Battery Charger/Desulfator

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I have a 3.5 year old Duracell (East Penn sold by Batteries Plus) battery in my 2012 Mazda. It's the 2-year free replacement version so not the top of the line. A few months ago the engine started cranking more slowly. I tested the battery and the resting voltage was around 12.3 with the voltage dropping to about 9.0 when cranking the engine. I figured it was time to replace the battery, but I started hooking up my el-cheapo Harbor Freight float charger to it at night. Before too long the resting voltage was fluctuating between 12.4 and 12.6 and the cranking voltage was staying above 10. Then, I bought a Battery Tender charger/desulfator after reading about what desulfators do. I hook it up to my battery only on the weekend while the car is in the garage and now the voltage levels seem to remain similar to a new battery's.

Has anyone actually realized the huge gains in battery life claimed as a result of using a desulfator? This is an experiment for me. I have no real problem buying a new battery if needed, but I am finding the restored performance quite satisfying.
 
Originally Posted by DBMaster
Has anyone actually realized the huge gains in battery life claimed as a result of using a desulfator?

Not that I could tell.
 
I have had really amazing results on some batteries with my 2 amp charger /desulfinator. I have a Wal-Mart battery in my wife's VW Cabriolet that was replaced in 2002. I have used it 3 times in that batteries life and it is still working good and starting this car. I have 6 year old riding mower battery that I used it on and My Ford Ranger Wal-Mart battery is 10 years old. It doesn't work on all batteries and I usually give it a week to perform its magic. It has been a good investment for me.
 
I have seven cars. They don't get a lot of use. My batteries would be much shorter lived if I didn't keep maintainers on them.

For routine use not kept on float charge, it's difficult to objectively tell.

It's maybe prudent to keep a charge on them the coldest few nights of the winter as a best practice.
 
Never bought a specific "desulphator" but my optimates and CTEKS have recovered many marginal batteries.

UD
 
I would be the first to admit that I dont know if desulfators work but like others have said there is some evidence that under the right conditions with the right battery they can bring back a battery to a higher level of charge. Its probably no surprise that as a battery ages it looses capacity mostly from sulfates that build up on the plates normally. The fact that most cars do not fully charge the battery causes this process to happen at a faster pace. If you look at the recommended procedure for charging you will find that they recommend a bulk charge to 80% then holding a set voltage and reducing the current slowly over a period of multiple hours to get back to 100%. This almost never happens with a normal driving cycle so the battery never really gets back to 100% and sulfation is sped up. Using a maintainer helps get that last 20% back in and the battery wont sulfate with the voltage above 13.2v or so. I think that alone also helps redissolve the sulfates back into the acid as long as it is still soft. If the battery sits too long in a partial discharged state the sulfates will start to harden and will not easily go back into solution. This is were the frequency pulsing of desulfators is suppose to help. Although many suspect that even if its working it cannot redissolve the sulfates but can dislodge them from the plates falling to the bottom of the cell but re-exposing fresh plate material and prolonging useful battery life.
Of course I dont really understand any of this so dont trust anything you just read.
 
YES, I have noticed the results with using a battery Tender/maintainer. I am currently using a maintainer in my 2015 Altima w/OE battery with removal caps. "KEEP THE ACID LEVEL ABOVE THE LEAD PLATES AT ALL TIMES.

I hook up the Tender/maintainer often and let it bring the voltage up. Sometimes I'll hook it up in the morning when I get up and leave it for 3-4 hours. It brings the voltage up to around 13.2-13.4 volts and when I remove the maintainer, the battery holds at around 12.5v.

With the battery in the Firebird in my signature, I have a Schumacher permanent mount maintainer atop the battery and I keep it plugged in most of the time when the car is not in use, and all winter long of course!
smile.gif
This battery is a Walmart EverStart(non MAXX) Dual Termal(DT) also with removal caps and is now 20 years old. Yes I said, 20 years old! "AGAIN, KEEP THE ACID LEVEL UP"!

I always try to buy batteries with removal caps, not the sealed type battery.
 
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AGM sulfates a lot more slowly than FLA. Choose the right product next time you go shopping and your maintenance headaches will be reduced.
 
I got over 14 years out of a U-1 lawnmower battery hooked to a BatteryMinder while parked. I kept the cells topped off too.
 
Originally Posted by Char Baby
YES, I have noticed the results with using a battery Tender/maintainer. I am currently using a maintainer in my 2015 Altima w/OE battery with removal caps. "KEEP THE ACID LEVEL ABOVE THE LEAD PLATES AT ALL TIMES.

I hook up the Tender/maintainer often and let it bring the voltage up. Sometimes I'll hook it up in the morning when I get up and leave it for 3-4 hours. It brings the voltage up to around 13.2-13.4 volts and when I remove the maintainer, the battery holds at around 12.5v.

With the battery in the Firebird in my signature, I have a Schumacher permanent mount maintainer atop the battery and I keep it plugged in most of the time when the car is not in use, and all winter long of course!
smile.gif
This battery is a Walmart EverStart(non MAXX) Dual Termal(DT) also with removal caps and is now 20 years old. Yes I said, 20 years old! "AGAIN, KEEP THE ACID LEVEL UP"!

I always try to buy batteries with removal caps, not the sealed type battery.



This is what an ounce of prevention can do. Well done.
 
The battery I have is "sealed." I can see that it has vents, obviously, but the cells do not have removable covers. I read a number of articles advising to keep the cells submerged, but I can't access them.

This is the charger I purchased. I have a connector permanently wired to my battery to enable quick connect/disconnect. I've been pleased that it seems to have returned my voltage readings to those of a new battery. Overall, I am encouraged by these posts. Thank you!

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332201_200332201
 
Yeah DB, those maintainers are great! I also think that by keeping a battery in tip-top condition is what contributes to the desulfating (no corrosion at the terminals). I never have to clean the battery terminals on my Firebird's battery. I look at it now & again and do it just to do it but it's been fine.

I have two (different brand) that are similar to the ones at Northern Tools. And I aslo have one that is designed to be mounted under hood of a vehicle(Firebird in my sig).

Just keep doing what you're doing until the battery doesn't start the engine any longer.
 
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^Thanks.

I have a plastic snap-on cover over the battery, but I do keep an eye on the terminals every so often.
 
I feel a battery desulfator will in theory work to add some life back to a sulfated battery. But it probably depends upon many factors in how the sulfation occurred.

I have left a battery on a desulfator for months, ocassionally looking at the cell with the cap off and could not detect any changes. That was as scientific as I got.

So it may help, but do not expect miracles.
 
I have gotten a few more years from problem batteries with my Noco G7200 using the repair mode. Problem is the chargers haven't made more than 5 years for me.
 
[Linked Image]


I tried the $25 Max Desulphator MD-12 on various 12-19Ah SLA batteries, all 4 of 4 failed to bring back any kind of life to them. The manufacturer told me that small SLA batteries are simply too cheaply made to begin with. On another note regarding small SLA batteries, as long as you maintain them, I've had some that lasted over 6 years.

I'm tempted to 'desulphate' my ~4.5 year old Walmart ValuePower car battery, see my write up with pic here, towards the bottom of page 1:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5369191/1
 
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