Battery Addatives

[megadethmaniac]

As Its got a little colder I`ve noticed that the modern Diesel doesn`t turn over like it ought, nothing major but just enough to be noticeable. That cold crank just didn`t seen so enthusiastic. Until yesterday then key in and nowt, although it could be the interior fan (that doesn`t now turn off with the key) that drained the battery? It all points to the fact that the battery (at least 4 years old) is probably living on borrowed time.

I recall my dad a few years ago going on about an addative that you could use to pep up the battery? It certainly fixeed the Yaris that mum had as her daily until she got rid.

Anyone know anything about them?

Anyone know who makes the stuff and where you can get it?

[Willy Eckerslyke]

Sorry this is a boring reply, but I believe that all these treatments are fine when you just want to extend the life of the battery long enough to sell a car, but a waste of money if you're keeping it. Once a battery's on the way out, it's time to replace it- especially when it happens in the winter.
Mind you, I find that modern batteries tend to die suddenly rather than slowly, so it might not be the cause of the problem. Can you borrow a fresh one to try first?

[arceye]

Hi, first off any addivitives are only going to buy some extra time, but anything is worth a go
I think I have most of this right.....

Lead Acid batteries die for two reasons, the first and supposedly slightly reversible is sulphation, over time as the battery is used the plates build up a scale of sulphur which blocks the electric. The other cause is not reversible and that is the break down of the plates due to the sulphation process breaking down the lead. A build up of sulphur and lead plate material at the bottom of the battery will cause a short and kill the cell and if this occurs unless it can be cleared the battery is dead.

So, the additives are intended to remove the sulphation from the lead plates giving the battery new life, dont blame me if it doesn't work but apart from the commercially available additives (lots of them out there if you google or ebay) the old fix is epsom salts.

Some say to empty the battery, fill it with a solution of distilled water and epsom salts (approx 8 oz) and then slow charge the battery, empty and re fill with the battery acid solution you removed. Easier is just to add a teaspoon of epsom salts to each cell, either dry or preferably melted in hot distilled water, then charge the battery.

It may buy a little time, or not, but I suppose its worth a go, much depends on how bad the battery actually is, I'm told if the battery is holding between ten and 12 volts it has a chance, if less then not much chance at all.

You can also check the cells first with a multimeter, one lead to battery post and one in the acid of the next cell, then the lead that went to the post in the cell just checked and the other lead placed in the next cell etc etc, all cells should read close to 2 volts, if one is way down then it is probably shorted and the battery is stuffed.

[Wicksy]

There was a product that claimed to "desulpherize" the plates and rujunevate an old battery but I hav'nt seen it advertised for years.
Your experience is classic ( no pun)- this time of year the cold weather puts up the starting loads and one day, usually when you are late for work or in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain, the battery just dies Four years is par for a battery too I reckon although you may be able to improve that with a smart trickle charger.
New Batteries are a relatively cheap item and I say just get a new one - my Princees battery died lat week and no amount of charging would get to keep more than 12 volts for more than a few hours. A battery in good health should stay at 12.8 v or above with no load by the way.
The new battery I bought was a superior cad cell 55AH and it cost less than £50 delivered from Batterymegastore - Halffords wanted £109 for the same part, no wonder they make mega profits

[megadethmaniac]

Thanks everyone that posted on this one. I was sceptical that the car would start this morning as it was distinctly minus on the temp scale, unlike yesterday where it was + but snowing heavens hard... Anyway cranked fine and I`ve a hundred or so miles under the belt since then and the battery seems ok.

Not sure for its long term life and so had a word with a local tyre place here in Billericay who will get in a replacement early next week so should be ok. Have you ever noticed that the battery fitted is never the same one as is recommended for the car. The stock "recommended" battery is about 2"-3" smaller all round than that fitted and I`m led to beleive that that was the original.

Never too sure about such "quack cure" fixes as they allways seem too good to be true.

Far from being a short term fix the stuff my dad used ment that the battery lasted another 2 or 3 years? Probably 6 months for the average driver though....

[arceye]

I think you could possibly get another year or so providing the sulphation is reversed, there is also a way of doing this electronically I believe. I have bought "cheap" batteries that have been re-energised that have done o.k though they can never have the lifespan of a properly cared for new battery.

The end result would come down to the integrity of the lead plates in the battery, and any possibility of shorting due to debris at the bottom of the cell.

I actually tried it with a battery that was attached to the Riley I'm doing just as an experiment that I knew would not be viable, that had been stood in all conditions for around 30 years, it actually managed to take charge after epsom salts of around 2 volts per cell, unfortunately one of the cells lead plates disintegrated too far and killed that cell, but it was interesting to see something so far gone show some promise.

So yeah, providing the plates are not too bad and the sulphate is removed I could see a battery going another year or two like your dads did.

[tractorman]

It may not be a "Fair test" but I tried some tablets from Halfords on the old Ferguson's battery. The original battery was the same size as the one on Mother's Metro (and was used on that on an odd occasion!); it was a cheap make and pretty old (who would put a good battery on a machine you were going to scrap within a year - apart from me with my old Passat?!). When I got the tractor, the battery hardly held a charge - or the dynamo/regulator weren't charging it). The battery lasted about ten years before it packed up altogether and I was given one from a scrap Transit which actually fitted the tray on the tractor! As I never touched the dynamo and regulator (apart from painting), I suspect the tablets did a great job.

I had problems wiht the Golf last winter - it was OK if I started it every day, but if I left it for more than three, it turned over very slowly and more or less died as the car eventually started. I put a decent Varta battery on (it cost about ninety pounds from a cheap internet supplier) and the difference was most impressive - probably the best it has been since I bought the car. The "big" tractor's battery had been good for the first three years and, in March, it began to play up. I replaced that with a cheap battery - but haven't been as impressed with it. The old one, when in good condition, started the tractor very quickly. I had to charge the new one last month and it was still slow to start a week later. I usually disconnect the battery if I am not going to use the tractor(s) for a week or more; I didn't on that occasion as I was expecting to use it the next day.