Car Battery: Can It Be Recharged?

Hi fellow DIY enthusiasts!

I found a company that offers a device (Megapulse) for 77 euros that "repairs" damaged batteries. I haven't figured out exactly how it works yet... but apparently, it reduces the formation of PbSO4. What do you think about this?

Best regards, Christian.

Hi Christian,

Okay, as far as I remember from chemistry class, when a battery stops working, it's because the sparingly soluble lead sulfate settles at the bottom of the battery and no longer participates in the reaction, as it's no longer in contact with either electrode.
It can record data, but the lead plates get thinner until the device eventually fails.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

Greetings.
Thomas.

Okay, I found the link.

http://www.novitec-gmbh.de/

The part is called "Megapulse" (click on it to find things like test reports, press articles, and information about how it works). Does it actually work?

Best regards, Christian

Hello,

haehnlein wrote:

I found a company that offers a device (Megapulse) for 77 euros that "repairs" damaged batteries. I haven't figured out exactly how it works yet...

I would rather invest the 77 euros in a new battery. For example, in the case of plate breakage, the pulse generator can't do anything to help...

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello Christian.

Forget it. Buy a new battery. With these kinds of quack methods, the car might last another week. The chemistry, and especially the mechanics, of a lead-acid battery degrade irreversibly. In the 70s, all sorts of potions were sold to extend the battery's lifespan. They almost never work, and certainly not in the long run.

It's best to keep the battery as fully charged as possible, and to minimize temperature fluctuations (as being installed in the engine compartment can be detrimental). Car batteries are not designed to be deeply discharged. A brand new battery might only last for 20-50 full charge cycles.
Light cycles, such as starting with a battery load of only a few percent, can cause them to last for tens of thousands of cycles. A diesel engine, with its preheating and post-glow times, puts a much greater strain on the battery than a gasoline engine. The design of a diesel battery is also slightly different due to the higher current load and greater vibration.

Best regards.
Christian.

haehnlein wrote:

Hi fellow DIY enthusiasts! I found a company that offers a device (Megapulse) for €77 that "repairs" damaged batteries. I haven't figured out exactly how it works yet... but apparently, it reduces the formation of PbSO4. What do you think about this? Best regards, Christian

Hi,

"Now that we're on the subject, is there anyone here who keeps the car battery in the trunk (or somewhere else) for the same reasons?"

I've often heard that the battery should be placed somewhere else.

Once, a battery failed on me. Luckily, I managed to get a "gel battery" at a reasonable price just at the right time.
Is it just as vulnerable there?
Yes, and on more than one occasion, I've been told that these so-called "miracle products" are just a way to make money.

In this spirit,
Thomas.

Hello!

I previously reported about starting problems under the heading 'Relais 109, specifically with the 1Z model.' I bought a new battery two days ago.
My 'old' car, which was actually the first one I owned (first registered on October 2, 1995, with 209,000 km on the odometer), wasn't in good condition anymore, or so I thought.
I then bought an 'Arktis' model from ATU (which received a 'good' rating in ADAC tests) for 63.50 EUR, with a 74 Ah capacity.
However, I'm still experiencing cold start problems.

So, the battery life is probably not bad even in diesel vehicles, right?
My father sold his gasoline-powered Golf 1.8 after 10 years, and it still had the original battery.

Best regards, D.

Hello!

Thank you for the quick responses!!! I also tend to prefer buying most car parts new when they stop working. However, in this case, the description of the technical functionality seemed plausible, especially considering the press and test reports (University of Vienna), which are impressive.

Best regards, Christian.

Hello Christian,

Then take a look at the test. This was a forklift battery with more than 50% of its original capacity remaining. Forklift batteries are designed as deep-cycle batteries for a high number of charge cycles. They are only partially comparable to car batteries. It's not surprising that you can still get some more life out of them by using modified charging methods.
It's often the case that car batteries have already significantly degraded before you notice they're no longer working properly.
Buy a lead-acid battery for your solar system. It wouldn't be nearly as expensive if car batteries could be used instead.
Interestingly, on the US market, lead-acid batteries for electric trolling motors (including deep cycle batteries) are only slightly more expensive than car batteries.

Best regards.
Christian.

'As a camper, I have two 88Ah batteries in my caravan. They were both gifts from a friend who had probably discharged them too deeply a few times (so they were almost scrap). I used the Megapulser to work on them. After a short time, the capacity noticeably increased. I've also worked on some batteries for neighbors, and the results have been consistently positive! Of course, this only works for batteries with sulfation. It won't repair cracked plates or other physical damage. A few weeks ago, I bought a second one because I was tired of constantly moving the first one around. It cost me 65 euros! (It was on sale). Based on my experience, I can only recommend this device!'

Okay, here's the translation:

'Me again: On September 15, 2002, there was a segment about the Megapulser on the German TV channel Vox, in the 'Auto, Motor & Sport' program. The overall tone was very positive. As a result, I ordered the second one from www.camptronic.de, which was on offer at the time!'


ps. I'm not kidding myself. My neighbor is such a battery-draining type. That is, he often needs a jump start (meaning he needs help starting his car) in the winter because he's too lazy to properly maintain his battery and too stingy to buy a new one! We installed a battery maintainer for him for 8 weeks during the winter. After that, he didn't need a jump start anymore!!!
My two 88Ah batteries in the camper were pretty worn out. The capacity was reduced to about half. Now they're back up to around 80Ah!

By the way, I just saw the pulse generator on www.fritzberger.de for €64.95 (under 'electronics -> batteries/chargers').

Sure, here's the translation:

'Just for fun:'

I'm always surprised by the fundamentally negative attitude that some people have towards things like that.

There's a lot of junk out there that simply can't work, but this pulse method... I don't know enough about the subject matter to judge it. So, I'm neutral until someone provides clear evidence of whether it works or not.

These 'lime magnets' might not actually work, you know.
After no one could convincingly argue for or against it, I just bought one of those things. Who cares about the 10 Deutsche Mark?

result: the kettle and shower are thrilled.

I don't know why it works, but it's reproducible at any time.
So, why shouldn't such a powerful pulse work?

CU Gremlin.

btw: our water has a conductivity of 1400 µS (liquid concrete).

I also saw the segment about the Megapulser on Auto, Motor und Sport TV. As a scientist, I'm naturally very skeptical. However, I have to say that the study shown in the program sounded quite plausible. So, the program convinced me, and I'll probably buy one of those devices instead of a new battery soon.

Best regards, Björn.

Whether the pulse generator helps or not will depend on the type of damage. Lead-acid batteries degrade due to (complete) charge/discharge cycles. During this process, the material of the electrode plates changes volume, causing them to "breathe." This makes the plates brittle, as do vibrations. Material breaks off and accumulates at the bottom as sludge, potentially leading to a cell short circuit.

The other type of battery failure is sulfation. Sulfation occurs when discharged batteries are stored for extended periods. However, this is more likely to happen in classic cars, convertibles, or campervans than in everyday cars.

It may be true that you can use a pulse to break down sulfates.
The expert opinions certainly suggest that.
It's clear that mechanically damaged electrode plates cannot be repaired.

Christian.

christians wrote:

It might be true that you can remove sulfates using a pulse. The expert opinions certainly suggest that. It is clear that mechanically damaged electrode plates cannot be repaired.

Well, now the TDI expert is wondering if his tractor is more likely to drain the battery.
(-> Cell short circuit due to faulty plate material, Mepapulser's comment was nonsensical).
or whether it is primarily processed through sulfation (-> the purchase of a Megapulser would need to be considered).

However, for around 70 euros, you can almost buy a new battery (from a hardware store). This means that the device would only be worthwhile if it extended the lifespan of one or more batteries enough to save the cost of buying at least one new battery.

And that raises the question of what time frame exists between a (prevented) battery replacement due to gradual sulfation and the sudden failure of a TDI battery caused by cell short circuits .

If that could be, for example, 5 years, then bring on the megapulser.
At 5 months -> forget about it...

But couldn't you build something like that yourself?
An 8 kHz square wave generator with a 20 V output voltage and a turn-on threshold of 12.8 volts should definitely be achievable for less than 70 Euros .

What should the on-board electronics indicate regarding the voltage peaks of 20 volts?