Anybody Ever Actually Done This?

[Bruce Wrenn]

There are hundreds of videos showing how to rescue a 12volt battery. Epson salt, baking soda, welder for charging, battery boost charger slow charging. etc. But has anyone here actually been successful of rescuing a dead battery?

[Ron Citerone]

I never have and have serious doubts about it. Risking getting stuck with a dead battery just ain't worth it IMO.

[Lee Schierer]

Placing baking soda in a battery would neutralize the acid in the battery, so that would pretty much doom the battery.

[Warren Lake]

Ive seen some you tubes past hooked up to welders and the ones I saw didnt work.

[Tom M King]

No but keeping NOCO trickle chargers on the ones that don't get used much makes them last longer than those size batteries ever have before. In fact, I don't remember exactly when I started using them not that many years ago, but I don't remember having to replace a single one of those batteries and they spin their motors every time when called on.

[Brian Elfert]

No but keeping NOCO trickle chargers on the ones that don't get used much makes them last longer than those size batteries ever have before. In fact, I don't remember exactly when I started using them not that many years ago, but I don't remember having to replace a single one of those batteries and they spin their motors every time when called on.

I have used a Battery Tender on the start batteries in my converted bus since 2007. I put in new batteries in 2010 and they still start the engine on the first RPM I swear.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

My brothers married sisters. Their father in law had the Motorola dealership in town. The younger brother has been cooking weak batteries with a welder and having good results. He was excited to tell big brother about the trick. Big brother responded "Pops has been doing that for years". Pops had a several very huge battery banks to back up the shop and repeaters.
My buzz box is AC only. I will have brother cook one of my very dead battery this weekend. If it comes back I will be amazed. I don't think it works if the battery is too far gone.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have used a Battery Tender on the start batteries in my converted bus since 2007. I put in new batteries in 2010 and they still start the engine on the first RPM I swear.I keep a Battery Tender on the start battery on my generator. The battery was made in 2009. Started generator first of the month, on monthly test run. In case of battery failure, and to start another stand alone generator, I keep a "Jump Pack" on Battery Tender also. Monthly, run a cycle on repair mode with smart charger on all batteries (car, truck, van, welder etc,)

[Bill Dufour]

Do a search about rescuing forklift batteries. Big lead acid batteries that can weigh a ton or more. An electric forklift with a bad battery can often be had for less then scrap value.
Bill D

[Michael Schuch]

There are hundreds of videos showing how to rescue a 12volt battery. Epson salt, baking soda, welder for charging, battery boost charger slow charging. etc. But has anyone here actually been successful of rescuing a dead battery?


Nope! I have one of those fancy NOCO reconditioning chargers. I have tried it on a half dozen dead, near dead and low batteries. It hasn't done a darn thing to help any of them. To recondition a lead acid battery the best bet is to melt it down and use the lead to build a new one. I have even had to put a dumb charger on a dead battery to give it enough juice for the smart charger to even recognize the battery and try to recondition it... which it didn't.

In the IT industry there are some VERY expensive maintainable lead acid cells for UPS's where you can remove the covers and actually scrape down the lead plates. The sysadmin that showed me his system said that the cost to have the expert come out yearly to recondition the cells was higher than replacing the cell with brand new off the shelf car batteries once a year.

[Bill Howatt]

AFAIK, the idea of the welder trick was to blast away a short between plates and this was for NiCad or at least that's where it started.
I pay no attention to the personal experience type stories and about the only place I trust the information is from: https://batteryuniversity.com/
IMO, you can take steps to ensure your battery is optimally stored with the right amount of charge and environmental conditions. Batteries that are kept around in a heated building and are used occasionally are experiencing considerably different service than a vehicle battery. Around here it cooks in the fires of hell in the summer and is expected to perform well when it is perhaps pushing -40C or F on some days.
In leaner times I went with trickle chargers, battery warmers, and whatever and have come to the conclusion the money is better spent by replacing the battery.