[Hashim]

Originally Posted by filcord

Guys, if any one else has tried it, please post the results.
Also, on an inverter battery, does one need to connect it to an outside charger, or is the UPS charger enough to charge the reconditioned battery?

It will be good if you use one but I would not recommend outside charging of Inverter battery at home since its a large battery and if overcharging occurs, it can explod and causes lots of damage. Connect Inverter battery to inverter and let it charge as it do or give to battery wala for charging.

Originally Posted by roadie_swift

Guys i am no mad scientist but simple class tenth chemistry tells me MgSO4+ H20=H2SO4 when electricity is passed through this solution

I barely managed to clear my Chem exams at school, so please enlighten me.

{MgSO4 + H2O = H2SO4} --> But then what happens to the Mg + 1 radical of Oxygen in it?

@ Hashim, sorry for the OT, just trying to fill a few gaps in my knowledge.

cheers,
R_S

Neither me was a good chemistry student Those benzene rings and organic chemistry was a horror for me.

Maybe it forms MgO that is magnesium oxide ?

Originally Posted by abhipuru16

Do I risk overcharging my battery with this type of charger?
Also, what gauge wires do you suggest for making the connections?

Yes you do risk of overcharging your battery as this is the simplest charger with no overcharging protection. But you can always buy a digital multimeter to check voltage of battery while charging. Usually when battery is fully charged, its slightly warmer and if you open one of the cap on battery you can see lots of tiny bubbles like soda bottle. So when you see these bubbles and feel battery slightly warm, check voltage and when its about 14v, remove it from charging. Sometimes old batteries take very long to reach 14v and due to reduced capacity may never reach 14v so remove it even if its at 13v even after 15 hours of charging.

You can use 1.5 sq mm PVC copper wire normally used in household electrical wiring.

[roadie_swift]

Originally Posted by Hashim

Maybe it forms MgO that is magnesium oxide ?

Man, you are right. It does form MgO, confirmed it from the earlier tormentors in school also.

However, it raises another question.

MgO has a pH of 10.3, which makes it alkaline in nature. Won't it react with the acid inside the battery?

Also, as per wikilink info here, {{http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/m0182.htm}}, it is supposed to be incompatible with acids, running the risk of inflammation.

I'm just trying to be cautious here, before implementing your solution which seems to be so very tempting.. :-)


Cheers,
R_S

[(Alok)]

Friends,
I am in a strange situation with my car’s battery.
I left my car for more than two months for idly. Battery terminal were unplugged. After coming back when I connect the battery it worked (car got started) but the water in battery is just in bottom.
What should I do? I have battery charger & Battery & Radiator water bottle with me. Should I simply fill the battery with water and charge it? Or there should some quantity of acid to be filled in batter with water?

[Hashim]

No Alok you don't need to add any acid in battery but fill it with distilled water till the minimum level (yes minimum) for first time and put the battery on charge. Why I am saying this because if you overfill then there will be difficulty in charging. When the battery is charged, fill it till max level and again charge. After driving some kms do get the gravity checked of each cell from battery shop just to make sure battery is in good health.

[jinojohnt]

I saw this in a newspaper advertisement, has anybody tried this?

huda energy

....Here we need huda to remove sulfate crystal and improves the battery chemistry. This stops shedding prevent sulfation in new batteries and breaks up existing sulfate in old batteries. Huda gives life to old batteries as close to new as possible......

MODS: I couldn't find a related thread, please move/merge/delete as needed.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

I saw this in a newspaper advertisement, has anybody tried this?

huda energy

....Here we need huda to remove sulfate crystal and improves the battery chemistry. This stops shedding prevent sulfation in new batteries and breaks up existing sulfate in old batteries. Huda gives life to old batteries as close to new as possible......

MODS: I couldn't find a related thread, please move/merge/delete as needed.

Already been discussed here in DIY section:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...e-battery.html

Cheers!
Irish

[hellmet]

This is a very useful post. I'm going to take my car's Exide battery to the local battery guy tomorrow to make him do this as my car is currently sitting without life.

Can someone please suggest a decent off-the-shelf car & bike battery charger?

I see one here, but will a 1.25Ah charger work for a car battery as well, or would it be ridiculously slow to charge?

[hellmet]

Strange. I remember this guy offering to top up 'acid' the last time I took my motorcycle battery to him a couple of years ago. This time, he says he can't do anything since the battery is 'maintenance free' and that I'll have to go for new. He looked at the specific gravity and said they were skewed, also said the voltage was too low at 7.8V. I enquired for a new Exide battery and the place quoted Rs5700 which is 800Rs more than what BatteryBhai quoted online for the same battery and warranty.

Is there any place I can buy batteries online, reliably? I see batterybhai, but they don't list Amaron for a Beat. I need a 50AH battery on my vehicle. I plan to go for Amaron instead of Exide this time.

[hellmet]

Looks like I'm the only one posting to this thread, but I'll still share my experience.

I took the Exide to another battery-wala today instead of an "Exide" store and he offered to top up with acid and charge the battery for 12 continuous hours for Rs280/- I asked him if it was magnesium sulphate solution to which he said 'yes sulphate solution', but nothing more.

My father is totally against this and he says it can be dangerous for the car, but I can't see myself spending Rs5600/- on a crappy 18mo warranty Exide again. (Their 60month battery costs Rs9K!!) Unless this fails, that is.

Will post the results of this experiment tomorrow.

[hellmet]

Well, turned out that the battery charged overnight, but it wouldn't hold charge at all. I've read that in such cases you'd charge the battery for a weak or so for the sulphation to reverse. However, I really don't have the luxury of testing that since I neither own a charger nor own a second car while this waits. So, I went ahead and purchased a new Exide Max DIN50 for Rs4700 from BatteryBhai. Amaron doesn't make 50AH batteries so had to stick with Exide (unhappily).

Battery installed, it cranks as expected. Yet to take out for drive. Thankfully, none of the meters have reset even though it was off battery supply. I'll have to set the time, though. I'm guessing the ECU has also reset due to lack of battery power, so it will have to relearn my driving style and adjust accordingly.

I'll have to get myself a battery trickle charger because I tend not to take my car out too often. I don't want this to happen again after the 18mo. warranty.

[Chris_Xtreme]

A very good thread! Just jumped in here when my 4.5 yrs old Exide battery in my WagonR is almost dead. Took it to the battery shop and I was told that one cell is dead and the charge in it is 10V. Hence the battery requires a change. Thinking of trying this DIY before deciding to change the battery, though the battery has lasted long, it would be great if I could manage with it for sometime before getting a new one. Any feedback/comments from fellow buddies would be really helpful, thanks!

[Dash666]

I just saw a new method of doing this.. Involved using a 200 amp car charger.. Open the battery caps and charge the battery at 200amps for 15 minutes at 1 hour intervals.. When you see all the cells bubbling stop.. Else can go another few hours

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by hellmet

Amaron doesn't make 50AH batteries so had to stick with Exide (unhappily).

This is not exactly correct I think. Amaron does make 50 Ah batteries. It would be stupid to give up on one of the most commonly used auto-battery specifications. Its available with most online battery vendors including BatteryBhai.

Link - BatteryBhai Amaron FLO 50 Ah

[Dash666]

Check this link out - desulphate battery ..

https://youtu.be/TYXx70MqJ-0

[Sumedik]

Originally Posted by Dash666

Open the battery caps and charge the battery at 200amps for 15 minutes at 1 hour intervals.

There seems to be plenty of methods for desulfation; high voltage with low current, high current pulses, electrolyte drain and refill with water alone or water and MgSO4 etc.

Has anybody actually got results from these anecdotal methods?