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How To Recondition Car Battery Flipbook PDF
Learn how to recondition car battery at home using simple tools
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How To Recondition Any Dead Car Battery
If your car battery is dead and you don't want to fork out as much as $300 for new one then this article is for you. You'll learn how to recondition car battery at home using only basic tools. This battery reconditioning process is really easy to follow, and it's quicker than you think. So let's get started. But before we dive in it's important to mention safety!
Safety Precautions Car batteries contain acid which is dangerous. If the acid comes into contact with your skin or eyes immediately seek medical advice. When you handling car batteries always make sure you're wearing correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Also make sure you recondition battery in well ventilated area. Always dispose old battery acid/electrolyte in environmentally friendly way. And finally, make sure you use common sense.
Battery Reconditioning Tools: •
suitable container to capture old battery acid
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old rags / paper towels to mop up any spills
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battery charger (only use chargers which are suitable for your car battery)
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distilled water (don't use ordinary tap water because it contains contaminants)
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EPSOM salt
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turkey baster
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screwdriver
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basic set of spanners
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wire-brush or medium grit sandpaper
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multimeter (optional)
Battery Reconditioning Process: When it comes to reconditioning batteries at home it's best you take systematic and methodical approach. In this section you'll learn step-by-step process you can follow to recondition almost any car battery and subsequently save yourself tons of money. If your car battery is still in the car make sure you remove it. You should always follow your car manufacturers procedure for removing the battery. Suggestions on where to find this information: •
your car documentation
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service/repair manuals like Bentley's or Hayne's workshop manuals
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Google or YouTube
But here's a general guideline for removing your car battery: 1. locate the battery first – some cars have battery in the front (engine bay) some at the back (usually german cars like BMW). Again, it's impossible to cover all possible car models in this article so you may have to do little it of research. Most cars have some sort of casing that hides the battery – you may have to remove it. 2. Remove battery bracket if you have one. Some batteries are fixed with bracket that stops it from bouncing about as you drive. This bracket will usually be bolted. You'll have to remove the bolts or screws. 3. Disconnect cables – cables (positive and negative) are connected to battery terminals using bolts which are usually 10mm. Disconnect the terminals and remove the battery.
If you want more information read this article. Once you remove it, it's time to begin the actual reconditioning process.
Step 1: Battery Inspection, quick clean up and battery test. Start with quick visual inspection of battery case, battery terminals and battery cables. If any of these are damaged, that could be the reason why your battery is not working as it should. What should you look for?
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Bloated or cracked battery case – crack in battery case could cause electrolyte to leak out therefore affecting battery's performance. If the case is badly damaged then the battery may be beyond repair and you'll have to either buy brand new or reconditioned battery.
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Damaged or badly corroded battery terminals – battery terminals are crucial component which transfers power from the battery to the rest of the electrical system which not only starts your car but also powers accessories and electrical equipment like headlights, car stereo and so on. Inspect the terminals for cracks or lose connections. If the terminals are badly corroded clean them up using either wire brush or medium grit sand paper.
Battery Test (optional) This is optional but highly recommended because by testing battery you can better pinpoint the exact cause of battery problems. I've written article where you can learn more about how to test car battery. If you haven't found any significant issues during inspection and battery test confirms that battery can be reconditioned it's time to move to the second step of the battery reconditioning process.
Step 2: Electrolyte Removal Electrolyte is basically fluid, consisting of battery acid and distilled water, in which individual battery cells are submerged. Electrolyte is crucially important to the proper battery functioning. In fact it's so important that if the electrolyte levels are low your battery is guaranteed to NOT function properly. You should regularly check the level and top it up as and when required. We now need to remove the electrolyte. Remember! Battery electrolyte contains acid so make sure you follow safety precautions.
1. Remove the vent caps which are located at the top of the battery case. These either unscrew or you can simply pull them out.
2. Prepare big enough container that can collect the battery acid. 3. Slowly tip the battery over and drain the electrolyte to the container.
4. If you can leave the battery tipped upside down for at least 10 minutes to make sure all the electrolyte drained out.
Step 3: Electrolyte Replacement The next thing you need to do is to replace the old electrolyte with new solution. Now, you can buy replacement battery acid or you can make your own solution costing only fraction of the cost. You need to mix EPSOM salt with distilled water. In what ratios this needs to be mixed depends on your battery type. To find out more about this click here.
Step 4: Charge the battery Again, use only compatible chargers because trying to charge your battery with wrong charger can damage it beyond repair. If you don't know how to do this I strongly recommend you learn how to charge car battery.
There you have it, now you know how to recondition any lead acid battery at home.
Still not sure? Want more detailed instructions? Click here.