Dead battery meets rubber hammer - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

Mbsk01 · 03-30-2009, 07:45

First off, BIG thanks to OPCOM for posting this in the first place, it really does work.

Recovered my first MV Friday, an M35 out of Little Rock. Once on site, the GL rep jumped it via slave cable to another M35. Truck fired up, but it had no lights, gauges, etc. Drove it from Little Rock back to almost Dallas blind. It was a pretty uneventful trip.

Saturday, started to try and diagnose the truck. Assumed the alternator was the problem, but I might as well remove the batteries and have them tested. Auto Zone said they needed to be charged to get an accurate test. At that point, I noticed how low the batteries were on water, so I topped them off (almost 3/4gal). Left them at the Zone to be charged. Came back 3 hours later, and they told me the batteries were no good, dead cells.

So, Saturday evening I'm searching the forums here looking for battery solutions and I read this post from OPCOM about beating the snot out of the sides of batteries to knock the sulfates loose. So I grabbed my rubber mallet and beat the daylights out of them. As I was doing this, I could hear sizziling inside the battery.

So Sunday I take the batteries to O'Reilly to have them checked. They throw the tester on them then tell me the batteries are good.

Just to double check, I took them back to Auto Zone, same result. I bring them back home, install in the Deuce, and it fires right up. Lights and gauges were all back to working.

So, before you throw out batteries, beat them first. It just might work.

cranetruck · 03-30-2009, 09:14

Low frequency desulfation device.

mudguppy · 03-30-2009, 09:48

sides of the batteries (long) or ends of the batteries (short). i assume long sides....?

Stan · 03-30-2009, 09:54

Right side and north end with 14 oz. non sparking rubber mallet.

319 · 03-30-2009, 10:48

Thanks for the tip, I have a couple I can try that on. I usually get the batteries with split cases and bulges.

Blood_of_Tyrants · 03-30-2009, 10:58

While it could work, it could also break loose some of the lead and cause them to short out the plates. But if the battery is no good, it couldn't hurt.

BTW, remember to ONLY use distilled water in batteries.

drgreg · 03-30-2009, 15:33

The Hit It method is a good last resort for many fixes. Knowing when to hit or not hit is part of being a good mechanic.

DUG · 03-30-2009, 16:33

This trick has saved us many times on the ship far from resupply.

kaiser2help · 03-30-2009, 16:48

While slow charging my batteries over a couple of days I walk by frequently and pick them up about one foot off the ground and then I drop one at a time. A concrete floor usually does the trick. This will also knock off the warm and slightly softened sulfation.

wdbtchr · 03-30-2009, 16:49

As my daddy used to tell me, "I can fix anything if I've got a big enough hammer!"

or, "Hand me the BFH ( big f**#ing hammer)."

I got one I'm gonna try it on right now.