When to Fix and When to Replace a Car Battery

Lead plates in car batteries are spaced apart by an electrolyte, a mix of water and sulfuric acid, and certain issues that develop with these parts can be repaired while others cannot. Before attempting to repair the battery in your car, you should do some research on the subject. You will need to gather the essential supplies on your own since there is no such thing as a car battery repair kit, including distilled water, eye and hand protection, a screwdriver, a hydrometer, and a hand-held multimeter. The information in the following car battery repair guide will help you decide if you can fix the battery or if you should replace it.

Upkeep of the Electrolyte
You can take off the battery caps from each of the electrolyte cells in a car battery to examine the electrolyte levels. Add distilled water to fill them up if necessary. Calculate the level of sulfuric acid in each cell using a hydrometer. Any measurement below 1.175 indicates that sulfation, the process of sulfuric acid breaking down into other chemicals, has taken place and the battery has to be replaced. It should register between 1.215 and 1.28.

Utilizing a Multimeter

To determine the battery’s output, connect a multimeter’s two leads to the corresponding terminals on the battery. The voltmeter should read between 12.6 and 12.8 volts when the battery is completely charged and the engine is off. Start the automobile, then take a second reading. It ought should be close to 10 volts this time. The battery must be replaced if these measures are incorrect because there is nothing you can do to fix them.