If it's not a sealed unit, if it's been heavily discharged regularly you might need to add electrolyte- fill the cells with distilled water.
Anything else kill a 5 year old battery?
- Thread starter Zymurgy
- Start date
Thanks for the tip Ross. I actually check them yesterday and the water was at the right level. Your post yesterday made me think of my step-dad. He could always get around 10 years out of his batteries. He always has his batteries hooked up to a trickle charger when not running and told me to always check the water level at the beginning of the driving season and when ever I had a charging issue.
So today when you mentioned to check the water level after a heavy discharge, it just made me smile. I think you and my step-dad are made of the same mold.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Just bought a nice big new L49 battery after noting that the old Mopar battery I had was 18 months past its dead date. Popped a new regulator in, and noted it behaves like the old one, which I'll keep for the cradle and 400. All is now SWELL!
Batteries simply will exhaust their LEAD after 3-5 years. I tried de-sulphating the old battery w Epsom salts, which gave it just enough current to turn that 383 for one more week, but the voltage never got back over 10.5 V. My little 500 CCA marine battery, a spare used for computer backup power, worked for 5 days, but alas, was near dry when I popped it in and IS DRY as the Sonora Desert now. After desulphating, it still is stuck at 8 V, and worthless. THAT was when I decided to buy the big new Exide L49 at Home Depot for $120 before tax.
Buy yourself a new battery bro. 5 years is a GOOD run. Give the old one a decent burial and put a pentastar emblem on the grave.
Batteries simply will exhaust their LEAD after 3-5 years. I tried de-sulphating the old battery w Epsom salts, which gave it just enough current to turn that 383 for one more week, but the voltage never got back over 10.5 V. My little 500 CCA marine battery, a spare used for computer backup power, worked for 5 days, but alas, was near dry when I popped it in and IS DRY as the Sonora Desert now. After desulphating, it still is stuck at 8 V, and worthless. THAT was when I decided to buy the big new Exide L49 at Home Depot for $120 before tax.
Buy yourself a new battery bro. 5 years is a GOOD run. Give the old one a decent burial and put a pentastar emblem on the grave.
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I only have a few more weeks of driving season. I will probably just wait until next spring at this point. The boat is coming off the water this week so I will have it as a back up, if the battery ends up being toast.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Make a solution of epsom salts, heavy concentration, say about 4 tblsp / cup DISTILLED H2O. Make sure the MgSO4 is COMPLETELY dissolved, then titrate a bit into each cell of your old battery, jump start if you must, and take Goldie for a good bumpy ride to mix the epsom salts in WELL w the plumbic sulphate at the bottom of your old battery. This should buy you those weeks.
Just an update. My old battery has kept it's charge and turned over the engine strong, after sitting for a few days. Drove about 30 miles and everything it running great. I noticed my binkers run quicker now too. Absolutely a defective voltage regulator.
LocuMob
Fluid Technician with a hat
Glad it wasn't a big issue.
tbm3fan
Old Man with a Hat
Volts are nice but amps are important to. The guy across the street is a AAA battery guy who drives around in the yellow AAA truck helping AAA members with their issues. I, too, was getting 12.8 volts on a battery but when he checked it he found it down 150 amps from it's stated output. Would it work? Maybe yes and maybe no. It might start an older car but a 98 Sable it wouldn't start given the engine management computer.
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