltage reading, that battery will have virtually no cranking power.
Quite an interesting article, but I would have used pure concentrated sulfuric acid instead of the hydrated magnesium sulfate solution with the distilled water. Handling this strong acid is risky if it splashes on you though. May be you are better off just buying another new battery. The consequences of a splash from sulfuric acid could be permanent. It is the strongest industrial acid out there. It could go through your cloths and into your skin in an accident. Always be careful if you mess with chemical agents, electricity or gasoline components. I usually stay away from them.
So I been perusal these type of articles recently.. I noticed he didn’t wash the inside of the batteries with a hose and also didn’t say if he charged up the battery to max beforehand.. also before adding his new electrolyte he didn’t flush the battery with distilled water 1st to wash out the baking soda that definitely caused more bubbles.. I have been reviving batteries with a stick welder but wanted to try flushing them an adding either new acid or filter mine or this Epson salt technique.. I haven’t decided.. new acid it probably best
Sir you may think I am writing foolish writing to you but even I am not so good in writing English also my grammer is not good I give you warning that you are building in those chamber’s some things like Meyer water car! That is very dangerous because you are separating Oxygen from hydrogen and if you do not believe me get a match and light it bring it near those bubbles then you see the result is your eyes are pup up Sir! 💥 I do not say it not work but I am saying safety first and make hole in the top side of battery so battery can breath. Hope I be understood by you. Thank you . stay safe🙏
Go with spending the money on an Optima battery. I had one in my 2000 Montero for 11 years plus. When I had to scrap the car after my daughter let the coolant go way low and blew out one head gasket. I took the battery out and it is still working perfectly 5 years later! $325.00 Well spent as I probably would have had to change batteries 4 or 5 times during that 16 year period. ONE MAJOR BENEFIT …gell pack batteries will not outgas or leak and cause rust in your classic Porsche 👌👍
So if you were working on this for days and you ended the article basically not working at all then this should be a article on what not to do! Listen if you’re going to make dui articles anyone please make sure you’re information is correct and you actually know what you are doing! No disrespect to the guy made this article I actually think he was entertaining and I also saw articles restoring batteries this way
👏very well done, kinda, yes the plates will create a build up, and this build up flakes off over time and settle in between these plates creating a short circuit. Getting this gunk off and out between these plate is a must along with putting new acid in but if you first filtered the old acid and poured back in and connected a old none smart charger and forced charged that battery on high,,not the start setting,, and let it set a few days. Battery would have become warm, bubbles would have appeared and alot more flakes would have come off. Then shake and pour out. Put in new acid and charge. !!BUT!! a smart charger, A charger with a chip, will not force charge any battery. A old transformer type charger can bring back a completely dead battery, a smart charger would see it as a short circuit a (bad battery)and kick off. They do this even on a week battery that won’t take a certain amount of charge over a certain amount of time, they just kick off.. old chargers, they charge using a transformer, not through a programed chip that’s also design to test the condition of a battery and that’s what they all do, and if a battery isn’t in near perfect condition these charger just keep kicking off. Look for at Flee markets. Garage sales, maybe ebay? . I just found another one for 10 bucks at a flee market in great condition and if you had it on that battery you would have seen over 14 volts on your volt meter forcing a charge on that battery. You read 12 volts with charger connected to it, your charger kicked off.
Mt interstate battery new 200 bucks 42 months old u get 25 percent off a new one with the trade in id rather save 50 bucks on a new battery now instead of playing around with stupid crap and having to pay full price a few days from now 150 is better than 200 any day next time keep the water topped off and it may last longer i remember when interstate battery’s would go 10 yrs if maintained correctly
All these Youtubers are running their reconditioned batteries on epsalt and water. If a battery can properly operate with a harmless salt and water solution, why on earth have the manufacturers been using deadly sulfuric acid for the past 100 years? I’m guessing they have 12+ volts but hardly any cranking amps. Wouldn’t you want to replace the acid once the plates are clean?
why a lot of Batteries go dead is bits of lead come of the plates and then rest on the bottom of the battery then they short out if you battery suddenly goes dead on you just take it out and give it a good shake and put it back and it should work, but these days most batteries are sealed so end off thanks for the article
You really did a good presentation and it’s commendable. Thanks for your honesty there. But did the end product work? Next time, while your process was convincing and tempting to attempt, we are interested in the full result, otherwise you wasted a nice presentation which resulted only in wasted viewing time. But you presented your process very well. Result, that’s what we want, don’t you think?
Just solved the problem in my Chrysler 300.Went to mr tire and got a new battery.They are hard to install cause they are in the trunk under a mat.Several wires on the terminals and i broke one the last time so i let them install it.best 200 dollars I’ve ever spent.stay safe people cause another virus is coming.
Yes a load test will check to see if you can pull a load. Easier yet. Let battery sit overnight and recheck voltage. If voltage drops it’s not going to work. But a load test is better. But if you don’t have a tester check voltage and recheck 24-30 hrs later. If it drops from 12.6- 12.0 it’s not going to work . Nice article . But remember to load test it as well or sit and watch for voltage drop.
i was in the battery reconditioning bizz for 30 years. i’ll give you a 2 out of 10. One free tip, dump the old acid in 5 gallon buckets, lock them up in an out building for a week, all the crap settles to the bottom. I never bought new battery acid. The next 1000 tips are not free. Think i’ll write a book.
I buy those jogs of sulfuric acid from any auto parts store, and then drain and refill. Now this has worked for say, 6 out of 10 batteries I’ve tried, and my best guess for the bad ones, is damage to cells, or extreme contamination since I’ve never ‘rinsed’ or cleaned any of them. Using these ingredients is even cheaper.
Hey everybody. A word of warning: If you have a broken terminal it’s a very dangerous condition. Don’t use the battery at least if it still has sulfuric acid in it. If it causes a spark inside, it will blow up with enough force to tear off the top of the battery. I’m thinking that it wouldn’t happen with salt and water. Does anyone know? Thanks for the article. It gives me food for thought.