renergize a battery

[robert shreveport]

Can a Battery 5-6 yrs. old from interstate battery company be brought back to a reusable life. It was a 650 cold cranking amp. Looks like the top might have 2 places that could be opened. Have never looked at the electrolyte level. Car is always in a garage and probably once a month charge it at a 2 amp charge until the green light on charger says Fully Charged. Last summer (2013) was when I started having to charge it some. The car is used very little. Have a 1 wire alternator on it and ampmeter always show a plus when running. What battery group should I replace it with. When I bought car 12 yrs. ago the battery in it was held down with battery holder and when I replaced the battery I must have bought the wrong group number because the battery hold-down would not work any longer. Thanks for all replies.

[Patrick L.]

The battery should be a plain old 6 volt group 1. I've brought back batteries by washing/flushing them with warm water and refilling with acid. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

[Mitch//pa]

buy a new battery
and as patrick said its a group 1

[Tom Wesenberg]

I got just over 10 years from an Interstate 6 volt battery, but never got more than about 5 years from an Interstate 12 volt battery. My 12 volt Interstate lawn tractor battery didn't even last one summer.

[ctlikon0712]

I had two old parts store brand batteries that I didn't know how old they were that went down with my airboat and were under water for 6+ hours. I did as Patrick L. did and flushed them and refilled with new electrolyte and they were going on 8 more years post sinking when I sold the boat. I say try it.

[Quigley1930]

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Get a hygrometer with the floating balls.This will give an give a condition of each cell. I bet you have a bad or weak cell(s) and even though your trickle charger says charged it may not be. Get a little bit bigger charger and see if this helps. Your alternator is not going to charge a weak or dead cell. My 1 penny's worth!

Sewall Tyler

[Mike V. Florida]

If you want to play with it;

Do a search online for Epson salts and batteries. You are looking for the procedures that have you drain the battery, heat water and dissolve the Epson salts in the water, fill the battery, charge, check the specific gravity and add the old acid until the reading is correct.

[tbirdtbird]

Wow.
All the while a new battery is about 60 bucks

[C26Pinelake]

In my opinion it is time for a new battery. Get a new battery for the car and maybe play with the other one. For the $75 investment it is not worth getting left beside the road.
Wayne

[ctlikon0712]

Oh, and since price was brought up, new electrolyte is about $8.30 a quart and the average 6V car/tractor battery $80. Ultimately its your wallet and time. Enjoy the fun of Model A ownership.