Starting the Car is Such an Everyday Thing, but a Dead Car Battery Will Leave You Stranded. http://www.gettyimages.com/license/625936944 Every time a driver turns the
ignition key or presses the “Start” button, the starter motor is expected to crank the engine. This mechanism is caused by the 12-V flooded lead acid car battery, which is standard on virtually every vehicle on the road. Some cars carry a second battery, and trucks and RVs may carry a battery bank, linking several batteries. Similar batteries can be found in tractors, power equipment, motorcycles, powersports machines, snowmobiles,
four-wheelers, and solar power backup systems, to name a few. Car batteries tend to last for several years, but
lifespan depends on how they are used. The typical car battery, driven every day, properly charged, and never deep-cycled, could last upwards of 7 years, but that’s a best-case scenario. Most maintenance-free (read: replace on death) car batteries tend to last 4 to 7 years. Short car battery life, less than 3 or 4 years, can be related to several different problems, such as lack of use, corrosion, excessive deep cycling, electrolyte evaporation, damage, or charging problems. The are several things that can shorten the life of a car battery, and most of them are preventable. Now, we’re not talking about that “dead battery” that you get when the dome light was left on or the car hasn’t been driven in a month. Usually, a jump start, booster pack, or battery charger is all that’s necessary to revive the car battery and get the car back on the road, but the damage has already been done. It’s the accumulation of damage that leads to the untimely death of the car battery, at which point it simply will not start the car. Car battery death, for the purposes of this article, refers to the battery’s inability to hold a charge, usually caused by sulfation. At its most basic, a car battery is constructed of alternating plates of dissimilar metals, usually lead and lead oxide (Pb and PbO2), in an electrolyte bath, usually sulfuric acid (H2SO4) in water. When discharging, the “battery acid” facilitates the flow of electrons, from the Pb plate to the PbO2 plate, generating an electric current, which can be used to start the engine or illuminate the headlights, for example. Because of this chemical reaction, both plates become more chemically-similar and converting fully-discharged car battery plates to lead sulfate (PbSO4), wherein lies the problem. So-called “soft” battery sulfation occurs practically every time you discharge the battery but, because it is usually immediately recharged, electron flow easily forces the opposite chemical reaction, resulting in dissimilar Pb and PbO2 plates. If the car battery is left discharged for long periods of time, “hard” sulfation occurs, the formation of lead sulfate crystals. As PbSO4 crystals form, they gradually reduce the available surface area for chemical reaction, reducing the capacity to charge and discharge the battery. Eventually, PbSO4 crystal formation spreads, leading to cracks and short circuits within the battery, rendering it useless. Ways to Revive a Dead Car BatteryUnfortunately, it is impossible to reverse hard sulfation, but it does one good to note, regarding products and services claiming to reverse sulfation, there is no real proof to back up their claims. Still, if you have a dead car battery, there are several things that you can try to get yourself back on the road, even if it’s straight to a repair shop or auto parts store for a new battery. Vehicles started using these methods should not be shut off until a new car battery can be obtained, and a couple of these methods will finish off the battery, anyway.
Prevention is the Best MedicineIt’s always better to prevent damage than repair it, and in the case of the car battery, “replace it.” The only way to deal with car battery hard sulfation is to prevent it in the first place. To prevent sulfation and failure, always recharge the battery immediately after use, make sure the vehicle charging system is functioning properly and put an unused car battery on a float charger to maintain full charge. How do you bring a dead battery back to life?You will need: distilled water, voltmeter, battery charger and syringe.. Remove the battery and remove the rubber that protects the caps. ... . Fill a battery with the distilled water and recharge it. ... . You can also try to replace the acid inside a battery and mix a new acid with the distilled water.. Can I bring a dead car battery back to life?Use Epsom Salt Solution
If the problem is caused by a low electrolyte level, using Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) to make an electrolyte solution will help revive your car battery. Check out this article on how to check your battery's electrolyte level.
What do you do when your battery is completely dead?"If your car does not start after a jump, your battery is likely completely dead and will need to be replaced. Your choices are to call for a towing service to bring your car to a repair shop or your residence, or roadside assistance, which may make their own attempt at jump-starting.
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