Safe to charge?

[rampage]

I have a lead acid battery that's about 15 yrs old and it has basically hardly been used. It's been sitting in my garage unused for almost it's entire life and as you might guess it's dead (2.5V). The fluid level is right at the top of all the plates so I'm assuming I don't need to add any distilled water. The only problem is that the battery has a slight bulge on either end. Why is that and will it be safe to put it on a trickle charger?

 

[sweetk30]

wow thats old.

trickle charge real slow over few days prob best.

and new thay can have little bulge. but if frozen before then bulge gets BIGGER and no good then 98% of the time.

 

[rampage]

Yeah it's been in my truck that I never got around to finishing fixing up.

I live near San Francisco and it rarely gets that cold. And I'm trying to remember if I ever accidentally left it in my freezer

 

[imiceman44]

Yeah it's been in my truck that I never got around to finishing fixing up.

I live near San Francisco and it rarely gets that cold. And I'm trying to remember if I ever accidentally left it in my freezer

well I can tell you if it has a bulge it's bad, but you can spend a little time trying to revive it.
I never successfully recovered a bulging battery, I believe it is the plates covered with the deposits that makes it bulge, but I could be wrong.

 

[Stomis]

Hook it positive to positive, negative to negative to a good charged battery and it will help bring it back. Then put the charger on it slowly while theyre hooked together.

 

[rampage]

Hook it positive to positive, negative to negative to a good charged battery and it will help bring it back.

You mean .... in parallel?
I thought you only did that with agm type batteries. Guess I learned something for the day.

FWIW I measured the bulge and it's sticking out 3/16 on either side.

My charger is similar to this one, except it's a Dayton. Should I put it on the 6v setting to start it off with and if it takes a charge then step up to the 12v setting or just leave it on the 12v and see what happens? I guess my main concern is whether I'm going to have acid all over the place or not.

 

[imiceman44]

You mean .... in parallel?
I thought you only did that with agm type batteries. Guess I learned something for the day.

FWIW I measured the bulge and it's sticking out 3/16 on either side.

My charger is similar to this one, except it's a Dayton. Should I put it on the 6v setting to start it off with and if it takes a charge then step up to the 12v setting or just leave it on the 12v and see what happens? I guess my main concern is whether I'm going to have acid all over the place or not.

Just put it on 12v, you won't have acid all over the place but I think it will not take a good charge, that has been my experience.
I just went thru and revived a dozen batteries and there were 2 that were like that, they seemed to work but a week later, they were dead again, the others are still fine.

 

[rampage]

Just put it on 12v, you won't have acid all over the place but I think it will not take a good charge, that has been my experience.
I just went thru and revived a dozen batteries and there were 2 that were like that, they seemed to work but a week later, they were dead again, the others are still fine.

... I'm sure mine would be the exception
Hate to be stranded somewhere. Sounds like I'll just pony up the $$ to be on the safe side.

 

[imiceman44]

... I'm sure mine would be the exception
Hate to be stranded somewhere. Sounds like I'll just pony up the $$ to be on the safe side.

well if it was sitting all this time, you can let it sit another week, charge it let it sit overnight without charge, then charge it again and let it sit for a week and see if it holds the charge, that is what I did to mine.
Out of 12 batteries I got 2 bad and 10 good, and 3 of those had been sitting outside for 8 years and they are still good.

 

[sweetk30]

i had one freeze up here in the salt rust belt of ny 1 winter. pulled it out and let it thaw out in shop 1 day . then charged it 1 day slow and still going.

must be the exception to the rule of freeze = death.

 

[imiceman44]

i had one freeze up here in the salt rust belt of ny 1 winter. pulled it out and let it thaw out in shop 1 day . then charged it 1 day slow and still going.

must be the exception to the rule of freeze = death.

Well freeze and try to use will kill it.
Freeze then thaw then recharge most times will work.
It's when you kick a battery when it's down that kills it.
Now the swelling is generally from Sulfating, and when the plates are sulfated, it's non reversible, I have succeded some times in saving it by dropping the battery flat on it's bottom from about a foot high a few times then charge at high for a couple of minutes then charge normally, but only on 1%.
I also tried the red liquid that supposedly desulfates, well that only worked once.
Now I don't try too hard anymore, I can get $8-10 for a dead battery, even $15 for a core if I am buying a new one, and prices of batteries that can last just as long as an old revived battery are low enough I don't bother too much.
I did this last 2 months because I was home with no work and nothing else to do.

 

[rampage]

well if it was sitting all this time, you can let it sit another week, charge it let it sit overnight without charge, then charge it again and let it sit for a week and see if it holds the charge, that is what I did to mine.

True. I'll give it shot.
Thanks.

 

[4X4HIGH]

well I can tell you if it has a bulge it's bad, but you can spend a little time trying to revive it.
I never successfully recovered a bulging battery, I believe it is the plates covered with the deposits that makes it bulge, but I could be wrong.

This is exactly why it's bulged and that battery is no good now.

 

[imiceman44]

This is exactly why it's bulged and that battery is no good now.

I know and I filled in the blank with sulfating in a later post
Man my memory is starting to fade, it took me a whole day to remember what it was called.

 

[diesel4me]

I have never tried it--but I've read that adding a teaspoon of Epsom Salts to each cell and a long slow low amp charge,can de-sulphate old batteries,and allow you to get more use out of them....some special battery chargers supposedly de-sulphate cells too,by "pulsing" the charge thru them ....that said,most of my batteries that sit dead any length of time are usually fubared,no matter how much you charge them,they wont hold the charge more than a day or two,and are much weaker than they ever were before letting them sit idle...

 

[imiceman44]

I have never tried it--but I've read that adding a teaspoon of Epsom Salts to each cell and a long slow low amp charge,can de-sulphate old batteries,and allow you to get more use out of them....some special battery chargers supposedly de-sulphate cells too,by "pulsing" the charge thru them ....that said,most of my batteries that sit dead any length of time are usually fubared,no matter how much you charge them,they wont hold the charge more than a day or two,and are much weaker than they ever were before letting them sit idle...

Exactly, and that is why I just go get my $8 out of them and go buy a new one if I need it.

 

[rampage]

Did some research on the Epsom Salts - very interesting. But from what I've read it seems like a lot of work for not enough reward.
I think ultimately it's just going to go to battery heaven without trying to resuscitate with the paddles. It can be a donor for a new battery.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Do yourself a favor and buy an Interstate battery. I've had the best luck with them and have been running them for years. I have dual batteries in my blazer that I installed 10 years ago and they're still going strong.