Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

[rbh]

A few batteries around here have sat over the winter, and sadly trying to kick start them to take a charge is not working.

Anyone have some good pointers?

(Here is what I have tried- 40 amps for 30-60 minutes to kick start it, if it jumps up to taking any kinda amps, drop it to 10 amps and charge till full, I have the 80 amp option, but I do not want to try it in case I warp and short out the plates.)

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

Use your trusty jumper cables and connect a dead battery parallel to a known good battery, connect your charger to both and set on a low slow charge setting.

The good battery will cause the charger to turn on and slowly recharge the dead battery.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

A few batteries around here have sat over the winter, and sadly trying to kick start them to take a charge is not working.

Anyone have some good pointers?

(Here is what I have tried- 40 amps for 30-60 minutes to kick start it, if it jumps up to taking any kinda amps, drop it to 10 amps and charge till full, I have the 80 amp option, but I do not want to try it in case I warp and short out the plates.)

That is the method I have always used, if the 40 amps for 30 min. doesn't work I would say the battery is junk.

You could always try leaving it at 10 amps for 24 hrs and see what happens. If their more then 1 or 2 yrs. old though, their probably not going to recover.

 

[mike243]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

I had the same problem with my auto charger,put it on 12a & after a few hrs it said bad battery & I tried several times,bought a new 1 & topped it off.Old 1 was setting there so I set the charger for 2a,battery was fully charged the next day,will find out if it will hold a charge for any length of time this sunday hopefully

 

[bigdee]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

Be patient when trying to bring a completely dead battery back to life. I use a 2/6 amp charger and hook it up and forget about it for a couple of days then hook the battery load tester to it. If it fails, I charge a few more days and if it still fails I junk the battery.

 

[Dawg'sLife93]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

Batteries build up junk between the plates and that can short the plates. You can try picking the battery up about 6 inches and dropping it 3 times on a piece of wood. That can knock the junk off the plates and the battery will take a charge.

Before everyone starts slamming me and saying I'm crazy, the battery in my truck 7 years old, I had to do it with it 2 years ago. The battery in my 02 Jeep is the original also. My Grandpa told me the trick, been doing it for years. Also trickle the batteries. 2 amp for 24 or so hours is the best. Y'all my think I am nuts, but it don't cost anything to try it.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

Batteries build up junk between the plates and that can short the plates. You can try picking the battery up about 6 inches and dropping it 3 times on a piece of wood. That can knock the junk off the plates and the battery will take a charge.

Before everyone starts slamming me and saying I'm crazy, the battery in my truck 7 years old, I had to do it with it 2 years ago. The battery in my 02 Jeep is the original also. My Grandpa told me the trick, been doing it for years. Also trickle the batteries. 2 amp for 24 or so hours is the best. Y'all my think I am nuts, but it don't cost anything to try it.

Your not "nuts", just a logical thinker. I have used that trick along with the "slow & forget it" charge to bring batteries back from the dead.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

Batteries build up junk between the plates and that can short the plates. You can try picking the battery up about 6 inches and dropping it 3 times on a piece of wood. That can knock the junk off the plates and the battery will take a charge.

Before everyone starts slamming me and saying I'm crazy, the battery in my truck 7 years old, I had to do it with it 2 years ago. The battery in my 02 Jeep is the original also. My Grandpa told me the trick, been doing it for years. Also trickle the batteries. 2 amp for 24 or so hours is the best. Y'all my think I am nuts, but it don't cost anything to try it.

That 'scale' that falls off the plates into the wells below can build up deep enough it contacts the plates and shorts across them.

The shock of the drop may help 'settle' the scale into the wells enough it is no longer contacting the plates. The battery will function again.

My Dad would drain the acid and save it, refill with water agitate and drain repeatedly, it looked a lot like mud. Repeat til clear, Put the original acid back in, top off with distilled water, charge slowly and run it a few more years.

A lot more work then the 'Drop/Settle', but last quite a while.

I will NEVER buy a 'sealed' battery.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

I hook them up to 16v shock charge, for 20 min 2 sets of jumper cables and 4 8 v batteries

 

[Dawg'sLife93]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

That 'scale' that falls off the plates into the wells below can build up deep enough it contacts the plates and shorts across them.

The shock of the drop may help 'settle' the scale into the wells enough it is no longer contacting the plates. The battery will function again.

My Dad would drain the acid and save it, refill with water agitate and drain repeatedly, it looked a lot like mud. Repeat til clear, Put the original acid back in, top off with distilled water, charge slowly and run it a few more years.

A lot more work then the 'Drop/Settle', but last quite a while.

I will NEVER buy a 'sealed' battery.

Thats what we do with batteries that we can, but the one in my truck and the one in the Jeep are factory sealed batteries. I'm just trying to make them last as long as I can.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

Shock them with an op system aka booster cables then slow charge 1 amp over hours......10 if all is avail......stick welder can shock it real fast get the apprentice to do it hehe

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

My Dad would drain the acid and save it, refill with water agitate and drain repeatedly, it looked a lot like mud. Repeat til clear, Put the original acid back in, top off with distilled water, charge slowly and run it a few more years.

A lot more work then the 'Drop/Settle', but last quite a while.

I will NEVER buy a 'sealed' battery.

Kind of off topic nostalgia, but long enough ago then I really care to remember, I worked at a "Standard Oil Station" and before we sold a lead acid battery we had to fill it with acid, not a fun job at all.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

A number of motorcycle and small engine batteries still come in a box with a plastic bottle of acid, you fill and install.

'They' claim the battery is 'dry charged' and does not need charging before putting into service.

Yea, Right, and people wonder why they have to buy another battery every year.

I use a small 1/2 amp power supply from an old kids game or something, cut off the plug and added a couple gator clamps, use that as a slow charger. Works on ALL batteries. Lawn mower batteries are at least 6 years old, and now that I've bragged about them they will both die within the next week. LOL

Low and slow, best method of charging.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Kicking starting low batteries till they would take a charge?

A number of motorcycle and small engine batteries still come in a box with a plastic bottle of acid, you fill and install.

'They' claim the battery is 'dry charged' and does not need charging before putting into service.

Yea, Right, and people wonder why they have to buy another battery every year.

I use a small 1/2 amp power supply from an old kids game or something, cut off the plug and added a couple gator clamps, use that as a slow charger. Works on ALL batteries. Lawn mower batteries are at least 6 years old, and now that I've bragged about them they will both die within the next week. LOL

Low and slow, best method of charging.

That is because the plates warp the faster a battery is charged