Will shaking a dead battery revive it?

I've never tried it, but I hope someone has! Had a student who claimed that vigorously shaking a weak battery would revive it to where it would then give dependable service for a "length" of time. Realizing how it could possibly allow for renewed chemical reaction to occur, it 'sorta' makes sense, at least from a theoretical standpoint. But in practice? If it'd work, maybe a paint shaker at Lowe's........? Not arguing either way, I'm curious if anyone has ever tried it. s

Reply to
sdlomi2
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I can see where shaking a weak battery COULD affect it if there was stratification in the electrolyte, but whether or not you could even detect the difference let alone make practical use of it is another matter. As to giving 'dependable service' afterwards, I think the student is fertilizing things.

Now, if the student disconnected it, or even if not, just moving things around COULD cause a bad battery terminal to make connection, and then work. Years ago one of the tricks of the trade was to use a nail and hammer it in the 'gap' on the battery clamp. Nothing magical. Just that when it worked it was because the battery connection was so bad than disturbing it would make a better connection that what was originally there.

Reply to
Mike Y

Have you ever seen the top blow off the battery? You don't want to be shaking it when it does. If it is bad replace it.

Reply to
Woody

Sure give it a good shake get the Hydrogen gas moving one little spark and your blind ( top blows off spraying acid all over, Best thing for you to do is give your head an shake and don't listen to Idiots.

Reply to
sal

I havent tried it, and wont, BUT there is some basis for this. This is what I have been told. Often sludge builds up in batteries and gives a resistive path between cells, essentially shorting them out. If you shake the battery and disrupt the sludge bridge, the battery may show better activity.

As I say, I have never done it, and wont. If a battery is gone, I buy a new one.

Reply to
<HLS

messagenews:YYath.14005$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews3.bellsouth.net...

havent tried it, and wont, BUT there is some basis for this.

I have a small vibrating table that I use in relation to gold panning and I've considered putting a "bad" battery on it to see if it made a difference. Maybe I'll give it a try when I have time. The table is just a wooden frame with a flat metal platform on top with a 3/4 inch lip along the outer edge and a vibrator unit from a vibrating "LazyBoy" style chair. Don't know if it will work on a battery, but it does help settle heavy material out of sand.

D.BC

Reply to
disabled.bc

If one look at how auto batteries are constructed, they would realize one would be more likely to short it out, than to rejuvenate it, by shaking one. ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

If the terminals are filthy with corrosion, the maybe shaking it to get the corrosion off may 'revive' the battery. :-) But it'd be more convenient to use a wire brush to clean the terminals, cables.

Reply to
Grappletech

Will shaking a dead person revive it?...No I don't think so...a dead person ...a dead battery..they are all the same. Though some people have claimed to have been revived from the dead using medical equipment...perhaps taking a dead battery to a hospital will increase the batteries chances of being revived also. Let me know how it turns out. Its an interesting subject indeed.

Reply to
Mike Santini

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