How to Recondition a car battery and other batteries: Complete guide

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People often think that a dead battery needs to be thrown away, and pay a lot of money to buy a new one. While this is one way to get a fully functional battery, it's not the only way. You can also restore the batteries, that is, return the battery to its original state and save money. With some effort, you can get a fully functional battery, and the next post is your step-by-step guide to restoring batteries.

Restoring old batteries is quite simple, and anyone can learn how to do it. All you need is time and a few devices to restore a fully functional battery. Not only does it save you money, but you also save your mother planet without polluting it. Your old battery will look as new as a newly purchased one, and you can also make some money by selling them!

So, we have compiled a comprehensive article on battery conditioning that will help you restore any type of battery.

Before you start, if you haven't already, consider purchasing a handy OBD scanner that will allow you to connect to the car after the battery is restored and instantly detect any malfunctions in the OBD software.

Have a nice trip!

How to Recondition old batteries

As more people participate in efforts to protect the earth and reduce pollution through the use of renewable energy-based batteries, it is important to maintain and restore batteries to maximize capacity and reduce energy losses. Batteries have a certain life span, and when they cross the mark, there is a clear loss of the ability to hold a charge.

The impact of old batteries on the environment is about 50%, and imagine how healthy the planet will remain if everyone has this useful trick up their sleeve! Not only do you stay green, if you learn how to restore your batteries, saving money and time - extra bonuses!

But before we go any further, it's important to know the difference between recovery and recharging. Restoring the battery means restoring its full capacity (it's as good as new!), and recharging means just charging for a while.

How to restore batteries depends largely on what type of battery it is. For example, it can be a lead-acid battery or a simple lithium-ion battery. Proper knowledge of chemicals and proper handling is essential for safe battery recovery.

Often these are old car batteries that require the most repair, however you also have home batteries that are sold almost free at scrap metal recycling plants that can also be used for recovery. If you want to reduce your energy consumption for a long time, you must learn how to repair the battery! In addition, you can work as a volunteer or earn a part-time job repairing batteries.

Check out our free presentation to learn how to bring old batteries back to life again

Reasons Why You Should Study Battery Reconditioning

Due to the increased demand and supply of batteries in both professional and personal life, battery recovery is a skill that will never go to waste. Why not study it if it serves our purpose-to earn extra money and make our planet habitable. If you're worried about your safety, relax. If you learn the technique correctly, it is quite safe.

You get old / dead batteries almost for free! You see, safe disposal is a top priority, and many seemingly dead batteries are getting ready for a new life, and you can help them ease their way through.

The batteries cost a fortune, and you'll save a huge amount if you just restore them instead of buying a new one.

If you want to green and preserve the environment by working with renewable energy sources, this is a good opportunity. Not only are you learning a skill that will be very much in demand in the future, but you can also earn extra money for other activities.

How to restore dead car batteries

What do you plan to do with your empty car batteries? Just throw away the old one and buy a new one that will cost you thousands of dollars, and you can just restore it for hundreds? By the end of this section, you won't know how to restore an old battery and make it almost shiny!

Typically, 12V car batteries consist of lead-acid batteries with lead terminals and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte for the battery design. We know about two types of car batteries - with a flooded battery (wet element) and a sealed element (dry element).

what are flooded and sealed cells?

Filling cells have removable plugs for each cell, where distilled water is added to the working level. Although it lasts about 4-5 years, it is quite sensitive and requires constant maintenance (approximately every four months) to check and maintain the water level in the chamber. This is the oldest version of the two.

On the other hand, sealed cells are a new version of cells that can run for about two years without maintenance. After that, it is beyond repair.

If you have magnesium sulfate (commonly known as Epsom salt), you can easily repair a car battery.

To Reconitionthe car battery, follow these steps::

1. The first step is to check the battery voltage and make sure it is below 12V. This shows that it is already discharged.

2. Heat about half a liter of distilled water to about 333-348 K (about 30 K below the boiling point of water).

3. Now mix about a quarter of the epsom salt with the heated distilled water and stir until the salt is dissolved.

4. For two different cell types, this step includes different procedures. For flooded elements, remove the battery cover. For dry elements, drill a sealed cover. For both elements, drain the old electrolyte.

5. Insert the new electrolyte into the cell using the funnel. (mostly epsom salt + water)

6. Then, for the flooded cell, replace the battery cover. For a sealed battery, close the hole in this

Keep in mind that you must ensure the correct distribution of the electrolyte so that there are no air bubbles inside the cell.

Finally, slowly charge it, leaving it to recharge overnight, and then let it cool down. By morning, you have a restored cell in your hand, working like new!

You can purchase the charger at any workshop where it can be rented or purchased. Although it costs the same as a new battery, it is good for long-term use.

Check out our free presentation to learn how to bring old batteries back to life again

How to repair the battery of a hybrid car

One of the best cars in the world, a hybrid car has two main components to consider - an electric motor and a battery. The battery usually lasts for 200,000 miles. Although it usually lasts longer than the warranty period, the old battery eventually fails, and each new battery costs about $ 3,000.

Below are the steps to repair a car hybrid battery:

One thing to keep in mind: all batteries contain modules, and although the number of modules may vary, the basic principle remains the same. Factories simply replace modules and sell them as new! And here you play your part. It takes about $ 700 to fix a damaged module, and the battery life is extended for another 6-7 years. You should also note that the repaired battery has a power output of 70% of the power of the new battery, which is more than enough.

First, remove the battery and then attach the rubber that protects the caps. Remove all plugs from the battery. Do not close the lid.

Do not put the lids back. Charge the battery for about an hour and you will see bubbles on the holes. However, if there are no bubbles, swap the positive and negative wires. Wait for about 2-3 minutes. Now you can see the bubbles. Return the wires to their original position and charge the battery for another half hour.

If necessary, you can also replace the acid inside the battery by mixing the new acid with distilled water. Later, charge the battery for a few hours, and you will get a battery that will last for a long time.

For more information, you can watch the following video here: http://batteryaz.com/BatteryRecondition

How to repair a motorcycle battery

The most common batteries used in automobiles, motorcycles, marine machinery, equipment, etc., Are of lead-acid batteries. Discarded lead-acid batteries are quite toxic to groundwater and soil, as they make the surrounding water and soil acidic. Let's make a small digression in the direction of Lead-acid batteries.

Lead-acid batteries

Lead-acid batteries are some of the oldest rechargeable batteries from the 1800s. How do they work? The principle is based on the production of electricity as a result of a chemical reaction. The sulfuric acid in the electrolyte reacts with lead oxide (pbo) and lead (Pb) to form lead sulfate (PbSO4), which is the main cause of battery wear for many years. Lead sulfate crystallizes and the battery stops charging. When the sulfate layers are deposited, the battery may stop permanently. How do I get my dead batteries back? Desulfatation! The sulfation treatment allows us to extend the battery life.

Desulfation is a rather tedious and time-consuming process, but it is worth every second, given its effectiveness. Desulfatation is not as difficult as it seems. First, you must remove the lead sulfate deposits. Then clean the deposits with magnesium sulfate or epsom salt. With Epsom salt, distilled water, and a regular lead-acid battery charger, you're ready! But for safety reasons, wear protective gloves and goggles.

The following steps:

Pour some clean and dry epsom salt into a dry cup. For a medium-sized battery, measure out about 10 tablespoons of epsom salt.

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Distilled water should be heated to a temperature near the boiling point. Add distilled water to the epsom salt to form a thick liquid, and mix thoroughly to dissolve the epsom salt well.

As much as possible, pour a mixture of distilled water and epsom salt into each battery.

Connect the charger after you have covered the battery, and set the charger to high current (high current). It is advisable not to use a smart charger for a more readable meter. The counter shows only two possibilities - "zero" or "charged". Depending on the degree of sulfation, the entire process may take some time. Then switch it to low current and keep charging until it is full.

Once the battery is fully charged, discharge it and charge it again. This time, the current should be low. Charging at low current allows the Epsom salts to break down the buildup of lead sulfate on the battery. When you charge it on the second try, it's finally ready to take off! You can repeat the desulfatation process a maximum of five times on any battery, which can extend its life by years.

This is all you need to restore a discharged lead-acid battery, commonly used in motorcycles and cars. Now use this Holy Grail for a higher purpose!

For more information and recommendations, watch this video:

Recovery of golf cart batteries

If you are the owner of a golf cart, this section is exactly for you. If you know how to restore the battery of a golf cart, it will save you a lot of money. This process is easy to master, and with regular battery checks, we'll know when to restore it to extend its life.

For example, if you check the speed at which the cart accelerates or slows down, it will give you an idea of whether it is time in case any of the functions fail. In addition, you may notice any unstable behavior during charging that gives away its status. Pay attention to the time it takes to fully recharge and the frequency. Is that too much?

So, let's take a look at the battery from an expert's point of view, which is easy to learn at home. First of all, regularly check every component of the battery. Let's start with the rods. Rods play an important role in the functioning of golf car batteries and play an important role in electronic processes. Sulfur deposits on the rods are harmful to its operation and slow down the charging speed. Sulfur deposits are the cause of insufficient capacity in most golf car batteries.

Be careful when handling battery cells. Deposits should dissolve on the battery rods, and this is not easy. Distilled water can improve the procedure. For the above, a mixture of epsom salt and distilled water should be used.

Then perform a functional check. Are there any signs of corrosion? This negative reaction is unavoidable given the nature of the chemicals present in the batteries. However, you can always apply a protective layer to avoid battery leakage (in case it corrodes the case). If you clean the terminals with a sodium bicarbonate cleaner, it can remove the corrosion. Next, you should see the battery voltage. Low battery voltage is a red flag to pay attention to in order to prepare the battery before it shuts down during something important.

HOW TO RECONDITION OTHER TYPES OF BATTERIES:

Laptop Battery Reconditioning:

A new laptop battery costs about $ 100, and finding a new battery turns out to be expensive. In the next section, you'll learn how to replace your laptop battery in four simple ways. But before that, we will make a small digression about the different types of batteries that are used in laptops for a better understanding.

Laptops come with a variety of batteries. The most common batteries are listed below:

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Lithium-ion (Li-ion battery);

Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery);

Nickel-metal Hydride (NiMH)

Li-ion battery

What is a lithium-ion battery? Lithium-ion batteries are mainly used in mobile phones, laptops, surgical devices, etc. Graphite rods are used as the cathode, and lithium oxide is used as the anode. What causes it to age? The battery operates on the principle of movement of two electrodes. However, with time, rising temperatures, and prolonged cycling, performance decreases over time.

A conventional lithium-ion battery provides 100% of the promised capacity for the first year. However, in the following years, it is significantly reduced. The depth of discharge determines the battery life. Lithium-ion batteries are stressed due to exposure to high temperatures and strong current.

Below are the steps you need to follow to extend the life of your lithium-ion battery:

Not only cycling, but environmental conditions also determine the life of the lithium-ion battery. If you keep a fully charged battery at higher temperatures for a long time, this significantly reduces the operating time.

So, first, you should reduce the charging voltage. This is mainly done in the case of satellites and electric vehicles.

You can leave your device in "Long Life" mode. Also remove the plug if you are using a laptop.

Do not forget that there are no obstacles in the air. The cold battery increases the capacity of the laptop battery while protecting the equipment.

Also avoid "ultra-fast" chargers.

Ni-Cd and Ni metal hydride batteries

Repair work for Ni-Cd and Ni-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. You can restore the battery in four steps:

Recalibrate: If the laptop battery doesn't last as long as it should, it may be time to recalibrate it. How do I know when I need it? If the laptop battery is not charging to 100%, or if the OS shows that the charge is 40 minutes left, but the laptop is dead before you let it know 38 minutes, it's time to calibrate it. The following is a step-by-step guide to recalibration.

Step 1: First, the laptop battery is charged to the maximum percentage.

Step 2: Then disconnect the laptop from the power supply and turn off the splash screen / sleep mode / hibernation mode so that it runs out faster. You need to make sure that the battery is completely discharged and the laptop is running exclusively on battery power. Use the battery until the power goes out.

Step 3: After turning off the power, leave the laptop in this state for about 4-5 hours.

Step 4: Reconnect the laptop to the power source and fully charge it. Now your laptop should give correct readings of the actual battery capacity. After the laptop is turned on again, reset the power management settings as they were before. Make sure it is properly calibrated.

Laptop cooling: This is especially useful for lithium-ion batteries, which cannot be restored by replacing the electrolyte or removing residues. You can buy a cooling pad in case the laptop gets too hot. Especially in summer, a cooling stand is needed. Maintain the air conditioner in the laptop to maintain the temperature. Repair-laptop-battery-3

Turn off when fully charged: Allow the laptop battery to charge to 100 percent, then turn it off immediately. This is inefficient for new lithium-ion batteries. New batteries can first be charged to 40-45%, then again to 80-85%. recondition-laptop-battery-4

When the laptop is plugged in, remove the battery: if none of the other methods work, you can always try removing the battery (if the battery is removable) while the laptop is connected to a power source. Chemical reactions must continue despite its presence or absence in the device. At this stage, the laptop battery is recalibrated, and as an additional bonus, its service life is increased. However, keep in mind that this step should only be performed if there is no threat of a power outage in your home / office.

Finally, a tip for really old batteries: if your battery is too old or you find broken parts inside the battery, a repaired or new battery will be the best option.

There are other solutions on the market. Some of them are as follows:

Decision I. Watch this video and learn how to restore your laptop battery.

Solution II: Another way is to plug in the battery and then charge it to 100% and then discharge it again to 5%. Repeat the process several times in a row, and at the end of the day you will get a restored battery. Although it's time to talk, it's worth a try.

Solution III: Although this method is a bit strange, you can always try it. Remove the battery from the device and store it in a plastic bag. Then place the plastic bag in the freezer and wait for about half a day. Remove the battery from the bag and clean it thoroughly after twelve hours. Put it back in the laptop and fully charge. Repair-laptop-battery-8.

Recovery of Ni-Cd batteries

Again, as in lead-acid batteries, the sulfate crystals actually prevent charging because they block the contacts. This is easy to fix.

Actions to restore nickel-cadmium batteries:

To do this, we need a flash capacitor. A number of cheap cameras have parts that can be disassembled and their parts used.

Add a switch and battery holder to the capacitor. Glue the wires to the capacitor, connect them to the battery holder, and turn them on.

Remember that the wires should be insulated and try not to touch them or any of the load-bearing capacity of the device.

Do not insert an alkaline battery into the capacitor and a nickel-cadmium battery into the battery holder.

Turn it on and wait for the LED to light up. Repeat the above steps several times. If you hear a sound, you know that you are in a pure state, and the sufat crystals are destroyed in the process.

While it looks complicated, completing the steps is easy if you collect all the gadgets or components and get a refurbished Ni-Cd battery!

How to Recondition your device's batteries at home

Whether we've brought devices through Craigslist or to the market, we must all have noticed a clear trend at least once over the years. The battery life of devices is shortened over time because they can't store as many electrons as they used to after repeated charge and discharge cycles.

This is the reason why your cell phone or laptop, purchased five years ago, now works less than half the time compared to the original performance. This also explains why the electronics upgrade increases battery life much more than originally thought.

Check out our free presentation to learn how to bring old batteries back to life again

Our promise is simple. We will teach you battery recovery techniques and tips that will not only save you time and money in the long run, but also save you a lot of trouble. So, here are some tips to keep in mind to not only renew its fiery beauty, but also reverse aging and vitality.

Recharge properly: If you're one of those people who thinks about completely draining the battery to about 10% before plugging it back in, or immediately unplugging it after reaching 100%, think again. Most phones contain built-in smart chargers that turn off charging when fully charged. However, studies have shown that it is impossible to allow the charge to fall below 70%. In fact, the battery life increases if you charge it at 70% or higher. So if you want your device's battery to last longer, plug it in before it reaches the 70% mark.

Remove useless programs and apps: We all know that some programs and apps kill your battery much faster than others. For example, Photoshop and video games destroy batteries than programs like Notepad, Safari, etc.Often there are programs that run in the background that are not even as useful, but still kill the battery. Please remove or uninstall these programs. Or you can also check the activity monitor to see which app or program is using the maximum battery, and throw them out if it's not needed.

Recalibrate your device's battery: Often the batteries give the wrong idea of battery life or app usage (it's actually weird, but apps often run against each other or support each other, which messes up battery readings or forecasts). To get the true battery percentage, you can apply a simple trick. Fully discharge the battery to zero and leave it empty for another 24 hours to fully discharge it. Then charge it back to 100 percent and you'll get the correct readings!

Resetting the device settings: Another alternative to step / tip (3) is to completely reset your desktop / portable / mobile device to factory settings. This will cause the device to recalibrate. Not only does it update your device, but it also gives you the added benefit of removing any malware / viruses / Trojans / worms / spyware that may be draining your device. Recondition-device-battery-4

How to restore the battery at home: if all of the above does not help, you certainly have the option to restore the battery at home. This is much easier than feared. A lead-acid battery is a bit complicated, but laptops and cell phones mostly use lithium-ion batteries. Restoring a lithium-ion battery is as easy as recalibrating it! Constant recalibrations over the years make the lithium-ion battery as good as new and significantly improve its service life and performance. If your laptop or mobile phone is infected with a virus, we recommend that you follow step (4) to (3).

Below is a complete recovery kit for all battery types on the market:

Multimeter:

Charger

Resistor

Copper

Paper Cutter

Sandpaper

Auto light bulbs

Cyanoacrylate Glue

Portable power supplies

Set to run from the jump

Distilled water

swimming goggles

Awl Syringe

Resins

Gloves

Let's look at each element and how and where it is used:

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1. Multimeter:

Price: from $ 2.73 and up

Where it is used: It is used to restore any battery

Characteristics: without it, it is almost impossible to repair. It has applications for various purposes, such as repairing a simple appliance. A multimeter is used to check the battery and give an indication of whether it needs repair. It is also used for recovery to raise the voltage level to the desired number.

How to choose the right one: Check its correctness before purchasing. A good multimeter has an error of 0.025-3%.

Alternative: a simple tester is also suitable, but it is not multifunctional.

2. Battery charger

Price: about $5

Where to use: Cell phone batteries

Specifications: Any charger is suitable for repair. It is connected to a resistor to lower the voltage if you fear for the safety of the battery damaged by the charger. You can also use an old charger to restore the batteries. You can directly attach them with wires to the battery.

How to choose the right one: It is always good to have a universal charger in case you need to use it with different devices.

Replacement: every battery charger

3. Resistor

Cost: from $0.01

Where used: to restore cell phone batteries

Description: A resistor provides resistance and thus restricts / regulates the flow of electrical current in the circuit. For an active device (such as a transistor), it is used to provide a specific voltage. The resistor is used to restore the cell phone battery. When do we need resistors? When we restore the cell phone battery, it connects to the charger directly (unlike charging inside the battery, the current goes through the controller). The voltage must be limited, otherwise the battery may burn out due to too much current.

How to choose correctly: Before buying, check the resistance. For repair, you do not need a resistance greater than 300 ohms.

Replacement: None

4. Copper

Price: from $ 3.

Where to use: to restore the laptop battery

Description: Cu is used to repair the laptop battery, when soldering car light bulbs to check the voltage.

How to choose the right one: to work with Cu, you need a resin colony with a soldering bath.

Replacement: There are different ways to replace copper. A simple design of a paper clip and a lighter will also work.

5. Paper cutter

Price: from $ 4.

Where to use: to restore the laptop battery

Description: useful if you need to cut the battery compartment and remove the internal elements. A simple knife with a thin blade and handle will also work.

How to choose the right one: a practical handle with a brain blade is preferable.

Replacement: A razor blade will also work.

6. Sandpaper.

Price: from $1.

Where used: to restore the car battery

Description: Used to clean the terminals before repairing the battery. Good sandpaper is needed for this task.

How to choose the right one: thin sandpaper is preferable

Replacement: A metal brush (again, not too stiff) is a great replacement. You can also use a sanding sponge.

7. Auto light bulbs

Price: from $ 8.

Where to use: to restore the laptop battery

Description: this indicates the presence of a charge in the battery, so it is a good diagnostic tool.

How to choose correctly: Make sure that the battery capacity does not exceed 21W.

Replacement: Any lamp will be a great alternative.

8. Cyanoacrylate glue.

Price: from $ 4.

Where to use: to restore the laptop battery

Description: as the name suggests, it is used to assemble parts of the battery after the restoration is complete. Normal glue can not be used because of the high temperature and chemical reactions inside.

How to choose the right one: a glue with a short curing time is preferable.

Replacement: None

9. Portable power supplies

Price: about $ 40-50.

Where used: to restore the car battery

Description: The amperage is used to start the motor. Usually about 150 A is enough to start an engine with a volume of about 2.5 liters. It has other uses, such as charging a mobile phone.

How to choose correctly: try to buy a large capacity.

Replacement: Cables can also be used.

10. Kit for starting from an external source.

Price: about $ 9.

Where used: to restore the car battery

Description: You can start the car with another car if your battery runs out.

How to choose correctly: make sure that the output voltage is not lower than 9V, and the wire cross-section is not less than 16 square mm.

11. Distilled water.

Price: from about $ 9 per gallon.

Where used: to restore the car battery

Description: Used to restore the vehicle's capacity by refilling the electrolyte compartment. Never pour tap water into the battery.

How to choose the right one: There are no special requirements.

Replacement: None

12. Points

Price: from about $ 1.

Where used: to restore the car battery

Description: they are a must for your safety when working with lead-acid batteries. The acid in the batteries is very painful and causes corrosion if it ever gets into the eyes.

How to choose the right one: good-quality, durable and reliable glasses will protect you from an unpleasant incident.

Replacement: none

13. Hydrometer.

Price: from 3 to 15 dollars

Where used: to restore the car battery

Description: You need to constantly check the specific gravity of the electrolyte in the car battery with a hydrometer. It consists of a cylindrical rod made of glass, with a balloon weighted with Hg to keep it afloat.

How to choose correctly: choose a hydrometer with a wide range of accuracy and a built-in thermometer (if available)

Replacement: None

14. Awl

14-the awl

Price: about $ 2.

Where it is used: for the recovery of household batteries

Description: in household batteries, you need to drill holes to fill them with liquid.

How to choose: AA batteries require a very thin awl.

Replacement: You can also replace the awl with a thick and long sewing needle, any strong and sharp needle.

15. The syringe.

Price: less than $ 1.

Where it is used: for the recovery of household batteries