How to Repair Batteries

Pulsing

• 1

  Turn on the digital multimeter, or DMM, and set it to measure 10 volts. Place the positive lead on the positive battery pole. Place the negative lead on the negative battery pole. Read the meter and record the value. If you get a negative reading that is more than 2v, you have placed the positive lead on the negative battery pole. If a negative value of one or two volts is displayed, the battery polarity has reversed. Make a note of which battery pole is which.

• 2

  Use a 12v automobile battery to create a battery power surge. Use an 8-inch section of copper hookup wire to create a positive lead, and the ground wire from the car battery as your negative lead. Strip enough wire off one end of the hookup wire to clamp it to the positive terminal of the car battery. You should be able to see the end of the copper wire on the other end of your hookup wire.

• 3

  Clamp the car battery ground wire to the negative terminal of the 9.6v battery, using an alligator clamp. Firmly attach the copper hookup wire to the positive terminal of the car battery with a second alligator clamp. The negative car battery terminal is usually silver, and the positive is usually gold, but use your DMM to be sure which terminal is which.

• 4

  Tap the wire from the positive car battery terminal against the positive battery terminal of the 9.6v battery two or three times per second for 10 seconds. Allow the battery to cool for 15 minutes.

• 5

  Place the 9.6v battery in its charger for 15 minutes, then remove it. Measure the voltage with the DMM. Let the battery sit for an hour, then measure the voltage again. If the two voltages are the same--within plus or minus 0.3 volts--the battery is fixed. Charge it fully, following manufacturer's instructions. Do not overcharge the battery.

  If the second voltage is significantly lower, the battery has a short. Repeat Steps 4 and 5. You can pulse the battery up to 25 times during the life of the battery.

Freezing

• 6

  Place your battery in the freezer inside a double-sealed freezer bag for at least 10 hours.

• 7

  Remove the battery from the freezer. Let the battery remain in the freezer bag until it reaches room temperature. Check the battery to be sure it is completely thawed before continuing.

• 8

  Fully charge the battery. Use the approved charger, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

  This process can be repeated up to five times during the life of the battery.

• 9

  Measure the battery voltage with the DMM after one hour to be sure that the battery is holding a charge. If the two voltages are about the same--within plus or minus 0.3 volts--the battery is fixed. If the second voltage is significantly lower, the battery has a short. Try the battery pulse method to repair the battery.