7 Quick Ways to Revive a Dead Car Battery
You can use the hand-cranking method, some Epsom salt solution, chainsaw or a power tool, hot ash, aspirin, and a host of other readily available options. The best part is that you only need to bring your battery to a full charge afterward – no visit to the auto shop is required.
Waking up to a dead battery can be destabilizing. You would naturally be thrown off guard but not for long if you know how to revive it. If your battery is aged, you will likely experience this phenomenon often. Thankfully, there are many options at your disposal, and we will explore seven of them in this blog post.
How to revive a dead car battery
Every responsible car owner must know that they do not need an auto shop for everything. For instance, when you wake up to a dead car battery, there are many methods you can take from the comfort of your home to revive it.
Seven of them include:
1. Jumpstarting
You can use a pair of jumper cables and another battery or a battery booster to revive your dead battery. It is a quick and easy fix that allows another battery to transfer electrical currents to recharge the dead battery and turn over the engine.
To revive a dead car battery through this method, you need a pair of booster cables, a booster car, and your dead battery.
Step 1: Position the vehicles
The vehicles must be close enough to each other because the jumper cables are usually restricted in length. The other vehicle must have a sufficient battery charge to power the dead battery.
Then pop the hoods.
Step 2: Connect the positive cables
Next, connect the red jumper cable to the positive terminal, indicated by the plus sign. The positive terminal is also more prominent than the negative one. You can also identify it through its symbolic red color.
The other part of the positive cable should also be attached to the positive terminal of the other car’s battery.
Step 3: Connect the negative cables
Next, you must attach the black cable to the booster car battery’s negative terminal. The negative sign and black color indicate it. Pay attention to this – the other part of this cable should be attached to a metallic object in the recipient car’s engine bay.
However, it may not work. In that case, you will need to carefully connect the cable to the negative terminal of the dead car. Some sparks may result, but this is perfectly normal.
Step 4: Start the engines
Start the engine of the booster car first. Then move to the vehicle with the dead battery and ignite it. If it fails to start, hit the gas pedal of the booster car to increase the electrical outburst. By now, the vehicle with the dead battery should be up and running.
Step 5: Disconnect the cables
Remove the negative cable from the recipient vehicle first, then unplug the other part connected to the booster car. Move to the positive cable from the previously dead car and disconnect the final piece from the booster vehicle.
Keep the engine running by driving around for a minimum of thirty minutes. Otherwise, the battery may discharge faster and need to begin this process again.
2. Use Epsom Salt Solution
Batteries require electrolytes to power vehicles. It is present in the liquid most batteries contain.
When your battery dies, you can rely on Epsom salt solution to revive it. Infuse a teaspoon of Epsom salt into a gallon of water and pour it into the battery. But check the battery terminals for corrosion first. You will identify a corroded battery through the powdery substances surrounding this area. You can clean it with a soft toothbrush.
Let the Epsom salt solution sit in the battery for a minimum of thirty minutes before you reconnect it to your vehicle.
3. Use aspirin solution to break down the sulfate crystals
Sulfate crystals can also kill your battery. It is called battery sulfation, and many factors cause it. For instance, sulfate crystals will likely occur if the battery has a faulty charging system or is left in a discharged state for too long.
Thankfully, it is nothing two aspirins in 0.25 gallons of water will not resolve. The sulfate crystals are in the battery, so unscrew it and pour the aspirin solution inside.
4. Distilled water
You can also use distilled water to revive your dead car battery. A dead battery is caused by insufficient electrolytes, which you can replenish with distilled water. Ensure you add enough to submerge the battery plates and activate the reaction area.
5. The 18-volt drill solution
Another jumpstart technique for dead car batteries is the 18-volt drill solution. You will need an 18-volt power tool and some jumper cables. Attach one end of the clamps to your vehicle and the other to the 18-volt device. Turn on the tool to instantly jumpstart the car battery.
6. Use the chainsaw method
You can also use a dismantled chainsaw to revive a dead car battery. You can rearrange it to perform the functions of a pulley. The parts you do not need are the chain, blade, and drive sprocket.
The alternator’s drive belts should also be disconnected and used to create a connection between the alternator pulley and the chainsaw’s drive spindle. The straps must be well secured while charging the battery with the chainsaw’s power supply.
Charging a dead car battery with a chainsaw should not be done by everyone. If you are not familiar with power tools, it is a great idea to consider other methods.
7. Hot ash
Finally, you can use some hot ash to revamp a dead battery. Burn something that will provide sufficient ash to hold the battery. When the fire dies, place the battery amid the ashes and leave it there until the battery gains some heat.
However, there may be some sparks during the process. When that happens, you can submerge the battery until the sparks stop.
