Reusing old batteries?

[koihoshi]

I have some old batteries from my bikes I've saved. Is there a way to bind them together with some sort of tiny voltage they have left and reuse them as small solar batteries? They /are/ sealed batteries, however. Is it still possible to get them back in the game?

[RobertSmalls]

Are these valve regulated sealed lead-acid batteries?

Dead lead-acid batteries are pretty much scrap, as far as I can tell.

[koihoshi]

Ah i was afraid of that.

[Bicycle Bob]

Battery salvage is a black art, but with practise, quite worthwhile. First, find out what chemistry you are using. Ni-Cad batteries can sometimes be saved by a burst of high voltage to burn out tiny short circuiting elements. So far, we can't even tell if your bikes have pedals or motors.

[koihoshi]

My apologies, I should have been more clear. They are from my motorcycles. I'll get some more info off of them when I get home as to what it says on them for the type of battery.

[Gasoline Fumes]

I'd just recycle them. I don't know about motorcycle batteries, but full size car batteries are worth about $7 each right now at a scrapyard.

[luvit]

when recycling, you don't want this stuff to leak out in your car. that would be bad. dump the battery's liquids out in the front yard.

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by luvit

dump the battery's liquids out in the front yard.

Now THAT would be colossally stupid. Loovit, why don't you puor battery acid on your keyboard for that one, and think about what you've done?

Remember, kids, when you're transporting wet lead-acid batteries, new or used, orient them NE-SW in your car, and don't take corners too sharply. Only your local automotive recycler is qualified to dispose of lead-contaminated H2SO4.

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by luvit

when recycling, you don't want this stuff to leak out in your car. that would be bad. dump the battery's liquids out in the front yard.

Why not just dig a hole and drop the whole battery in?
When you recycle lead acid batteries they recycle the lead, the acid, the plastic, pretty much every part of the battery is recycled other then the dirt that's on the outside, that is why when they pay you for them they pay you for the wet weight of the battery, the recycling place wants the full!
Worried about leaking? then don't tip them over, large batteries do just fine under the hood of a car for years at a time, motorcycle batteries are on their side when the bike is on it's side, so unless the battery is busted open you should be fine, it is still a good idea to place the battery on a piece of card board to keep the floor of your trunk clean and if you do have a cracked battery then put baking soda on any spills, you can also dust your hands and cloths with baking soda if you spill on your self or rinse with water, the acid will not eat your skin instantly but if you don't wash it off it can give you mild chemical burns or a dry, chapped skin feeling.

[Bicycle Bob]

As to getting more use from old batteries, there's not much wrong with making a 36 V pack out of 4 formerly 12V batteries, or some such. Do some testing to see just what you have available. You can even put two of the weakest ones in parallel if they are similar. Keep the weakest link in mind when using the pack. Chemical treatments and/or well-tailored pulses of high-rate charging can revitalize a sick lead-acid battery. Keep track of how much it takes to charge them, VS how much they put out, and baby them individually every few charges. The very latest wonder batteries are 98% efficient. You can compare yours to a healthy battery on your own set-up.