Your car’s battery not only makes it possible to listen to the radio and turn on your headlights, but it is also instrumental in actually starting the vehicle. While a jump-start can get your car moving again, batteries that cannot hold a charge must be either replaced or reconditioned. Because replacing a car battery can be expensive, many drivers choose reconditioning.
Tools for Reconditioning a Battery
Determining whether or not your battery will be responsive to reconditioning requires a voltmeter, although it is very likely that you may have the rest of the items needed to recondition it around the house. If the voltmeter gives you a reading of 10 to 12 volts, the battery is a good candidate for reconditioning.
To do the reconditioning you will need one gallon of distilled water, Epsom salts, baking soda, a toothbrush, an electric drill, a low-cost battery charger and possibly hole caps. Safety goggles and latex gloves are also necessary to protect your skin and eyes when working with the toxic materials found within a car’s battery.
The Outside of the Battery
Corrosion on the battery posts is one of the most common reasons that batteries fail in older cars. If you are unfamiliar with what corrosion on the posts looks like, you can identify it by its off-white or blueish color on the positive and negative posts on the outside of the battery. To remove the corrosion, mix water and baking soda to create a runny, pasty substance and use the toothbrush to scrub the corrosion away. Use an old towel to wipe away the cleanser and corrosion; allow the battery to dry before attempting to start the car. While this technique will not work for those vehicles that do not appear to be corroded, it is often successful for those that are.
The Inside of the Battery
If cleaning the battery posts does not improve your battery, you may need to go inside to recondition it. Begin by disconnecting the battery and removing the plastic cell covers from the it; if these are not present you will need to drill holes over the shadowed areas. Next, you will want to heat one quart of distilled water to 150 degrees and then dissolve 10 tablespoons of Epsom salts into the water. You will then pour this solution into the six uncapped or drilled holes in the top of your battery. After replacing the electrolyte fluid with the solution you created, you will want to put the plastic caps back or insert hole caps into the holes that you drilled.
Charging the Reconditioned Battery
After following the steps to replace the solution on the inside of your battery, connect it to a charger; be careful to ensure that the red lead is connected to the positive terminal and that the black lead is connected to the negative terminal. Let the battery charge for at least 24 hours.
Reconditioning Saves Money
Even if you have to purchase a charger to make the reconditioning process work, you are likely to save money by reconditioning the battery rather than replacing it. While the process of reconditioning takes a bit of time, the effort will be worth the trouble if you do not have to buy a new car battery.