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sings69
User
Dec 18, 2008, 11:57 PM
Post #1 of 2
(1227 views)
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Battery - startup
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Greetings all. Merry Christmas! About 2 months ago I was at my Brothers toying with my 79 Dodge Custom Van. I have a 300 watt power invertor in there to run my little T.V., etc. It seems when I left, I left it on. It drained the battery. Trying to turn it over (now that Winters coming) I got nothing. My brother put it on a charger (outdoors in his shed) and that did nothing for it. I just got the Battery this spring (08). It hasn't been all that cold til yesterday & the attempt to start was before that (No, I dont know the cold cranking amps off hand) Did the inverter kill it? Can a battery really freeze? Can it ever be re-charged? or is it dead? I'd appreciate any help you can provide. And again, Merry Christmas to you & yours. God Bless. sings69
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DanD
Veteran
/ Moderator
Dec 19, 2008, 4:06 AM
Post #2 of 2
(1224 views)
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Re: Battery - startup
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Yes a battery can freeze; the chemical reaction that takes place during discharge turns the acid back to water.
We all have seen what happens to sealed containers, filled with liquid and then frozen; the ice has a crushing, smashing force.
That’s what usually happens to the inside of a frozen battery; the lead plates and the insulating dividers become crushed and short the cells to each other.
If you’re real lucky and the plates survived; you might get away with allowing the battery to warm up to room temperature (thaw) and then attempt charging it at a very low rate.
Be careful; if the battery is shorted, it will give off a fair amount of gas; this gas is very explosive. One spark and it could go off like a canon! So if you smell even a hint of sulfur (rotten egg) smell; shut the charger off and ventilate the area.
Dan.
Canadian "EH"
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