Your car engine is an essential part of your vehicle; however, your car battery routes voltage to the starter, turning over the engine. You cannot overlook the importance of the battery because it also provides the electricity needed to power the audio, all the lights, computers, and the navigation systems of your vehicle.
When you get into your car and turn the key, it should start. However, your vehicle will not start if you have a battery that won’t hold a charge. Luckily, there are several ways of fixing the situation without having to replace the battery.
Here are the steps you should follow if you want to revive a car battery that won’t charge.
Prepare The Battery
The first step of reviving the battery is preparing it. You should put on your protection glasses and clean the battery posts. You can clean the posts by inserting a battery post cleaner on each battery post and use back and forth motions to turn it until all the battery posts are clean.
Perform a Load Test
Before performing this test, link the load tester to the positive terminal and then connect it to the negative one. This step is essential because it helps prevent any sparking issues. Proceed by turning on the load tester to confirm if the meter dropped. If the meter drops to the bottom of the scale and remains there, it indicates that the battery is completely dead and should be replaced.
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Remove the Cell Covers
Removing the cell covers is not a complicated process. To remove them, you should place a screwdriver underneath the edge of the cell lid and gently pry it up. Remove the cover and set it aside.
Conduct a Hydrometer Test
You can perform this test by squeezing the bulb and inserting the tube into a battery cell using your hydrometer. Squeeze the bulb several times to stir up the battery fluid. When doing this, it would help if you took note of the color of the solution. A dark-colored liquid indicates a faulty cell that should be replaced.
Squeeze and remove the bulb while the tube is in the solution to draw the liquid up into the scale portion of the hydrometer. When doing this, take note of the color, which the fluid rises to.
- A green color means the battery is strong and good.
- White indicates a fair battery.
- Red implies that the battery needs to be recharged
When doing this test, ensure that the battery fluid submerges the lead in each cell by at least 1/8 inch. Repeat the test on all cells, and note all the readings.
Test the Cells
Put the positive voltmeter probe on the positive battery post and the negative one on the first cell. The cell should read at least two volts on the meter, and if it doesn’t, there might be a problem with the cell. Proceed by placing the positive probe in the first cell and the negative one in the second cell. When done, place the positive probe in the second cell and the negative cell in the third cell. Continue doing this until you finish testing all the cells. Take note of all the cells’ readings. The final reading should be zero.
Add Treatment Chemicals to Recondition the Battery
Adding treatment chemical to revive the dead battery and clean the cells is optional. If you opt to do this, you should follow the chemical manufacturer’s instructions before pouring the chemicals into the cells. Replace all the cell covers and place the battery on a “trickle” or slow charger for at least 24 hours.
Should I Recondition My Dead Battery or Buy a New One?
Sometimes buying a new battery might be a better solution than rejuvenating a dead car battery. Your car battery is rechargeable; its charge powers the vehicle systems while the car is parked and turns over the engine whenever you want to start the vehicle. When you start your vehicle, the alternator produces additional electric power to recharge the battery.
As your car battery becomes older, it loses its ability to hold a charge. When this happens, your battery will not be able to start your car. This situation is prevalent during the cold weather. Your vehicle will need to be boosted to start if the battery is too weak to start over the engine. It would help if you replaced your battery before it drops to a critical level and interferes with your daily operations.
Your car battery should last an average of 5 to 7 years. It might last longer if you drive your vehicle daily to ensure that you keep the battery fully charged. If you park your car for extended periods, it will deteriorate faster, and buying a new one might be a better option than reconditioning it.
Does Reconditioning a Car Battery Really Work?
If your car battery is not holding charge overnight, it might need reconditioning to get it working. You might be skeptical before reconditioning because you wonder if reconditioning works. Reconditioning is a process that gives old batteries a new life.
When you recondition your old battery, you will extend your car’s battery by a year or two. Given that the average lifespan of your battery is five years when you recondition it, you would have used it for 6 to 7 years, which is a worthy trade-off for your initial investment. Additionally, reconditioning a car battery is cost-effective compared to buying a new battery.
How Long Does it Take to Recondition a Battery?
After the attempt to recover your battery, the reconditioning process should take at least four hours if you have the right tools.
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Reconditioning your car battery might extend its lifespan by 1 to 2 years. It is also cost-effective compared to buying a new battery. However, it would help if you were on the lookout for signs that indicate that it’s time to buy a new battery because sometimes purchasing a new one might be a better option than reconditioning.