Do battery desulfators work? (EP 195)

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you. Sometimes pieces break off the plates and fall to the bottom of a cell. These pieces can short a battery exploding the hydrogen gas generated. Acid, plastic and metal then splatter all over. I exploded a cell as a kid and was lucky not to have been riddled with glass. Some have described the force of such an explosion on par with a fragmentation grenade- I do not know about that. I do know about sulfuric acid burns. As a chemist, my forearms are covered with scars, even when being careful. They are very painful. And, yes, wear eye protection. Thank you again for your video.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks Glen for you comments and i sight. I want nothing to do with exploding! I might have to spend the money and just purchase a battery.

[@Monetarily_Motivated]

Fill it with Destilled water while being careful not to knock anything into the cells. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for an hour. Disconnect it, let it cool, bring it to a boil once again and simmer. When cold and when hot you will get a slightly higher cold reading and slightly higher hot readings. If enough sulfate falls off the lead plates, to the bottom, that it connects them, you will have a dead cell and a junk battery.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks Red Lyne. This is a really old battery. Was hoping for the miracle that many claim these devices will do. I will try to get another summer out of it. So far I have not yet needed a boost!

[@InfoScouter]

that is not a battery desulfator! I have check the circuit and analysis,not pulsing charging whatsoever...Fake thing!It's just a complex charger with sort of timer and multiple stage of charging process (but maybe good for charging LiPo Phosphate/sensitive battery) @@unclemarksdiyauto

[@johntetreault]

Ive got a NOCO battery maintainer/desulfator that i leave my vehicle plugged into a week or more at a time (working from home i dont really go anywhere all week) and i think that the desulfator being left running for long time periods seems to do a much better job. Since its permanently installed under the hood, and charges and desulfates at the same time, fully automatic, its completely plug and play. Also have one on my deep cycle RV battery, and it brought that back to life.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Not sure how the NOCO works John, but this one runs for the 18 hours and then shut off. Display indicates it is done (in the "repair mode." I have a couple different units which sounds similar to the NOCO, and they indicate when they are done as well. (Those units vary as to the time) I have those hooked up along with out block heaters for winter, so that the battery gets charged while the engine coolant is kept warm. That way I don't have to think about it either.

[@johntetreault]

@@unclemarksdiyauto the NOCO 2D intelligently runs desulfation cycles as part of its maintainer process... So basically its like running the desulfation cycle on your unit every day for a week or a month or how ever long you have it plugged in... The more desulfation cycles, the more desulfation that occurs.

[@fallback8314]

yup i'm a believer i had a 730cca 12v battery sitting in my foyer for ~2yrs so basically in the cold it couldn't test more than 88cca but after ~10 repair cycles on a noco over several days it's now reading good battery with 526cca

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Great to hear!

[@mattn676]

Can you run the repair mode with the battery fully connected to a vehicle, or do you need to disconnect it first - to prevent any potential damage to the electronics.

[@jakemason9436]

Interesting experiment. I guess the short version is that when the tester says replace battery you replace the battery. Thanks Mark.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I have seen a place specialize in batteries bring some of these batteries back to life with some of their electronic equipment. As usual, I imagine the pro stuff is way beyond the pricing we want to spend. Cheaper to replace the battery for us!

[@tyanite1]

A $5.00 desulfator directly from China bought me about a year more of service with a battery that had failed to crank over my little 4 cylinder. The desulfator fried, unfortunately, and prices tripled. I should still get another, despite the cost. The desulfators that are built into the little battery maintainers do not do the same job, it appears.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

It is so hard to know what will work and what won’t as they all suggest their product does it all! I would have happily paid more if the product would do as epected.

[@UhBuddy1976]

May I also suggest that you might get 50% of old batteries to rejuvenate from this process. Some batteries are just garbage.

[@kellyanderson7115]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure....I have standardized on CTEK MXS 5.0 chargers. If you keep the batteries above 90% SOC they really shouldn't require special desulphation tools. The CTEK does have a desulphate phase as one of it's 8 stages, so it does run it each time you connect it to a battery. What I find quite useful is the "recondition" option which you can/should run about once a year to make sure the acid/water mix hasn't separated. I've taken 5 yr old batteries that measure a bit low on CCA and after reconditioning they measured over the rated CCA.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Good to know. This battery still hanging on even though it is turning 11 years old soon. Have not had to boost it yet. Just was hoping to see the miracle happen that so many claim on the internet.

[@bortz0230]

I've seen people get good results by using quick shots of 200 amps using DC arc welders or higher cost/quality battery starter/chargers. Average cost of a mid-level battery lately is around 150-170 bucks. Hard to justify going out and buying that equipment for a daily driver car using 1 battery every 4-5 years before they wear out. Great video. Very well explained technique.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I have seen a few videos on the DC welders as well Fred! I don't own one and can't justify the cost just to try and wake this battery up! (If it works in my case, who knows) I am stubborn and going to limp this battery along a bit longer. It has not left me stranded yet. (I have a lithium jump pack)

[@keithlucas6260]

For those of us who actually own a shop with three welders, this farmkid ain't gonna play that game. Back 50 years ago when we were in college and had access to adjustable power supplies of both voltage (pressure) and amperage (current) you could adjust the voltage to 30v and the amps to 2. Then watch each cell temperature and the voltage drop to 14v when the resistance drops.

[@spyrosbellos2522]

Project farm just released a good video on this

[@binsbins1]

I have a cheapie pulse charger and have saved 2 batteries. Mine seems to work. The batteries were relatively new but had been “accidentally” discharged a number of times when the kids left lights on In the car.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

What brand and model?

[@OffroadMXbohemia]

You need attach desulfator for like 1-3 week (depending on desulfator). It is long time proces, but it works.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks Proky. Unfortunately this one does a 18 hour cycle and shuts of automatically. I guess I need to spend more money, but not sure what brands and models are good. I don’t mind spending if it will work!

[@OWK000]

I have desulfated batteries by leaving a 20 watt solar panel WITH a charge controller to trickle for about a MONTH or so. Desulfating takes a long time so solar is nice. Un-charge controlled trickle panels don't have enough amps to balance out the high volts (18-20volts) and are worthless. There is a guy that desulfates by blasting with high volts, but he is using a pretty advanced plug in charger with more amps. I want to try plug in for winter and overnight. I add sodium sulfate to brand new battery because apparently it could cause a old battery to short out. Sodium sulfate seemed to really help with the cheapest Walmart value battery, but my brand new more $$$ Costco Interstate is being really stubborn before and after sodium sulfate and won't go up. My un-adultered 5 year old Interstate battery worked better but started to fade at 8 years. Sodium sulfate as an additive doesn't do anything without the charging. If you are going trickle/low amp, expect to take a month, by solar or plug in. I have heard batteries go down a little before going up.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@OWK000 Really good information to know, Pia. Our local battery house has a nice one the size of a small tool box that can bring them back in about a day. (It looks like a very old machine, not high tech at all) The guy saved me and a few buddies with that machine! Unfortunately, he retired and the new owners just want to sell you a new battery. (We would pay the previous owner even though he didn't want anything for the service)

[@OWK000]

@@unclemarksdiyauto Apparently lead acid just needs to be slammed with energy, either with prolonged trickle (safer) or a high amp/volt charge in shorter term (more dangerous and takes some caution and knowledge). It depends on the battery, too, and how sulfated it is. It is good to bring brand new batteries up so they avoid early sulfation or batteries drained by open doors or left on headlights, etc --alternators won't do it. I was freaked out because my new Costco Interstate wouldn't top off and would actually drop even with solar attached. My solar set- up still worked on my sodium sulfate additived cheap Value Walmart battery (100 grams Duda energy sodium sulfate equally divided between the cells--helps prevent sulfation in a new battery, but can cause an old battery to short out), so I didn't realize how weak my solar rig had gotten and thought it was the new Costco Interstate battery. Need a new glass panel--never buy flexible. It freaks me out because 30 years ago I had a small 1 watt trickler solar panel that had lower voltage than modern solar panels and worked well without a charge controller: it would charge my battery right back up if I left the lights on with no sodium sulfate ever added, and with no charge controller, I just left it attached at all times. Two and half watt Coleman type tricklers are worthless because of the higher voltage in modern "more efficient" solar panels won't work with low amps on lead acid and the wiring is super cheap on those. Anyway, being freaked out, I just bought a $18 plug-in 800 mAmp trickle charger off Amazon and topped off my batteries and it only took a few hours each! I was surprised. I also cleaned, de-rusted, fixed on and ordered new diodes for my Dad's old 10amp Schumacher that does both manual and automatic. Sometimes it just takes a little more juice to charge up lead acid and volt/amp ratios can be important which is where charge controllers come in with solar. I still want a new glass solar panel, but I haven't decided what wattage yet and I am glad to have plug-in back up.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@OWK000 I have seen on youtube where they uses a welder to high energy shock the battery. (Dangerous for sure) Many claim that works though. (I don't have a welder, and would not try it on my own) As i mentioned, this machine shuts of after 18 hours. Maybe I need to just restart it every 18 hours for a bunch of times.

[@heliodorovela9315]

THANK YOU IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AS IT WAS INTRESTING...

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks Heliodoro! Sorry is was not more informative! I was hoping for the battery to be brought back to good condition which is kinda what the sellers suggest will happen. No change in the battery though.

[@robkruit2122]

Did you test it with a consistent temperature? It looks like the cca’s are fluctuating because of temperature changes.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

It was in a temperature controlled garage.

[@nightcrows787]

The situation is about the fluid. Hydrometer is needed. If the sulfation and hydration is not corrected, then it will go up by a little not much. But it does work, if other things are correct first. Sometimes, you even need to flush things from within and replace the fluid, because the pulse or desulfate can nock things loose chemistry wise and cause shorted, soooo That fluid is the key as long as it's chargeable and holding for atleast 12 hours and only dropping by a few miliamp within 24-48 hours. CCA is determined by the fluid consistency. The higher the fluid potential the more heat and cold it can handle with less water in the battery fluid. Boil off water for concentration outside the battery. Test fluid outside the battery to get correct hydration rate.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Good to know Asul7. They sell these items not stating any of those factors you have mentioned. Basically they are saying this will fix your issues without any other input. Don't even include any real instructions

[@UhBuddy1976]

I just bought a battery charger with a reconditioner built-in. I live much further south than you do in North Carolina. It is autumn right now and we are having days around 80° at the time that I posted this comment which is November 8 I believe. This is highly unusual, but it happens once every so many years I suppose. My question is, do you think that the cold temperature is affected the process and maybe it doesn’t work as well when it’s so cold?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@UhBuddy1976 usually about this time we are about 30 F. We get down to -40F a few times through the winter. Most of the new chargers do a reconditioning. A true desulfator can bring back many bad batteries. To buy one, well everyone says theirs will do it. A battery shop that use to be around here had one. It brought back a couple batteries I brought him. I wish I could find one. It didn’t have a brand name on it. I don’t think the cold is a big factor if it works. Too got us bad for batteries as well. That being said, I am not in that business and am not a expert.

[@RiskyBizz]

The repair process doesn't charge the battery... you'll need to charge it either before and/or after desulfating. you should redo this video, and use it correctly this time ;-)

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks Risky Business. No real instructions included with this item as to what is correct use. Not sure when I will be able to do another one, so maybe you do one for now. If not, hopefully someone can show if this thing works or not.

[@slimdugger99]

Desulfators work on fully charged batteries when they input pulsating high voltages at low amperage to break up plate deposits. Supposedly, maybe.

[@noahriding5780]

How do you work out how often de desulfate per battery run time? Is there some kind of guide for a ratio on this? Especially wondering boat/deep cycle battery point of view. And after you've desulfated, how long is that going to last before you have to go back to do it again?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I was just tying to bring this battery back from the dead. I had heard these chargers were the miracle cure. No instructions included with charger. I could not get any measurable changes according to what I did. I have not looked into this since this video (Sorry I am not more help this time)

[@noahriding5780]

Thanks for the reply. Its all right I'll have to study it out. But it is nice to get a reply and to be able to talk to ppl on here. And I like when people do videos about real life skills!@@unclemarksdiyauto

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@noahriding5780 I have much better videos on the channel. Lots of playlists on specific vehicles. Nice chatting with you too!

[@diydad5067]

Shortening cables also improves the voltage pulse delivered.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Good to know! Thanks, DIY Dad!

[@AndrewBrowner]

did those batteries actually supply the listed CCA when new though? maybe the desulfator did bring them back to 100% but that the companies exaggerated the ratings a bit, they used optimal tests fresh off a charger with a heater on the battery keeping it warm, and some test perameters that got the highest possible numbers

[@queenstownkid]

im still on the fence the system i tried it only takes a couple hours to do one ....but i could never get mine back to full cca ..did improve a bit my batteries are on my holiday trailer ...i did one a month ago the day i came home it was off my old car that i use at the trailer site...so will see what its numbers are when i get back down there ...mine it boils out of battery so you need to keep topping it up when charging ...probably not as good as i was hoping but you dont know if you dont try ....thanks for the video ive been waiting for this 1

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yes I agree you really don’t know until you try. Possibly this unit would work better on another battery? Will always have this charger so may get to try it again on something else!

[@paveljelinek772]

I use an invertor welder for this stuff.. worx like a charm but you have to be careful with amps (less Ah, less Amperage) and what may be even more important - i just ruined one cell on my 59Ah battery - the temperature when on the welder.. once you feel it gets a little warm, you should let it fully cool, maybe for 30-45minutes, then repeat. I got from 12.0V to 12.6V on my battery that way (measuring after 12h after the charging, letting the voltage sit) but as i said, i probably overheat it because i gave it 100A and one cell went bad - it's not bubbling as much as the others do and before i rushed it it was bubbling ok. So i know this method just worx 100% you just have to be careful and not rush things

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

So far I don't own a welder, although one day maybe. I have see it work on other videos though! Thanks for the info!

[@mattn676]

Do you need to disconnect the battery from the vehicle when running the repair mode - to avoid any damage to the electronics?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@mattn676 Most new chargers do this desulfation process and they don’t mention anything about unhooking the battery. I would read the manufacturer’s instructions and follow them.

[@josemedeiros007]

Good video and demo! I would have liked to see your tests with a quality battery desulfator and charger made by Pulsetech which claim to use a patented frequency to gently desulfate. I use a PulseTech PowerPulse passive battery desulfator that you leave attached to your battery, I have been using it for the last three years, and even though I only drive my BMW about 5 miles a day, 25 miles a week, it always starts.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Me too! They all seem to claim they all work the same. Of course, how much do you spend to get one that works? If I knew that, I would have spent that amount. All over the net, they claim that they can bring back a dead battery. That is what I was looking for. FYI, this battery is from mid 2013 & original to the truck. It’s Dec 2023, (9.5 years) so this battery has done well, and is still working. It just does not test very well.

[@josemedeiros007]

@@unclemarksdiyauto Try leaving the desulfator on the battery for a month or more, a heavy desulfated battery can take a week or more to desulfate. CTEK and Noco Genius 5 and 10 chargers also have a repair mode, but I believe they use 16 volt spikes to desulfate.

[@NewBrunswickOutdoorLife]

Where are the links in the description? You mentioned it several times but no links.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Somehow they were not added. They are now! 🛒 Amazon USA product links: 🔧 Desulfator/charger: One used in this video: AVAILABLE ONLY ON CANADIAN AMAZON amzn.to/3v1w2UZ Battery tester SHOWN IN VIDEO: amzn.to/3PhjLCB OR A BETTER ONE: amzn.to/3TelyJZ Sorry for them missing!

[@altomar718]

It looks like you charger us only 3 amp.... could it be that? I have a similar charger ... Newspeak 210 and that puts in up to 10 amps

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Sorry for late reply. Wanted to check how many amps it is. It’s a 6amp at 12volt output.

[@danthemanoth]

I've had good results using a carbon pile tester or load tester on these batteries to de charge them maybe 50% then recharge and repair and it seems to bring cca up a little more each time until it level's off, as long as you don't have a shorted cell you have a chance to get more life out of a battery, as long as you don't let the acid get below the plate's you can get maximun life out of the battery, every year or two i pop the caps off the batteries and add a little distilled water and have had batteries last over 10 yr's

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Good suggestions, dean. I still have this battery, so I might try the carbon pile tester idea. I have had one battery last 11 years, but the rest of mine I have not had since new, and the ones I have replaced are not old enough yet to see what kind of life I will get out of them.

[@ken2400]

The battery game I am playing now is to check batteries from time to time and pulse them up to 100 % along with fluid level if not sealed. More often when the temp is below 32F. They are about 3 years old so time will tell if this game gets them to last longer than 5 years ave. I tried recovering others after they die off and no go.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yep, this battery is now 11 years old! (amazing) I was hoping it would maybe miraculously come back closer to 100%. (I guess I can dream) We get down to -40 F here through the winters.

[@MutheiM_Marz]

i''ve got more out of it. 713 out of 800 24 hours for 5 times none interrupted. also done re-adjust acid specific gravity to 1.26 in all cell (it was spike up to 1.30 and that's too high). i think re-adjust acid specific gravity is help to recover CCA. well, it was virus outside. so i stay at home and alot of time doing stuff.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Good to know! You stay safe my friend. This battery is 8 years old! So it did pretty good. I still have not replaced it, yet! Will try to limp it along one more summer!

[@johnhubert339]

The test error is that you should have driven the vehicle a few times after desulfation then did the battery test. The 'rightaway' diagnosis might be just some temporary measurement error.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

You might be on the right track, John Hubert. I wish they would have had better instructions.

[@urbansnipe]

The CCA will read lower at lower temperatures those wild variations are defo more to do with how cold it is

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Interesting, and true! (but I was not thinking that during filming) Either way, I am not happy with the results. I was under the impression (however misguided I was) this was going to do a miracle.

[@randywl8925]

These aren't overnight miracle tools from what I've read. It may take a week or two. It took time for the battery to get bad and it takes the to reverse the process. I just ordered one. It's the kind like you mentioned, that is made to only connect to the battery itself. I think it's called Pulse Power. I called the company's tech line, and asked if I could use it while it's connected to a trickle charger. He said yes. That means I can do the process out of the vehicle. It would have been nice to check the specific gravity before and after the process. I wouldn't have a lot of faith in cheap testers. Specific gravity might have been more trustable than electronics. Great test anyway.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks for info Randy. Let me know if you get better results!

[@randywl8925]

@@unclemarksdiyauto I'll do that. Been reading a lot (KZbining a lot), so this is new territory for me. Started off reading a lot of people using welders with great results, the got on to these electronic marvels. I was about to try a Forklift charger that I have. It's a 25 amp, 48 volt charger. The battery I was going to try it on was too far gone. I'll measure the specific gravity before and after trying out the new Pulse Tek that I'm getting. I don't have a way of doing a load test.

[@randywl8925]

@@unclemarksdiyauto I bought a 800ma Battery Tender and that's been on the battery since about the time I last posted. The Pulse Power desulfator has also been on the battery since Dec 30th I've done multiple discharges using a Harbor freight load tester, the resistance type with the wire in it. All it tells you is volts and load. Now, after many recharges and load tests, I decided to buy an electronic tester similar to yours. It should arrive on Monday the 10th. Whatever the results are that I get, I'm not going to have a real before and after comparison that has much value. I will be able to compare a load test between the Harbor Freight tester and the new electronic one made by Topdon. That will be interesting. Battery load testing for cold cranking amps to give CCA numbers at zero degrees. Here's some additional info and charts you might find interesting. jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/carfaq4.htm#soc

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Randy, I have seen a few videos as well on the subject, but they never show any tangible data, before and after readings. Great idea on the specific gravity before and after. I will mention this to a fellow KZbinr, ProjectFarm. Maybe he can do one. He has the equipment to test before and after.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I will check it out! thanks again Randy.

[@jmans4928]

The first thing I do is crlean the battery because the acid on the surface is conductive and can distort any measurement and discharge the battery.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yes, good tip. I usually clean it every so often, but it is a on going issue.

[@shahnasramli2612]

50% battery health will required longer time to desulphate.. should desulphate one it reach 80% of its CCA. Does the charger support with the size of you battery Ah rating as example? I had worked with the smart desulfator when battery about 75%, it manage to bring back to 100%

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Shahnas, this charger had limited documentation with it. It goes through its process and tells you when it has completed each stage of the cycle. I would have to watch this video again to remember how many times over the week I ran this machine. The vehicle is currently parked until spring so I will try the process again then. (It is Jan 2022 / winter time in Canada as I write this)

[@jeremyajohnston]

I hope you've figured out that temperature matters and allowing the electrolyte to stabilize before testing.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I did not know that. Do you have a video on this subject? This video was done a while back but I still have the battery, Jeremy.

[@jeremyajohnston]

@@unclemarksdiyauto Yea, lead acid batteries provide more amperage the warmer they are, which is why low voltage batteries struggle to crank over starters when it's freezing and typically need to be boosted or replaced. The whole "cold cranking amps" thing. Also once you disconnect a charger the voltage will drop slowly until it settles as the electrolyte stops being excited and find equilibrium. I find it takes roughly 10-15mins with a group 27 battery that's had a 4-10 amp charge on it. I think you'd have gotten more stable results with the tests if you had the batteries indoors with a consistent temperature for each test. I think this explains why your results were all over the place. That must have been confusing and frustrating. I'm still glad you did the tests. It was definitely interesting to see what the desulfator would do.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@jeremyajohnston Thanks for your input, Jeremy! Here in Manitoba, we do see a bit of a difference when it gets down to that -40F for cranking ability! (I can't remember needing or giving a boost to anyone in the last few years in that weather though, but you notice vehicle cranking slower) This battery only being used in a vehicle used a bit through the summer, so I will limp it along until it starts to need a boost, then it is off to buy a new one.

[@Mprikiman]

Is that battery still in your hands?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

This old battery is still working! It’s been a while since I did this video. I keep saying I will replace it next year. I have gotten a few more next years out of it. (I don’t think it has anything to do with this charger though - very disappointed in it)

[@pokerbarloahavia]

You used the wrong mode for it's charging mode only has a mini desulfation phase at the start you need to fully charge it, then put it in repair mode for 16 hours. I revived a 15 year old battery with one of these by just doing 7 days of 16 hours repair modes

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I may have not shot me going into repair mode. Will have to go back and watch. I know this battery did get a couple of tries for sure in REPAIR mode. I still have the battery in the same vehicle. Will have to do a part II this summer when I take the truck out of storage. I would love this to do what we hoped it would. Looks out for that video some times this summer! Thanks Carlos!

[@donowens5883]

Be careful when switching in the electrolyte or adding electrolyte to batteries as you know be very careful and always pour it in slowly extra light can be corrosive and highly explosive it is corrosive and highlights please shield eyes when working around battery

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

So true, Don. In reality, a new battery is cheaper than loosing your eye sight. This is as far as I am playing with this battery. As soon as it starts giving me real troubles, a new battery will be installed.

[@johnclyne6350]

Hi UncleMark, Despite what we remember? Car batteries-even good ones last only 3-4 years now. I buy A/C Delco batteries for my GM trucks. I average about 4 years between change outs. Lesser batteries will be less? I have never tried that device but I’m skeptical they do anything more than frustrate their users?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I have t agree with you John. This device was not the miracle cure I hoped for.

[@randywl8925]

There's only three battery manufacturers in the United States. AC Delco isn't one of them. These days, everything gets rebranded by the companies that actally make them. You can start up a company called John's batteries and have the same company that makes AC delco, make your battery. 😉

[@aeoh2000]

TRY REPLACING THE ACID BATTERY AFTER CLEANING BY DISTILLED WATER IT WILL NEAR THE RATING WITH NEW BATTERY

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yes, I need to try another attempt at this.

[@zhorvat6016]

Hallo. Hello, my Chinese Desulfstor works, but 90% of the batteries after the treatment are in a worse condition or are dead. The rest of the batteries, I'm not sure that helped.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I might need to try a better brand later, zhorvat.

[@zhorvat6016]

@@unclemarksdiyauto Greeting. I disassembled the battery, there is no way to save it. The battery is rotten inside. Desulfator can't help her. Mutual contacts are rotten, disconnected. The desulfator only helps if the working battery has not been used for a long time. Thank you. This may help others. Some batteries simply cannot be saved, and some can be reused by repurposing for other purposes.

[@Noswiatel]

3:50 wth I always thought that's some error code, de5, saying something like "the battery is deadmau5, wont charge"

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

DES, as in disulfate. Battery still running, even after this video (2 years ago? )

[@Noswiatel]

@@unclemarksdiyauto Yeah. I checked the voltage on my charger and it's pulsating up to 15 volts. I tried charging it with the supply option and it alsow orks, but just thought this cheap ass charger doesn't work and throws an errorcode. Jokes on me. :P

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@Noswiatel This unit charges fine, although the cooling fan is noisy. I was hoping that the other functions would work better. I guess you get what you pay for?

[@Noswiatel]

@@unclemarksdiyauto Tbh you can even use a laptop charger or some other printer power supply and get it from scrap; as long as the output is 15V. Some of these have even got pulsed dc on the output which works just like a desulfator does, but even then, a 555 timer can do the trick.

[@electroumit]

Sulfation can be avoided if the battery is fully recharged immediately after a discharge cycle. There are no known independently verified ways to reverse sulfation. *There are commercial products claiming to achieve desulfation through various techniques such as pulse charging, but there are no peer-reviewed publications verifying their claims.* Sulfation prevention remains the best course of action, by periodically fully charging the lead-acid batteries. Source: Wikipedia

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I had heard of some of these devices that will bring back to life pretty much every dead battery (No explanation why the battery went dead).

[@danielhigginson2438]

it takes a long time for the sulfate to build...years, dont expect things over night it will take weeks to work

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I understand. One thing I see / hear is how these things will fix your battery the first time. Not this machine.

[@Han-es8qu]

No, one full discharge desulfates the battery. 10h that's all.

[@Han-es8qu]

These battery testers are not accurate, old ones with a resistive element in the middle were the best ones and accurate.

[@0bm31770]

Thanks. I'll save the money on the rejuvenator and just buy a new battery.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yep. I was not impressed with the results either 0bm31770.

[@edwardmmanns7454]

I would have ended up testing it 3 or 4 times in a row to see the numbers.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yep, maybe next time.

[@ChristopherMerriman]

The journey of discovery just took too long. It felt like the presenter was learning more than me and, as suggested by another comment, was not communicating the safety risks adequately. To set expectation, proper desulphation can take weeks with 12-24 hours for each charge / discharge cycle, and that is assuming the battery is taking charge to start with. It would have been interesting to know if the automated device would even attempt to work with a really bad battery. Furthermore, even with the most rigorous process (which this was not) it should not be expected to recover a battery back to as-new.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

So sorry to disappoint. These videos can be challenging to create and maybe this was one I should not have posted. You should try to post some yourself and we will all be happy to critique yours for free!

[@christopherberry8519]

I think the cold weather may be clouding your results.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

It might be, but how exactly I don’t know. We get down to -40F here and the vehicles start with old batteries everyday. The claim is that these machines can bring back my battery to near new? That seems to be the suggestions I read. Off hand I don’t remember if I stated how cold it was when I was trying this desulfator. Do you recall?

[@christopherberry8519]

@@unclemarksdiyauto I think that there may be something in it but isolated testing with lots of variables is always going to be limited in what it tells us. We don't have an accurate way of determining if we have a battery exhibiting symptoms that can be solved by the device in the first place to determining it's effectiveness at doing it's job - so we throw batteries at it hoping for a result. It's spray and pray in every sense. All we can say is that you were unable to get a positive result.

[@wadedittus3552]

You had it set on charge. Need to be on repair

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yes. That is possible in some of the shots. In the repair mode, this unit still does not do what I was hoping for. On the plus side, this 11 year old battery is still working and has not needed a boost….not yet.

[@brianhind6149]

If I had ANY lead acid battery that was 8 years of age it would be in the landfill & I would buy a new one.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I had one that lasted 11 years. That was on a 1996 vehicle with not as many electronic things as many new vehicles today. Many of todays batteries are being replaces around year 3. Thanks for commenting, Brian. The claim of these devices that people are making is that you will never need to buy another battery. I am not falling for that claim!

[@arbit3r]

The only desulfators that work are the ones which are dedicated to desulfation. I honestly think these chargers have a fake desulfation feature just to sell more units.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I am sure you are right, arbit3r. I would have spent more on a better one if I knew for sure it would work. I think most newer chargers do a bit of desulfate, but this one had a repair mode that suggested it was something special. Thanks for watching and your comment. Tale care.

[@arbit3r]

@@unclemarksdiyauto thanks for your experiments. Saves us all the trouble.

[@ShortArmStrongArm]

You learned your voiceover skills from Red Green? I’m not poking fun, I just hear the same kind of verbal inflections. Thanks for the vid.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I am Canadian, eh! I appreciate your thoughts! Keep ‘em coming. I don’t find doing these something that comes naturally.

[@ShortArmStrongArm]

OH i bet it is Canadian dialect. I’m down here in the USA. You do a very decent job on your voiceovers.

[@Jaguarxj8xk8]

Spent days trying to do this it's better just to go to Rural King and get a new battery and save yourself a lot of time effort and frustration

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yep. That is my conclusion after playing around with this charger.

[@outlet6989]

Do a new test, without the desulfation process, on a new battery, 800 CCA, and see your results. Before you check this new battery, look up the meaning of 'rated.' Were both batteries made with removal cell covers? Try this on a 'sealed' battery. Next time you try this, may I suggest using a full face shield and long rubber gloves and doing it outdoors?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Yes you may suggest it! A very good idea. Thanks for your concern, Outlet! As for this device, it is not much more than a glorified battery charger.

[@stevensouders1595]

Şir, you should fully charge the battery with that unit before running the repair process that is also on that unit. The repair process does not charge the battery. Even the charging process has repair processes built into it, and it uses 7 different stages of charging.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Good to know, Steven. Of course they could have provided some instructions. This video was done over a year ago. There is another battery I can try this on. I will try you suggestion.

[@Robsbrd99]

I think it was time to get the wife's battery replaced under warranty and buy the Ford a new battery 🤣

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

I think you are on the right track, Robsbrd99. Actually this battery is amazingly still going! The first time it doesn't start the vehicle, it's out of here! (I have a lithium jump start in case it does stop working. (I just replaced another battery in one of our other vehicles.)

[@Robsbrd99]

@UncleMarks DIY Automotive Fix it channel Good man. I like those small jumpers too. I have one with capacitors inside in both of my cars. I have no fear of being stranded somewhere.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@Robsbrd99 Yep, so far I have used my small booster (1000 amp) on a bunch of other folks vehicles. It sure beats even carrying long jumper cables and chance damaging my alternator will boosting.

[@donowens5883]

You may need to charge it on a slow charge again but you possibly could have a bad self

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Possibly. I still am limping it along (now Oct 2024) Never had to boost it yet, but very close a few times. I should not complain as it is the original battery from 2013! 11 years old! I had another factory Ford battery that made 13 years.

[@stancreech43]

Not being smart. After you do repair mode let set them a regular charge cycle. They always have worked if you run it 3 times.. if it doesn’t work then pour electrolyte out. It will not look bad at first but about 3 rd time of spraying water in it it’ll get nasty. Screen electrolytes are/ or but some new at parts house 10$ Remember it’s just a plastic case with lead plate and a rod going up to post and electrolytes… No fuses or anything like that God bless

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Thanks for your ideas! Absolutely no instructions with this machine!

[@michaelmedicworldoftanks33fps]

You are doing it wrong with different voltages all over the place. When you tested 1st battery cca 1st time it was overcharged to 13.2v and thus showing the highest cca test number then you "desulphate" it and test it charged at 12.8v and that's wrong and then you try testing 2nd battery only charged to 12.30v which is only about 60% fully charged at that voltage and you get 400cca almost 1/2 it's rated cca and that's no suprise because it's almost 1/2 empty so by watching your video I can see that you don't have a clue what you are really doing. Also you are not aware that battery cca capacity is not only affected by it's resting voltage but by surrounding temperature and since you are testing them cold on the snow the cca will be almost half but once you drive truck and hot engine under hood warms up battery then it will be able to hold more CCA in it 🤗

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Interesting observations Michael. The unit comes with NO instructions other than suggesting that it will bring the battery back to near new condition after it does its thing. Thanks for your comments.

[@michaelmedicworldoftanks33fps]

@@unclemarksdiyauto no it's not how you use charging unit but how you are using capacity test unit

[@robertmontgomery7158]

My battery maintainer has never claimed to take a “bad” battery better. Since many factors other than sulfation can ruin a battery a desulator may or may not work. If the battery is bad for other reasons desulfation won’t help. Sorry to say your conclusions are nonsense

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

This was the claim of the charger, not my claim. I have a maintainer that goes through those cycles too but does not claim to repair a bad battery. And you may be right, many other factors can cause a battery to be bad, so I am not sure what to think of my conclusions! Lol.

[@mrsmith4709]

A bit harsh, the man did not claim anything, he is giving it a go, and did not claim to be an expert, at least he is giving things a fair go, that’s how we learn, which he is doing.

[@TAZMAN0101]

Smh Canadians

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

A ha. Do you have a thought?

[@TAZMAN0101]

Thought I stated it fairly clearly?

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Not really. I also see your a expert at making videos, like none ever in 17 years? Scared to fail? I guarantee you won't fail if you don't start uploading! I imagine you have a good reason, right?

[@TAZMAN0101]

Lol I will say, I enjoy Canadians. You made a video which wasted a ton of time to basically tell me u dont realize that temperature will drastically change your readings despite living ur entire life in Canadian temps, then end it w no final conclusions. Explains your country's feminine PM and his much older husband as well as why u ladies cuck to everything your PM says.

[@TAZMAN0101]

Lol deleted my comment? Cucknadian

[@hydrogengarage]

A Battery Smacker will de-sulfate a battery well. BatterySmacker dot calm.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

Will look into it, Hydrogen Garage. Most newer chargers seem to have the de-sulfate feature, but not sure how well they are at it. Thanks again!

[@hydrogengarage]

The Battery Smacker dot calm, uses 100% non-hertzian energy to buzz the batteries for many days, weeks, not voltage regulator, no electrolysis, no need to replace the water or add electrolyte, it knocks down the (+) lead sulfide crystals and slowly plates the lead back onto the plates. Shake up the battery to get the shorting lead particles suspended and plate back up on the plates while the battery smacker is on. Nothing like it on the market today.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@hydrogengarage I have to check it out for sure! Thanks.