DANGER!

I obviously made a critical error when charging up Vern's battery, luckily the large accumulations of snow and incorporated dog doo absorbed most of the radioactivity. Watch out for mutant ninja dirtbags at the hippie petting zoo this weekend.

Wanted to set the record straight on the whole battery charging discussion from last night so no one else gets seriously maimed and disfigured. I am constantly amazed by how much I don't know. Read the important safety information below and remember as always, safety first!!

-Steve-








A standard 12-volt, lead-acid battery is made up of six cells connected in series. Each cell produces approximately two volts. The cells are filled with an electrolyte. An electrolyte is an ionized bath -- in this case, sulfuric acid (H2SO4) diluted with water -- that generates an electrical current when called upon. Each cell also contains plates (grids of active material), which are both positive and negative. Typically, the positive plates contain lead dioxide (PbO2), while the negative plates are composed of straight lead (Pb). The charge of a conventional 12-volt automotive battery is actually 12.6 volts. This can vary slightly, depending on the concentration of the electrolyte in solution. Ideally, for optimum battery performance, the sulfuric acid/water bath should have a specific gravity of 1.265 at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Specific gravity refers to the weight of a solution, with water having a reference rating of 1.000. The electrolyte in an automotive battery is therefore just slightly over one-and-a-quarter times the weight of regular water.

If below freezing, insure that the electrolyte is NOT frozen in the dead battery. If frozen, do NOT jump or boost the battery if the case is cracked or until the battery has been full thawed out, recharged, tested. When the electrolyte freezes, it expands which can damage the plates or plate separators, which can cause the plates to warp and short out. When the battery is frozen, the best solution is to substitute a fully charged battery for frozen one or tow the vehicle to a heated garage. With any completely dead battery, cell reversal can occur. The electrolyte in a dead battery will freeze at approximately 20°F (-6.7°C). If the battery has been sitting for several weeks and frozen, then the battery has probably sulfated as well. If the battery has been sitting for hours or a few days then the problem is either an excessive parasitic load like leaving the headlights on or a faulty charging system.