Golf cart battery rejuvenating

Joined
Mar 21, 2004
Messages
29,624
Location
Near the beach in Delaware
I was talking to guy about the new to him golf cart. The batteries are in OK but not great condition. He is planning on dumping out the battery acid. Pouring in water and baking soda to clean the battery cells. Then rinse with distilled water. Then fill back up with the proper electrolyte.

Never hear of it. Does it work?
 
First question, what is he going to do with the old acid? If the lead plates are breaking apart inside the battery, nothing will be gained by doing anything to the battery. Companies that recycle batteries cut the cases apart and evaluate the internal condition, then replace plates that are too far gone to work. By doing what your friend wants to do doesn't guarantee anything but having a big mess to clean up , and probably ruining any clothes he was wearing while making the mess. That's my 2 cents.,,,
 
It would be an extreme waste of time and effort.

I'd separate them into 12v pairs( mainly as my charging sources are for 12v batteries), discharge them quickly to about 11.5v, then apply no less than 40 amps until voltage at the terminals rises to 14.8v, and then hold that voltage until amps taper to very low levels, This constant voltage absorption stage is no less than 4 hours and likely much much longer.

Then I'd crank voltage upto 16.2v and hold that voltage until specific gravity stops rising, or 105f is reached.
This equalization charge can be 40 minutes to 16 hours long.

A hydrometer is required. OTC4619 is a good one, though Francis Freas is the benchmark in accuracy and precision.
A charging source capable of high amperage and seeking and holding a chosen voltage upto 16.2v is also required.

If these two latter tools were available and used previously, the batteries would likely be in far better condition.

In golf carts the series parallel interconnects can be an issue, which might make their owner believe the batteries are compromised, which they might be, because of bad connections AND chronic undercharging.
An IR thermometer on the interconnects, or even a hand placed on them after they have been in use can point to problem connections.

Most plug in golf cart chargers are not capable of equalization voltages, nor do they have temperature compensation.

The lead acid battery that is cycled when never reaching true full charge loses capacity far faster than the one which does, and restoring capacity to remaining potential capacity becomes harder and harder, requiring higher voltages and extended duration at those higher voltages.

The capacity loss accelerates with partial state of charge cycling.

Potential Capacity restoration is dependent on the degree of sulfation. The sulfation is not going to magically dissolve when touched by baking soda.

The whole idea of draining, rinsing and adding new electrolyte is equatable of doing 5 oil changes in a row on a seized sludged neglected engine.
 
EDTA used to be sold by jc Whitney

Dumping acid “may” clear a shorted cell

Baking soda has salt and will ruin the cell,

edta or Epsom salts are the only things that can help with sulphation unless he has a pulse charger.
 
He is planning on dumping out the battery acid. Pouring in water and baking soda to clean the battery cells. Then rinse with distilled water. Then fill back up with the proper electrolyte.

Never hear of it. Does it work?

Rightly or wrongly I did just this 40 years ago on a motorcycle battery. I didn't use baking soda, just flushed with distilled water which removed a lot of black sediment and refilled with fresh acid. This was a tiny motorcycle battery so easy and cheap to do. I recall it did seem to improve the battery but I claim nothing more technical than that.
 
I used edta a few times 30 years ago. Short term gains for a few more weeks of starting and then it was .done.

if it were me, I’d aim at something like wrc suggested above, even if crudely done for a good balancing charge and see if that helped. Pouring stuff in the cels sounds like too much YouTube.
 
When a battery fails it is often because the bottom of the case is full of corrosion that shorts a cell or more. The rebuilders cut the old case and toss it. Clean the plates and put them in a new case.



Anything less than that is a waste of time.
 
When a battery fails it is often because the bottom of the case is full of corrosion that shorts a cell or more. The rebuilders cut the old case and toss it. Clean the plates and put them in a new case.



Anything less than that is a waste of time.

Who sells rebuilt batteries? I want to make sure I don't get one. I would think the exact shape of the plates is battery specific. This does not sound very profitable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LvR
Who sells rebuilt batteries? I want to make sure I don't get one. I would think the exact shape of the plates is battery specific. This does not sound very profitable.
My thought as well. The environmental restrictions alone dealing with acid and lead would make it cost prohibitive, at least in this country, not to mention OSHA rules.
 
You guys do not have a store on every corner that sells rebuilt or furbished batteries? Very common here. https://www.webuyjunkbatteries.com/
You actually believe they cut open an old case, remove and clean the plates and put them in a new case? For $40? No m'boy, they just pour this stuff or something similar inside

61iOeJCqOlL._AC_SL1296_.jpg


and keep their fingers crossed they don't get a comeback before the 30 day warranty expires.
 
You actually believe they cut open an old case, remove and clean the plates and put them in a new case? For $40? No m'boy, they just pour this stuff or something similar inside

61iOeJCqOlL._AC_SL1296_.jpg


and keep their fingers crossed they don't get a comeback before the 30 day warranty expires.
Is this Scotty Kilmer approved?
 
You guys do not have a store on every corner that sells rebuilt or furbished batteries? Very common here. https://www.webuyjunkbatteries.com/

You actually believe they cut open an old case, remove and clean the plates and put them in a new case? For $40? No m'boy, they just pour this stuff or something similar inside

61iOeJCqOlL._AC_SL1296_.jpg


and keep their fingers crossed they don't get a comeback before the 30 day warranty expires.
The cases they sell look like nothing I have ever seen a store. And that is what several places have told me over the years.
 
Back
Top