Battery charging

37chief · Jan 21, 2013

I have a 6 battery that is about 12 years old. Think it will take a charge? Has anyone had any luck charging an old battery, or am I just wasting time, and electricity? Stan

buickanddeere · Jan 21, 2013

It depends but odds are slim.
If the battery had been stored fully charged and kept cool, maybe it would have 40-60% of rated capacity. If lucky.
Test the electrolyte and give it a charge. No sparks around the battery until after all flamable gasses have excaped.
We did have one unusual factory Delco last 17 years in the 86 pickup.

da.bees · Jan 21, 2013

I have the same quandary with a 5 year old battery. I hope somone knows the answer because I realy don't want to put a charger on it until I'm certain it will take a charge.

JMOR · Jan 21, 2013

(quoted from post at 21:19:19 01/21/13) I have the same quandary with a 5 year old battery. I hope somone knows the answer because I realy don't want to put a charger on it until I'm certain it will take a charge.

"...until I'm certain it will take a charge." In that case just go ahead & trash it, because you are not going to get that "certainty"!

pete black · Jan 21, 2013

i would charge it slowly with the expectation of replacing it.

BAnNC · Jan 21, 2013

Yep. Just this week, don"t know exactly how old this one is but on slow charge, it made it enough to crank the same truck its been sitting in for at least the last 5-6 years.

ShadetreeRet · Jan 21, 2013

As has already been stated, some do, some don't. I would have to put it on a charger just out of curiosity. I think one of the most unusual instances was when I bought a riding mower a few years ago. It had been siting under a carport for about three years and had not been started. I got it home and hooked a charger to it, and it took a charge. Used it for two years with same battery.

El Toro · Jan 22, 2013

Try charging your battery then use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity in each cell. Should be around 1.280. Hal

Angle Iron · Jan 22, 2013

I have had fair luck on totaly dead older batteries by puting a small load on them while charging. Use a bulb that draws about the same as a brake light bulb. Many times a battery will be so dead that the charger will not even try but the bulb causes the charger to start. Set on low setting and give it a try.

Battery charging

37chief

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buickanddeere

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da.bees

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JMOR

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pete black

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BAnNC

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ShadetreeRet

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El Toro

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Angle Iron

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