Rejuvenating atv batteries?

Thepaetsguy

Thepaetsguy

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
Curious if anyone has had any luck. I was given three weize 12v 12ah batteries all three read 2.3v.. I popped all the caps on one and filled it with water yesterday and left it on a 12v 10a charge. Went back to check the battery today and did not mess with the charger. Just checked the voltage while it was charging and the voltage was at 15.6v. Then I removed the charger and voltage dropped to 13.2v and settles around 12.6v I think over the next couple days it will get a standard few hours of 10A charge each day. Then I can toss it into a fourwheeler and see how it performs. Edit: This battery charger has been overworked and underpaid since the 70’s 289C2A2B-B350-43AE-802D-A9BB4E37124C.jpeg 636E3BF6-FE1B-43FF-9635-B06015502174.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Augiedoggie

Augiedoggie

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
As long as the plates remain submerged in electrolyte, the battery has a chance to survive a storage discharge. It's more likely to find them not able to accept a charge after long storage periods.
 
Studeman68

Studeman68

#4
#4
sparkwizard said:
https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-S...12&mcid=71d145d6447c3711b087d51130a56ec4&th=1

I love these. Plug it in and wait. It will desulfate dead batteries.
Click to expand...
I have one of those and love it. I also use one of these below to bring back old batteries;

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W46BX3...psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk

Just hook it up and walk away for a few days.... I work for a heavy equipment dealer and I haven't bought a battery in a few years LOL. I just go hit the battery core pile up....
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#5
#5
I worked as a technician, troubleshooting and repairing auto electrical problems. I cannot even tell you how many Optima batteries I brought home, dead, and hooked up to these chargers. I think I still have 5 or six of them on boats and tractors.
These chargers are the cheapest desulfators I know about.
 
RobertC

RobertC

#6
#6
I guess I should Google this, but tell me more.

Are y'all saying the desulfating process will bring dead batteries back to usable charge ?
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#7
#7
Dead batteries are generally just old, discharged batteries with sulfur crystals on the lead plates. A desulfator uses high frequency current to blow those crystals off, and they dissolve back into the acid. I have almost given up on some old batteries that were connected to this charger for almost a week, charger saying 98% charged, and charger was HOT. next day, 100% charged, auto maintain, and charger cooled off.
I have a solar charging system and 6 200Ah 12 volt batteries running my garqage...welder, air compressor, grinders, saws, sanders....when the weather is really cloudy, I connect one of these to those batteries and just leave it hooked up. It is only 3 amps, so not a jump starter.
 
Last edited:
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#9
#9
Like @Augiedoggie stated as long as the plates are submerged, there is a good chance the battery will hold a charge. Most "dead" batteries have been neglected and lost water, so the acid became more concentrated and crystalized on the plates. Simply adding water will not bring them back. You need to add clean water and then break up the crystal so the water becomes acid again, and so the plates are in full contact with the acid.
The packaging on these chargers might not say the word "desulfator", but read all of the little words.
 
SAS289

SAS289

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
sparkwizard said:
Dead batteries are generally just old, discharged batteries with sulfur crystals on the lead plates. A desulfator uses high frequency current to blow those crystals off, and they dissolve back into the acid. I have almost given up on some old batteries that were connected to this charger for almost a week, charger saying 98% charged, and charger was HOT. next day, 100% charged, auto maintain, and charger cooled off.
I have a solar charging system and 6 200Ah 12 volt batteries running my garqage...welder, air compressor, grinders, saws, sanders....when the weather is really cloudy, I connect one of these to those batteries and just leave it hooked up. It is only 3 amps, so not a jump starter.
Click to expand...
Have you fixed any batteries that appear to accept a charge (around 12.7 volts) but if you hold your meter on them the voltage slowly decreases? If a small load is applied the voltage drops but a bit faster than the meter? That's what my spare car battery does. I'll probably use it as a core to turn in when I get a new battery.
 
SAS289

SAS289

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
sparkwizard said:
That sounds like a sulfated battery. It shows voltage, but won't put out ANY amps. Can you check the water in your battery?
Click to expand...
Haven't looked at it for a while but the last time I did it got topped off with distilled water, then charged.

Sitting there now with 11.6 volts. Charger is a Die Hard 12/2/75 amp, probably from the mid 80's.
 
Last edited:
Rowedoo

Rowedoo

Active Member
#14
#14
Old batteries are just that here.......When they die they don't come back magicly........The cold kills them and they never recover .
 
superflea

superflea

#15
#15
Long time ago in auto shop, the teacher said if you are trying to bring back a battery you should totally drain all the old fluid (like let it drip dry for a few days) and then add new electrlyte and do the trickle charge as Sparkw mentioned. Not saying this is right or wrong but it's what he taught us.
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#16
#16
An old farmer once told me if you just need to get the truck to start one more time to go buy a battery, drop an aspirin tablet in each hole, add warm water, wait 15 minutes and go.
 
Augiedoggie

Augiedoggie

Well-Known Member
#17
#17
Years ago I was gifted with a huge battery for a stationary diesel pump. Thing was triple the size of normal truck battery. It was at least 20 years in storage and had factory dry caps on cells and was never activated with acid. I figured it was worth the price of 2 big containers of electrolyte to try it. I filled it and charged it and it worked like a champ. I used it to power my work shed and rainwater recovery transfer pumps and other stuff. Made shed lighting and power tools through 110 volt inverter. Battery is still in service and is charged with solar panel. Has to be 8 or 10 years ago.
 
pomfish

pomfish

Well-Known Member
#18
#18
Grandson got a good job at East Penn Mfg. , biggest producer in the USA.
No more getting boned on battery price for Cars, Lawn tractors, 4 wheeler etc.
Grandpa is real happy about that :)
 
Thepaetsguy

Thepaetsguy

Well-Known Member
#19
#19
Well my battery must of sulfated to the core because it holds 12.7 steady but puts out zero amps at all. Just flat so I guess not a success even though I got the correct voltage
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#20
#20
My friend, it appears you might be due to replace your charger with one of these new-fangled automatic ones.
It might save you a lot of money on batteries.;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top