Many people are often confronted with the issue of a defective battery that fails to start their vehicles. A defective battery is a difficult problem to solve, particularly if you are in a hurry.
Is it possible to restore a fully dead battery? The starter motor is supposed to crank the engine when you turns the ignition key or you start it. The 12-volt flooded lead acid car battery, which is common on virtually every vehicle on the road, causes this mechanism. Some cars have a backup battery, and some trucks and RVs have a battery bank that connects several batteries.
Tractors, power equipment, bikes, power sports machines, snowmobiles, four-wheelers, and solar power backup systems, to name a few, all use similar batteries. Car batteries have a long lifetime, but it is dependent on how they are used.
A high quality car battery could last up to 7 years if used every day, well charged and never deep-cycled, but that’s the best-case scenario. The majority of maintenance-free car batteries last between 4 and 7 years. Short car battery life, defined as less than 3 or 4 years, can be caused by various factors, including inactivity, corrosion, and overheating.
There are a few options for restoring your battery, but determining if it is “absolutely dead” is a little more difficult. We’ll go over how to restore a dead battery and how to recognize warning signs that your car battery is dead in this post. Read through this article, and you will never regret it. At the end of the post, you will have enough knowledge to restore your car battery within a short period and with no professional skills.
How does a battery die?
A car battery’s life can be shortened by various factors, the majority of which can be avoided. This isn’t the same as the “dead battery” that occurs when the dome light is left on or the car hasn’t been driven in a month. Typically, all that is needed to restore the car battery and get it back on the road is a jump start and a charger.
The accumulation of damage causes the car battery to die prematurely, at which point it will simply not start the vehicle. For this article, car battery death refers to the battery’s failure to carry a charge, which is normally triggered by sulfation.
A car battery is made up of several plates of different metals, typically lead and lead oxide, which are immersed in an electrolyte bath, which is usually sulfuric acid (H2SO4) in water. When the battery is discharged, the “battery acid” helps electrons flow from the Pb plate to the PbO2 plate, resulting in an electric current that can be used to start the motor.
Items required to restore dead batteries
- A multi-meter.
- A charger or an adjustable PSU.
- Super glue.
- Dead battery.
- Distilled cover.
- How to restore your dead battery
Step-by-step on How to Restore a Dead Battery
Step 1: Prepare the batteries
Preparing the dead batteries is the first step in this process.
Step 2: Check Voltage
We must first decide how dead our battery is. Please attach it to the multi-meter as a result. Take a look at the numbers. Congratulations, your battery is legally dead if the reading is less than 30% or 11.8V.
Step 3: Open up that lid
Remove the closed lid from your Lead Acid Battery with screwdrivers. When removing the caps, use gloves. Start rubbing some damp spots with the paper towel. After you’ve finished cleaning, take a look inside the cells. Try to find white cloth. If your fabric is brown, the task has just become more difficult.
Step 4: Feed water
Start pushing water into each of the cells with the syringe. However, avoid flooding the cells when doing so.
Step 5: Test the Battery
Connect the charger and battery to the multi-meter in a series connection. Set it to 10Amp when connecting. The battery is drawing 100–200 mA, as you can see. This indicates that the battery is no longer functional.
Step 6: Recharge that battery
If you have a battery, plug it in. You can also add a power supply. However, set the PSU to 14V before attaching it. After that, leave the battery to rest for two days.
Step 7: Calculate recharging time
You’ll need to double-check the battery drawing after phase 6. The battery is drawing 500–1000 mA, as you can see. Calculate the expected charging time now. To calculate, use the following formula: Drawing Amps (Amp) x Time = Battery Capacity (Ah) (Hours)
After that, the battery would be as strong as new. That’s how you get a dead car battery cell to work again.
Can a completely dead battery be recharged?
When anyone says their car battery is gone, they are generally implying that it has been discharged. This indicates that the battery’s voltage is below a safe level. Car batteries typically operate at 12 volts or higher, and if the voltage drops below that, you can have a dead battery.
A car battery has five functions, and if yours isn’t working properly, you can check its voltage. This can be an easy repair if the voltage is only a little lower than it should be. Your car’s alternator is responsible for charging your battery. The battery is in charge of supplying the necessary power to start your vehicle.
Driving around might be all you need to do to repair a dead battery that is still holding a good amount of voltage. The alternator, as previously said, will recharge the battery while your vehicle is in motion. To make this function as well as possible, you can switch off all car functions that use battery power, such as air conditioning, radio, and television.
Even a half-hour of driving will raise the voltage in your battery to a level that is safe to use. However, if this does not seem to solve the problem and you continue to have problems, there are other options. If the voltage in your battery is significantly lower than it should be, you should use a different method. It’s possible that you won’t even need to check the voltage.
It’s possible that you have a dead battery if your car won’t even start when you turn the key in the ignition. Jump-starting your car is a good way to solve this dilemma. Jump starting a car necessitates the use of jumper cables as well as another vehicle. The cables are attached to the battery of the second vehicle, as well as your car battery and a clean piece of metal under your hood, taking all required safety precautions.
The cables will shift power from the other car to your battery while the second car is running, and your battery should have enough power to start your car after a short period.
Signs of a dead battery that needs to be restored
There are many ways to tell if your car battery is dead, which we have mentioned below:
Your car does not start
You get into your car and turn the key in the ignition. When you turn the keys, though, all you hear is a ticking or whining noise, and your car won’t start. This is a clear indication that your battery is dead. If you’re having trouble starting your car, it’s important that you don’t keep trying. If it doesn’t work the first or second time, it’s unlikely that it will work again.
If your car won’t start and you think it’s because of a dead battery, the first thing you can do is borrow another vehicle to jump start your battery. A jump start might, at the very least, get you to the store for a new battery or to a mechanic for skilled assistance. For a long-term problem, jump starts are not always reliable.
It’s fantastic if your car starts right up and runs smoothly after a jump. However, the next time you try to start your car, you may have the same issue. This may indicate that you need a completely new battery.
Other electrical problems
Even if your car starts and runs normally, a low-power or dead battery should not be ruled out. If other electrical devices in your vehicle unexpectedly stop working, such as the headlights, it may be a sign that your car battery is failing.
Tricks to restore car battery
It’s possible that you won’t have enough time to do a complete reconditioning. A simple trick could save the day in those circumstances. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of four methods for reviving a dead battery.
Using distilled water
If you have bottled water on hand, you will extend the life of your engine for a few more miles. So, fill your battery with distilled water.
Aspirin
It can seem strange. However, this has been proved chemically. As a result, treat 12 aspirin tablets. Crush them up and mix with 6 ounces of water. In equal amounts, pour the mixture into the cells. You will notice great difference in the functioning of your battery.
Epsom salt
Make a solution with Epsom salt and water. Fill each cell with this mixture. Make sure a half-inch of electrolyte is covering the plates.
Before taking the steps outlined above on your own, you can take a few precautions.
- When working with lead acid batteries, goggles and gloves are needed.
- An old battery’s electric cells and plates must be in good working order. Your old lead acid battery will never recover if these critical components are harmed in some way.
Final Thoughts
A dead battery can be recharged, and depending on the situation, whether you’re stuck in your garage and can manage it yourself or you’re in the middle of nowhere and need professional, quick, and efficient service in the blink of an eye, it’s generally an easy repair. The dead battery, too, has a soul, but it needs assistance to reconnect.
I hope this article assisted you in recharging your battery. If you try some other methods to restore a dead car battery, don’t hesitate to share with us. You can any question to our team, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Till next time. Thanks!
