Frozen battery is a common phenomenon especially in weather conditions where the temperature drops up to -80 F or -26 C. But a frozen car battery does not mean a ruined car battery. That means you can fix it and use the battery again.
But how do you know when the battery is frozen and when it is dead? How to Bring a Frozen Battery Back to Life? How do you prevent your car battery to get frozen?
Well, simply checking the voltage can help you with determining whether it’s frozen or dead. A dead battery can start again by jumpstart but if you do the same with the frozen battery it can explode. You have to take special measures in this case.
When you notice the dropping temperature make sure your car is in the garage or the battery is in a warm place. There are some other factors you have to consider which I’ll describe later in this article.
Difference Between Frozen and Dead Battery
I have said earlier that a frozen car battery and a dead car battery are not the same things. How do you know when a battery is frozen or dead?
A frozen battery refers to a battery in which the mixer in it is frozen. A battery contains a combination of sulfuric acid and water. When the battery is fully charged the mix is well combined and does not freeze.
When the charge gets lower the mixture combination starts to get separate and the water freeze. It is basically called a frozen battery.
But a dead battery means a low-charged battery. It means the voltage of the battery is lower than the amount it needs to function. Usually, cars need 12 volts or more to properly function.
As frozen battery and dead battery means different things, the process of making it normal also differs. Please do not apply the methods of bringing a dead car battery to life in a frozen battery, it can be dangerous.
Signs that the Battery is Frozen
There are some external signs by that you can measure a frozen battery. If you notice nay if this your car battery is surely frozen. Some of those are,
- Cracked or Bulging battery case. When water gets freeze its dimension increases. That is the way it cracks or bulges sometimes.
- No sound of any liquid inside when it became solid.
- Completely no cranks when you start the car. If it cranks a little it’s probably the battery is dead.
Step by Step Guide on How to Bring a Frozen Battery Back to Life
A frozen battery can be bought to its normal state and can be sued again. It is not a hard task to do. These are the easy steps you can follow to bring a frozen battery back to life.
Step 1
The first thing you should check is that if the battery is actually frozen. There can be other problems or the battery can be dead also. So, check thoroughly if the battery is frozen or not. The simplest method to check is, to make sure the liquid inside is in its liquid form or not.
Step 2
If your car has a block heater then plug it in and keep it at least for two or three hours. After that, check the battery again and by this time the battery should thaw. If not then you should check the heater is ok or there may be some other problem more than just a frozen battery.
Step 3
If your battery did not thaw yet then take the battery out from the car. Uncover and unplug the battery and keep it in a warm place inside the garage or your home. Wait for a couple of hours so the battery can thaw. If you do not want to remove the car battery you can also move your car to some heated place if you have one.
Step 4
At this point, the battery should be thawed. Check it is thawed yet and plug it into the charger. Once a battery is frozen it needs to be charged. But before you plug it into the charger make sure the battery case is not broken or cracked.
There is another alternative method which also worked for some people you can try. It is simply putting your frozen battery to charge for one hour, take a break for one hour then again charge it for one hour.
Repeat this process for some time. Your battery should be thaw meantime. Though it is not a popular way to thaw a battery but it had worked for many of us.
Safety Measures You Should Take
Never jumpstart a frozen battery. When a battery gets freeze the first thing people tend to do is jumpstart the battery. They just misunderstand the dead battery as a frozen battery. But when you jumpstart a frozen battery, it explodes which can be really dangerous.
Take safety Measures before charging. Because when the battery is frozen the connections may get damaged.
Always keep adequate charge in the battery. When the charge gets low there is a high chance the battery will freeze.
Keep the car or the battery in a warmer place when the temperature gets lower.
Conclusion
Winter is a challenging season for automobile owners. It can cost you a ton of money or you may face situations you never expected. That is why take precautions beforehand to prevent those situations.
But if some of those situations like battery freezing occurs to you already to not get tensed and throw away the car battery. Because there are ways how to bring a frozen battery back to life and this method may save you unexpected loss of money.
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