Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] dead battery

From: Wayne <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 19:31:13 -0400

On 5/14/2013 7:07 PM, Mike wrote:
> I have a 12v car battery that is dead as a doornail because the car hasn't
> been run in a long time.  It is also dry, or at least  very low.  So I filled
> the cells with distilled water, and hooked up the leads (the ground lead to a
> bolt on the engine), checked the charger to be sure it was set to 12v, and
> plugged it in.  Ammeter goes to max, and the charger trips out.  Suggestions?

Has it been in sub-freezing temps? As they discharge, their freeze temp 
rises, and a dead one will freeze, expand, and short the plates 
together. A lot of times the plastic housing may be bulged out from the 
expansion, making it obvious.

-Wayne
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From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 14 May 2013 17:36:16 -0700

Mike - If there is any chance it is under warranty, take it back to the 
battery place to see if they can charge it with their charger. I would 
suspect they would rather help restore the battery instead of doing a 
warranty replacement. I had a Sears Die Hard that was dead to me, but 
spent an hour on their fancy changer and worked for several more years. 
The battery came with my Triumph GT6, so I had no receipt, but they were 
helpful and friendly.

They can also diagnose internal problems. Some auto parts stores will 
also do a free battery test, so that may be an option as well.

I've had similar behavior with my charger oscillating between max and 
zero, but I have a 2A and 12A switch. I set it to 2A for a minute then 
can switch it to 12A for a few hours to charge low batteries.

Also, make sure everything is off on the car. For example, if the 
headlights are on, as soon as you turn on the charger, they are going to 
draw all the power.

Brian

On 5/14/2013 4:07 PM, Mike wrote:
> There is no adjustment on the charger, just plugged in or not.
>
> Mike
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From: nick brearley <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 May 2013 09:25:03 +0100

> There is no adjustment on the charger, just plugged in or not.

Mike,

You might try seeding the battery cells with electrolyte taken from 
another good battery. If the battery was dry then a fill of distilled 
water would make the charger unable to function, some acidity is needed 
for the reaction to take place. I am no electrical engineer but that has 
helped in the past. Once the battery has taken charge a pulse charger 
may help to restore its condition.

As Randall says you should be prepared to get a new one. It's debatable 
how much messing is worthwhile with a sick battery. These things always 
fail when they are most needed.

You might check the charging rate of the car. A battery doesn't usually 
dry out of its own accord when left unused, although if you're from 
Phoenix temperature may come into play.

Nick Brearley

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