Recondition the lead acid battery in your vehicle for optimum performance.
If you have an automotive or other lead-acid battery that isn’t working properly, you may be able to recondition it. Lead-acid batteries decline in performance most often because sulfur accumulates on the lead plates of the battery, corroding them and blocking electric current flow. You can use a common household chemical, magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts), to recondition a lead-acid battery. If you follow the proper procedure, the magnesium sulfate will remove the sulfur and restore the battery to normal operating condition.
Instructions
1. Heat a half quart of distilled water to about 150 degrees F and add 7 or 8 oz. of Epsom salts. Stir until the Epsom salts are completely dissolved. Do not use tap water because it contains chemicals that will contaminate the battery.
2. Remove the battery caps and carefully drain the water from the battery. If you have a sealed (low-maintenance) battery, find the access points (also called shadow plugs) and use a drill to open them. Insert a funnel and pour enough of the Epsom salts solution in to refill the cell. Repeat until you fill each cell.
3. Replace the battery caps. Use plastic plugs to close up the drill holes in a sealed battery.
4. Shake the battery vigorously for a minute to make sure the solution works its way through each cell.
5. Place the battery on a charger and allow it to charge slowly for 24 hours. To completely recondition a lead acid battery, you may need to charge it to capacity several times over the next few days.
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