Quote:
Originally Posted by 777funk
If you see the video (linked in the first post), the guy is not adding water (at least in the instance of the battery in the video). He's testing for electrolyte level and adding powder which I'm guessing is a charge of electrolyte.
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I was not able to download the video, due to a poor internet connection, however, if you scroll down through the Ebay ad, you will see this:
3. One more set of tests that you can perform just to be sure is the cell test. We do two of them. One with a voltmeter and one with the battery hydrometer. If the battery has caps, pry them off. If it is sealed, drill the holes in the top of each cell with a stop drill so you won't hit the plates and damage them. Make sure all the cells have water covering the top of the plates. This could be the problem to start with.
You will notice, if you read the entire procedure, that what they are doing in the testing stage is essentially determining that the battery is good (load test,specific gravity test,cell voltage test) and probably just in need of some water and a good charge. I would be willing to wager that in at least 90% of the cases, the mystery additive is not even needed.
As others have stated, I am sure the magic powder is just a chemical added in the hopes it will remove enough sulphate build-up from the plates to temporarily improve the battery's performance.
Also previously stated, I would find out exactly what is in this mystery powder before handling it, dumping in my battery, or breathing its fumes. You might find it much more expensive healthwise than a new battery.