Your car won’t start right after turning off one day. Then, you discover that its battery dies after checking the whole vehicle. So, can you recharge dead car battery?
It is not a strange issue that numerous drivers sometimes face with faulty car battery issues. And most of them find it impossible to bring the vehicle to life. However, the fact shows a different story.
In other words, you can 100% solve this problem if you know the way. For those who still get confused, we bring here tips on how to charge a car battery (even the dead ones).
But let’s find the answer to our big question first.
Can You Recharge Dead Car Battery?
Yes, you can. The suitable recharge method of juicing your vehicle battery back to life does not hit the same in different situations. Some common ideas are to use a battery charger, booster pack, etc.
That said, it is important to differentiate the flat battery vs dead battery. The better you make a differentiation, the easier you can find out the solution.
Your car could not start since you left its electricity system on overnight. In this case, a recharging process can revive the vehicle. We mean that it is still in a usable “flat” condition.
By contrast, when is the car battery completely dead? It is when the “flat” condition stays for a long period of time (6 months, for example).
As a result, the car battery did not hold a charge in a normal way. As a solution, jumpstarting the vehicle should be the first idea.
There is another question. How long can a car battery remain dead and still be recharged? It is never a good idea to repeat this option so many times.
The regular dead-battery recharging could negatively affect the battery life and the whole car engine over time.
Is It Safe To Jumpstart A Dead Battery?
There will be no trouble if you follow the safety precautions. If you can ensure it, jumpstarting the dead vehicle battery is 100% safe.
Below is a list of several safety measures you need to know as dead car battery tricks.
- Before connecting jumper cables, turn off two cars.
- Always maintain a connection between the cables and the dead vehicle battery.
- Taking precautions to handle the cables when the power is running through them. Do not touch two ends of those cables at the same time.
- Understanding and following the jump-starting instructions mentioned in your vehicle’s manual.
- Preparing a jump-starter pack if you find it unsafe to use jumper cables.
And now, it is time to jumpstart the battery.
How To Jumpstart A Dead Car Battery?
All you need to do is use another car to jumpstart your vehicle’s battery. Two cars can get connected by the cables. Thus, it would be better for you to always prepare a pair of cables in your car.
Once everything is ready, let’s get started.
Instructions
- Bringing two cars close.
- Turning the engines off.
- Connecting the positive terminal to the positive terminal ends of two vehicles.
- Connecting the negative terminal to the negative terminal ends of two vehicles.
- Ensuring to follow the safety tips or precautions.
- Starting the working vehicle.
- Starting your vehicle with the dead battery.
- Disconnecting the cables after the battery gets fully charged.
How long to charge a dead car battery with jumper cables?
It often takes from 2 to 4 hours. But the amount of time should be 24 hours to charge the battery fully.
Additional Options
Without jump-starting, the car battery dead will it recharge by itself? We are afraid NOT. But you can try several additional options as below.
Using A Battery Jumping Pack Jumping
It seems to be a safer and more convenient choice for any driver.
A portable battery jumping pack with cables in your car will be a great alternative in an emergency. But do not forget to follow the manual since all devices and vehicles are different.
Calling A Mechanic Service/Repair Shop
Calling for expert help should be your priority for drivers without mechanical knowledge.
A reliable service can help you find problems like testing for bad gasoline or a poor electricity system and replacing a new healthy battery (if needed).
However, this solution seems not to be feasible when you are driving in a remote area.
Should You Revive A Dead Car Battery Or Replace It?
There is a wide range of answers to the question of what cause of dead car battery? It could be the cold weather, the bad air conditioning, the battery damage, the leaky car battery, etc.
Regardless of the reasons, you can still revive a battery that seems not to work anymore rather than replace it to save money.
There are only eight simple steps in total.
1. Preparing
The process requires you to prepare several ingredients. They include safety rubber gloves, safety goggles, battery charger, jump starter, apron, water buckets, eye protection, etc.
Reconditioning your dead battery will require assembling simple cleaning tools, baking soda, etc.
2. Cleaning Battery Terminals
Due to the metal material, the battery terminals are often the area with layers of rust. You can clean them by using a brush with a mixture of water and baking soda to remove rust away.
3. Checking Voltage
Using a voltage meter helps you check the battery voltage status.
After connecting the terminals with that device, it is time for you to check the reading. A reconditioning process can revive the battery if the figure is lower than 12.6.
4. Cleaning Battery Acid
Do not forget to wear both safety gloves and goggles. Next, you open the lid with a screwdriver and pour all the acid liquid in the old battery into a bucket. Then, clean the battery with some baking soda.
5. Cleaning Battery’s Cells
In this step, you also use a mixture of water and baking soda. After opening the battery lid, you pour the liquid inside the cells.
Next, you close the lids and start shaking the battery for 2 minutes. Then, it is time to empty the battery.
6. Reconditioning Battery
This step requires an electrolyte solution, including boiling water and Epsom salt.
This electrolyte solution means that you fill the battery cell with the mixture above. As a result, it will help increase both amps and voltage.
7. Charging Reconditioned Battery
It would help if you used a charger for this step. After affixing the terminals of two devices, you only need to wait for the battery to get fully charged.
8. Doing A Battery Test
We suggest doing the test by using a voltmeter. If the reading shows 12.4V, it means a complete reconditioning process.
Final Thought
Again, can you recharge dead car battery? The answer is YES with methods like using another vehicle with some cables.
That said, we do not recommend a repetition since it could negatively affect the engine for months.
Hence, it would help to give your car periodic checks and routine maintenance.