[TRobinson6]

the more i thought i knew bout this simple device the less i find i know

1. years ago you vou could tell when a battery was going bad because it would start cranking slowly. not today...they work from one then you go out one day and nothing....no warning. why

2. i thought the lead plates deterorated in the process of making
electricity

3. i can understand the plates sulfidizing when the battery just sits but when the alternator puts out enough juice to break the sulfate down why then does a battery go bad....it would seem a battery could last forever assuming you never let it sit

4. how can you take an old battery and rejuvenate it to like new condition. i have seen videos where you drain the acid put in an aluminum sulfate powder i think it is and add either water or acid and charge it .been along time since i saw the video)

5. how can you rejuvenate a sealed battery (no access to the cells)....that's the only kind i will buy

6. does a rejuvenated battery hold up as long as a new one? have any of you done it with success

so in theory you would never have to replace a battery if you could recondition one or keep one on a trickle charger and just rotate it when the one in the car goes bad.....correct???

 

[MB DNA]

so in theory you would never have to replace a battery if you could recondition one or keep one on a trickle charger and just rotate it when the one in the car goes bad.....correct???

Don't think that "theory" has ever started a car? :shrug:

 

[jimvw57]

depends how the battery breaks down , or goes bad. sometimes a battery will loose pieces of the plates over time, and heat or vibration. those pieces will collect at the bottom and eventually can short out the cell, plus the plate with less material on it doesn't create enough voltage as it is a smaller size or less capacity. The battery wont have enough power to crank over the motor or run all the accessories. Thus the reason they test the capacity of a battery using a carbon pile variable resistor (old school) commonly called a Load Test. If the battery is not fully charged, it will fail so it does need to be charged completely to test.

Not all newer batteries use a lead plate design. the sealed batteries use a gel design which is much stronger than the wet cells and can handle the vibrations better, and won't short out as easily. They were primarily used on off road applications or extreme cases where there is a lot of bouncing around. They since have been adopted for use in cars as they can be mounted laying on their side and put in smaller spaces as they won't leak like the older type Just like anything, use will eventually wear it down.

I also have heard claims of rejuvenating batteries using everything from a 'special fluid' to aspirin and I have not seen it in person so I can't say if it works or not. Kind of like re-welding light bulbs, it can be done but it would be expensive and not last as long.

Just my opinion