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geekIT

2421 posts

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#224057 31-Oct-2017 11:10
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My old Corolla is on its last legs (or wheels) but I want to keep it running until Christmas at least.

 

Mechanically, it's not too bad, but the battery is quite duff. It'll still start the car - just - as long as I run the engine every day.

 

But I was wondering if I can slightly increase its lifespan, maybe by adding distilled water?

 

Only thing is, it's one of those batteries that has a little window (which shows nothing, not even black) so I wondered if I were to drill a hole in the window, I might be able to add water.

 

Ideas please.





'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

 

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

 

 

 

 

 

 


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tripper1000
1618 posts

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  #1893214 31-Oct-2017 15:46
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There is a lot of quackery and false hope advice around when it comes to batteries but the short story is that once they're done, they're done.

 

Filling it with acid isn't likely to help because it won't be deficient of acid.

 

The two things that it runs out of is water (this decomposes into oxygen gas and Hydrogen gas during overcharging), and active material on the plates, which goes hard/sulphates, or falls off the plates.

 

'IF' it is low on water, adding distilled water may help at little, but only open caps to replenish it. Don't drill holes - if you overshoot and short the plates with the drill bit, the resulting spark will likely cause the battery to explode in your face. Water only needs to just barely cover the plates - it needs a generous air-gap in the top of the cells otherwise it spits the acid out.

 

There is nothing you can do to replace the active material that has either fallen off the plates or sulphated/gone hard through being left discharged.

 

There are possibly other things wrong that can't be repaired - such as the plates and buss bars cracking, and shed active material in the bottom of the battery shorting the plates together. 

 

Is it worth the stress of having an unreliable battery? How many tanks of gas does a budget battery cost? How much is your time worth? You know it is waiting for the worst possible time to finally let you down.

 

Edit: grammar.

 

 


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