Any point to reconditioning a car battery?

[Wade Lippman]

Yesterday my 4 year old battery just barely started my car. Hopefully Spring will eventually arrive and warmer temperatures should give better results. But still....

I have a battery charger that reconditions batteries by "breaking up the crystalline form of lead sulfate and turning them back into useful battery electrolytes."

Is that worth trying? Would I have to disconnect the battery from the car first?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Probably not going to help. It is spring though, so it might help the battery make it until cooler weather.

[George Bokros]

Is this in a car you use regularly? If so I would replace it so you are not stranded somewhere. If it is in a summer car then charging it may give some life but replacement is the right way to go.

What is the warranty on the battery? You may only have to pay part of the replacement cost.

[Chuck Wintle]

Yesterday my 4 year old battery just barely started my car. Hopefully Spring will eventually arrive and warmer temperatures should give better results. But still....

I have a battery charger that reconditions batteries by "breaking up the crystalline form of lead sulfate and turning them back into useful battery electrolytes."

Is that worth trying? Would I have to disconnect the battery from the car first?
it may work for the summer months as the load is less to start the car but when winter is back it won't do the job.

[Mel Miller]

First thing I would do is disconnect the battery and clean the posts & cables. Then see if the charger brings it up to full charge.
If not, I'd replace the battery. Batteries are not that expensive and "battery reconditioning" is a controversial subject.

[Mike Lassiter]

if the battery was on something that sat unused for months or even years a charge with a slow low amp charge can rejuvinate it and save it. I had a car sit parked in my yard unused over 2 years that the battery was dead (obviously) on. DEAD - no interior light when the door was opened no anything. I put a small charger on it set on 2amp charge. Left it connected for several days. Go back and now interior lights burn brightly with the door open. Tried the key and everything lighting up and buzzing, so turned it to start; and it cranked up and ran!
The car was moved into the driveway were it sat for about a week. I started it a couple of more times and still cranking good. Son in law bought it after driving it and it worked fine until he wrecked it a couple of weeks later.

With that said, the slow charge does do what you stated as opposed to trying to revive a dead battery with a high amp charge. If your battery is failing and you are still using the vehicle daily or at least weekly you should replace it. It is not the same situtation as one sitting unused for along time that is dead.

[Frederick Skelly]

Yesterday my 4 year old battery just barely started my car. Hopefully Spring will eventually arrive and warmer temperatures should give better results. But still....

I have a battery charger that reconditions batteries by "breaking up the crystalline form of lead sulfate and turning them back into useful battery electrolytes."

Is that worth trying? Would I have to disconnect the battery from the car first?

If you already own the charger - yes, try it. If it doesnt work (e.g., it doesnt crank well or your lights are dim), then buy a new battery. Definitely disconnect the battery before charging.

[Art Mann]

Use google or some other search engine to look up "battery desulfation". I believe that is what your charger has the capability of doing. It is in no way controversial and is done routinely by people (such as myself) who maintain multiple high capacity batteries for RV use. It may not be effective but it might give you a little more life out of the current battery.

[Matt Meiser]

It definitely helps the deep cycle battery on my sump pump which goes (hopefully) very long times with no use. I started doing it once a year which is about a 2 day process with my charger.

On a 4 year old car battery, I'd check for unusual current draw with the key off, and if I found none I'd replace it. The life expectancy is around 5 years and for $100 or so its not worth the hassle of having it not start your car at an inopportune time.