Revive a dead battery with aspirin

[snopes]

Comment: I've heard dropping a pain killer (asprin) into a dead car's
battery can give you enough of a jump to start the car. Any idea if this
is true?

[Nick Theodorakis]

Do they still make car batteries that aren't sealed?

Nick

[Brad from Georgia]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I've heard dropping a pain killer (asprin) into a dead car's
battery can give you enough of a jump to start the car. Any idea if this
is true?

The way I heard it, you drop a pellet of plutonium in. And where you're going, you don't need...roads.

[cdav1313]

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

The way I heard it, you drop a pellet of plutonium in. And where you're going, you don't need...roads.

That's only true on cars equipped with a flux capacitor.

[Nick Theodorakis]

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

The way I heard it, you drop a pellet of plutonium in. And where you're going, you don't need...roads.

1.21 GIGAWATTS?!

Nick

[Brad from Georgia]

Originally Posted by cdav1313

That's only true on cars equipped with a flux capacitor.

I thought they were standard now!

[James G]

The Empire Strikes Back to the Future

(Not my own work by the way.)

[Troberg]

It will not work. Potentially, it might revive a bad electrolyte, but I doubt that as well, but even if it did, it would not charge the battery. The aspirin has no electric charge in it.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Troberg

It will not work. Potentially, it might revive a bad electrolyte, but I doubt that as well, but even if it did, it would not charge the battery. The aspirin has no electric charge in it.

See http://www.makezine.com/extras/6.html

- snopes

[Ceiling Fan]

Originally Posted by cdav1313

That's only true on cars equipped with a flux capacitor.

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

I thought they were standard now!

If you don't have one in your car already, this is where you can buy one:
Flux Capacitor at KaleCoAuto.com (Other curious stuff for sale as well). Very amusing!

[Tarquin Farquart]

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

I thought they were standard now!

Not until 2015.

[Troberg]

See http://www.makezine.com/extras/6.html

None of those solutions will work. The starter motor draws a lot of power (sometimes over 100 A, just look at the cable running to the starter motor) and no simple ad hoc battery design/fix will be sufficient. Even with a fresh battery, you only have enough power to crank it for a minute or two.

If I really had to start a car with a dead battery in the hypothetical example they gave, I would use the tow line to rig a pull start from the drive shaft or one of the pulleys, sling it over a sturdy branch and rig some weight to do the pull. Or just use a similar device to pull the car and start it that way.

[Victoria J]

Originally Posted by Ceiling Fan

If you don't have one in your car already, this is where you can buy one:
Flux Capacitor at KaleCoAuto.com (Other curious stuff for sale as well). Very amusing!

NOTE: Special return policy: If you are not 100% satisfied, you may return this product for a full refund, in no LESS than 30 days before you purchase it!

Victoria J

[RichardM]

The cited source says that asprin will work to temporarily revive a car battery. My specialized knowledge as an electrical engineer says it should work although I have not tested this.

[Troberg]

The cited source says that asprin will work to temporarily revive a car battery. My specialized knowledge as an electrical engineer says it should work although I have not tested this.

I agree that it will give some effect, but I really doubt that it will be enough to crank the engine, or even to get the CD player going.

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by Troberg

I agree that it will give some effect, but I really doubt that it will be enough to crank the engine, or even to get the CD player going.

I happen to have several dead batteries laying around. If I have the time, I will test this. A first person test is always the best although the born sceptics here won't believe unless I come repeat the test with their car.

[Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Troberg

It will not work. Potentially, it might revive a bad electrolyte, but I doubt that as well, but even if it did, it would not charge the battery. The aspirin has no electric charge in it.

I don't think it's particularly far-fetched.

If the battery is in okay condition (good electrolyte, plates not badly oxidized) but fully discharged, you could bring it to full charge by pulling all the sulfate off the lead plates, re-exposing metallic lead. By doing this, you're recharging the battery chemically instead of electrically. If you could put in a chemical that would do this but not foul the electrolyte, it seems possible to restore the battery to a pretty good charge.

I don't know if aspirin will do this though.

[Troberg]

I happen to have several dead batteries laying around. If I have the time, I will test this. A first person test is always the best although the born sceptics here won't believe unless I come repeat the test with their car.

If you do the test, I'll believe you. Come to think of it, I have a bunch of batteries somewhere as well. I don't think I have any suitable painkillers though, I prefer paracetamol. My batteries may be too dead as well, as they have frozen. I just kept them in case I need some lead some day, as they are a good source of lead.

Off topic:

Q: Why are there no Aspirin in the jungle?
A: Because the parrots ate 'em all.

[RichardM]

I'll even try it on a Swedish car. One of my rally cars is a Saab.

Originally Posted by Brad from Georgia

The way I heard it, you drop a pellet of plutonium in. And where you're going, you don't need...roads.

Well, generally, civilian possession of plutonium is illegal anyway, so you're right Brad. You don't need roads in jail.