Battery question I think I screwed up

[rayshound]

I had purchased two NAPA group 31 batteries five years ago. Still in box on shelf in garage. Tried to charge them, won't hold charge. Someone told me they sulphated? I borrowed a China mart battery charger that has a recondition mode it said it will desulphate the battery with high frequency. Whats the chances? If it does restore it could it be trusted. We won't even talk about the six 6 volt golf cart batteries on the shelf. Is it time to start over again battery wise? Thanks Ray

[Barn Owl]

Sorry to hear about your batteries Ray, batteries start to die the minute they are manufactured. Unfortunately, even if they are not used. If you let a battery go dead, even a new one, they will never hold a full charge again. There are several places on the net that will explain more about batteries than I could here. Google "battery maintenance" and see what you can find. Someone here might have some good links they can post.

[pvcces]

Ray, we routinely recover batteries that are in pretty bad shape, but I have never tried one that has set around that long. A desulfater might work, and I think it's the only thing that has a chance.

If a battery recovers while using a desufator, then you could well get long service out of it.

If it freezes where these batteries were stored, could they have gotten below freezing? If they go completely dead, it's easy to freeze them, and all the cases that I know of, a frozen battery would not be recoverable.

If that's one of those smart chargers from Walmart, they don't seem to desufate long enough to do the whole job. I would buy a dedicated desulfator and use it with a one amp charger. Put both on a battery for three weeks or so, and use a load tester, such as a starting motor.

If anything will work, that's what I would try. If it works, just think what you will do if you have a weak battery in the future.

Good luck with your batteries.

Tom Caffrey
Suncatcher
Ketchikan, Alaska

[rayshound]

Thanks, the batteries were never frozen in cold weather as I live close to Houston Tx. One of the batteries goes to 18v and the charger shuts down and flashes over voltage. The other one charges and says complete but the next day the charger says 30 percent and about 9 volts but will charge right back up to 100 percent and 14 volts. I have two different chargers one quite expensive both same results. Now I have a 3rd with a desulphate mode but a cheap one $59.00. I guess I will have same problems with my six 6 volt golf cart batteries for the inverter. I have had the dusalphate mode on for 18 hrs now and it still doing its thing don't know if it shuts off when complete or wants you to shut it off? Thanks Ray

[Ncbob]

I'm going stick (perhaps my unwanted) opinion in here FWIW.

We're talking about resurrecting (2) 5 year old batteries which weren't maintained properly from the beginning of their lives. 

If I had invested $160 with Warren Buffet 5 years ago...do you have any idea what that money would be worth today?  And I wouldn't have to be responsible for the maintenence of that investment!

But, it seems to me that you invested some money in an item which (you were under the mistaken impression would hold its' value and condition) gave you a surprise!

Without being rude, or critical, take your loss (just as you might in the equities market) and go on with your life!

Is another $160-180 going to make the difference as to whether you live or die?  Spending more good money after bad is not the way to go.  THEY"RE DEAD! And Al Gore and John Kerry lost elections!   Live with it!

Hope you have a pleasant day and I hope you have learned from this experience!

Bob

[rayshound]

All true I guess, I more than likely will surrive. Not only is the loss of two $110. batteries but six six volt batteries and even more important is lessions learned, do I wait until I am ready to drive before purchasing any more batteries? Do I just chunk these or can they be reconditioned? If I buy them now how do you maintain them so this doesn't happen again. Thanks Ray