How to Restore a Car Battery That Has Dried Out
by Jonathan Lister
Restoring a dried-out car battery is a relatively simple task. Properly refilling the portions of the battery that may dry out can buy the motorist a little more time with their current equipment, though it still may be time to purchase a new battery if the current one has been allowed to go unused to the point of drying out. The re-filled battery will serve as a quick stop-gap measure for a more reliable replacement.
Restoring a Dried-Out Car Battery
Step 1
Pry the lids of the battery's cells, located at the top of the car battery, off by using a flat-head screwdriver as a lever. Push the screwdriver into the base of the cell's lid and pull slowly upward until the cell lid comes free. Place the lids in a safe place away from the engine block.
Step 2
Turn the flashlight on. Shine the light into the car battery's cells. Determine if the battery's cells are indeed dried out and no other foreign materials have become lodged in the cell. Search the inside of the cell container, making sure no discoloration is present. The inside of the cell should be completely black.
Step 3
Refill each of the cells using the distilled water. Fill each cell with 1/2 inch of distilled water. Replace the cell lids by fitting them tightly on the top of the battery. Tap them into the place using the butt end of the flat-head screwdriver.
References
Things You'll Need
- Flat-head screwdriver
- 1 gallon distilled water
- Flashlight
Writer Bio
Jonathan Lister has been a writer and content marketer since 2003. His latest book publication, "Bullet, a Demos City Novel" is forthcoming from J Taylor Publishing in June 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Shippensburg University and a Master of Fine Arts in writing and poetics from Naropa University.
