How To Recondition Rechargeable Batteries - Bring Your Car Battery Back From The Dead

Last time your car battery died you probably just replaced it with a new one. I bet it was expensive and happened at the most inconvenient time. However did you know many car batteries can be saved, and if you learn how to recondition rechargeable batteries, not only can you bring your car battery back from the dead, but you will be more aware of its condition, and it is less likely to let you down again.
Check the battery:
Most dead batteries can be reconditioned, however first you must check each cell, because if one is damaged it may not be possible, or worth your while to attempt to recondition it. If you check each cell individually it should read a voltage of approximately 2 volts. If any read zero or considerably below 2 volts the cell is faulty.
To complete this test you will need to make a probe. You can make this from a length of wire coat-hanger. Connect one terminal of your voltmeter to the battery terminal post, and the other to the probe. Then dip the probe tip into the electrolyte, to check each individual cell voltage.
Reduce sulfation:
One of the things that kills batteries is a build up of lead sulfide crystals on the plates. The first step is to remove this using a charger that has a circuit that provides a short high current pulse. This breaks down the crystals, and dissolves them back into sulfuric acid, leaving the lead plate clean again. Reducing this contamination will rejuvenate your battery, and improve its ability to store charge.

Check the electrolyte:
Visually check the level of fluid, top this up with deionized water until it is just covers the lead plates. You can also add a battery conditioner, these are available from car parts stores, but if you don't have access to this a teaspoon full of Epsom salts will work well too.
Recharge:
Once you have completed these tasks you should then fully charge your battery using a good quality charger. Once fully charged re-test the voltage across each plate as before. Now your battery is reconditioned and should behave almost like new again.
Conclusion:
Learning How to recondition rechargeable batteries will not only save you money, by enabling you to bring your car battery back from the dead, but can also be a great business. You can perform this task for others, and charge them for your services. Making these batteries last as long as possible helps the environment too, as the longer they are in use, the longer they stay out of landfill.
If you want to to discover more about how to restore or recondition old batteries that you thought were dead, and were going to throw away. Go to the recondition old batteries guide. Take a look at Reconditionoldbatteries for more information.