Your car battery will eventually lose its charge and quit performing, no matter how expensive it is. Car batteries will eventually stop working, become less efficient, or bulge to the point where they may cause damage to your vehicle from the interior. Car batteries are not inexpensive, and most people do not want to throw them away after they are no longer functional.
Fortunately, you can recondition your battery once it has stopped operating. Although managing a car battery on one’s own may seem intimidating to some, it is simple to perform at home. We’ll go through how to recondition car batteries at home in this article. At the end of the informational article, you will have known the tips of reconditioning your rechargeable batteries. Keep reading through this article to know more about it.
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How to Recondition Rechargeable Batteries
Step 1: Clean your Battery
Before you begin, wipe the battery terminals to clean them. However, remember to wear gloves while doing so. The posts on car battery terminals may be heavily corroded. It is critical to remove all remnants of this corrosive surface before the battery may be used. The size and layout of these posts may vary depending on the battery type.
So, before you start reconditioning your batteries, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these components. After that, mix baking soda and distilled water and stir until runny paste forms. You must apply this to the posts and wipe the area with steel wool. You can use a brush to clean any hard-to-reach part of the post if you wish to rub corrosion off the sides.
It’s not unusual for this mixture to bubble up, so don’t be startled if it does. After that, use a bit more water and baking soda to clean the affected area. If the corrosion has been entirely removed, wipe the posts clean and allow them to dry entirely.
Step 2: Measure the Battery Voltage
It’s now time to use a voltmeter to examine the battery’s voltage. Voltmeters are inexpensive and readily available at your local hardware shop. It will not be tough to deal with them because they are relatively simple to use. Connect the voltmeter’s wires to the terminals. If the voltage is less than 12.6V, reconditioning may help to extend its life. A reading of 0 indicates that there has been a power surge and that it requires replacement.
Step 3: Empty the Battery
You must first put on chemical-resistant goggles before continuing with this procedure. Battery acid is extremely toxic and can result in severe burns. With a screwdriver, gently pry under the battery caps. The caps will readily come off if you give them a gentle push. Place a plastic bucket nearby so that the acid can be drained into it.
While pouring acid into the bucket, keep the battery pointed away from you. It’s fine to take your time as long as you don’t spill any dangerous acids. After you’ve emptied the battery cells, reassemble them as usual. To neutralize the old acid, add half a pound of baking soda to the bucket.
Step 4: Clean the cells
It’s time to mix baking soda with distilled water after you’ve emptied the cells. After you’ve thoroughly mixed the solution, pour it into each cell using a plastic funnel. After each cell in the battery has been fully charged, replace the caps and shake the battery to neutralize any remaining acid.
Although the battery is heavy, it is necessary to shake it for a few minutes. When you’re finished, open the caps and empty the cleaning fluid into the bucket like you did before. The rechargeable battery will then be ready for reconditioning, and all you have to do now is dispose of the waste liquids.
Step 5: Recondition your battery
It’s now time to recharge the battery cells. You can make your electrolyte with a mixture of Epsom salts and water. You may enhance the amperage and voltage your car receives from the battery with the help of an electrolyte like this. The solution also prevents the plates in the battery from sulfating, which causes the battery to die faster.
You can make your mixture by mixing boiling distilled water with Epsom salt. The best approach to produce this mixture is to start with boiling water in a clean plastic bucket and gradually stir in Epsom salts.
The electrolyte is ready for the battery when the water becomes transparent. Using a clean funnel, pour the electrolyte solution into each cell. Remember to fill each cell all the way to the top. If any of it remains, you can use it later if the difficulties persist. After that, replace the battery caps and shake them for a few minutes more. The auto battery is now charged and ready to use.
Step 6: Charge the battery
Remove the covers to avoid overheating or overflowing the electrolyte solution. It is possible to hurt yourself by putting too much pressure on the battery. Place your battery charger as far away as possible from the battery. The positive lead should be connected to the positive battery terminal. On the negative side, repeat the process. In around 36 hours, it will have charged to your desired levels.
Step 7: Test the battery again
You’ll need to use your voltmeter once again to test the battery. You can begin testing the battery if the voltmeter reads 12.43V or higher. If the voltage readout hasn’t reached 12.43V yet, you should continue to charge it for another 12 hours. You must remember to refill the electrolyte if it begins to overflow.
Remove the battery charger as soon as the voltmeter shows a normal reading. Reconnect the battery to the car by replacing the caps on the battery. To check if the battery is working, turn on your high beams first, but don’t start the car yet.
It’s also possible to do a battery cycle first. You can discharge it totally and recharge it again if it stops operating after the initial load test. Simply leave your car’s high lights on to drain the battery’s acid.
It’s possible that you’ll have to cycle the battery four or five times to acquire the correct reading. However, once you’ve done so, you will have a fully functional battery at a much lower price. If the results of the initial load tests are not satisfactory, consider charging to completely drain the battery’s charge and then charging it for another 24 to 36 hours.
Can you recondition a rechargeable battery?
The majority of battery users discard their old batteries and replace them with new ones, assuming that they would not operate again. Although batteries will eventually become unusable, they may usually be revived and used again. When exposed to higher voltages, the lead sulfate layer dissolves back into the solution.
When high voltage is applied to a battery, it heats up quickly and, in some situations, causes a thermal runaway, which can result in an explosion. This is why many batteries employ a series of short high-voltage pulses to prevent a single current flow while reversing crystallization.
However, if the batteries are wet, employing high-voltage pulses for an extended period can harm the battery plates. The batteries in sealed rechargeable dry out and fail. As a result, numerous users have various procedures for reconditioning various battery types.
How long does it take to recondition a rechargeable battery?
Reconditioning a battery might take anywhere from 36 to 72 hours, depending on the kind and size of the battery. However, if you don’t follow each step carefully, the procedure will be slowed even further.
Why should you recondition a rechargeable battery?
It might be costly to replace a rechargeable battery. Reconditioning and refreshing them might help you maintain their performance and guarantee that they work properly. A rechargeable battery may be operating fine right now, but it may fail in the future, forcing you to experiment with various approaches to extend its life. This occurs regardless of how well you care for it.
The user saves a lot of money by performing this simple fix. On average, a new and high quality battery costs between $85 and $100, but a reconditioned one costs a fraction of that, saving users money and providing them with a sufficient quantity of charge.
Aside from that, we all have a role to play in environmental preservation. Lead, a main component of batteries, is extremely dangerous to the environment if not properly disposed of. Reconditioning a single battery keeps it out of the landfill, where it could leak chemicals and pollute the environment.
Because recycling batteries is incredibly difficult, reconditioning is also beneficial for the environment. Finally, reconditioning the auto battery is far more practical. You won’t have to buy or change batteries any longer. In the end, you’ll save a lot of money and time, and you won’t have to worry about buying new batteries in the future.
Although reconditioning the batteries may be difficult at first, after a few tries, most people will get the hang of it.
Does reconditioning a rechargeable battery work?
A car battery is similar to other batteries in that it performs well if it has been properly reconditioned.
Is it good to put vinegar in a car battery?
Yes, as long as the battery is not sealed, you can put vinegar in it. Expecting it to perform as well as a sulfuric acid battery, on the other hand, will leave you dissatisfied. Although vinegar is an acid, it is acetic acid, which is not the same as sulphuric acid.
Inside the cell, vinegar causes lead acetate to develop. The battery’s regular function is harmed by these extra chemicals. Instead of employing two substances, distilled water can be used to recharge your battery.
Final Thoughts
After reading the above article, you will definitely have an easy time reconditioning rechargeable batteries. Hopefully, we’ve covered everything there is to know about reconditioning a car battery at home. This article explains how to effectively recondition your batteries at home using just materials you already have on hand. You can ask any question to our team, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Till next time. Thanks!
