erohslc wrote:
I have a similar situation. I have not tried this myself, but I do know folks that swear it has worked.
So undertake this at your own risk.
"according to the internet" ..... (Google and you will find)
You can restore much of the capacity. It involves a 'brief' reverse charge from a greater voltage source. Two 12V car batteries in series will make a 24V that should do the trick. Attach heavy leads to the pack contacts (minding the polarity), and connect one of the leads to the 24V battery.
The other lead is briefly touched to the other 24V battery terminal a few times (8-10? with attendant sparks of course) longer duration connections are discouraged due to the possibility of Ni-Cd cell explosion.
Recharge the pack, and then test. If it works, cools, but some of the cells (15 I think in an 18V pack) may not revive, and you can cut out and replace them with good ones.
The explanation given is that repeated cycling builds up crystaline structures in the electrolyte that act as internal short circuits. The brief reverse high current spikes break up these structures, allowing the cells to work properly.
Carter
yeah, been doing some reading since I posted this question and looks like they're toast. I got 5-6years out of them, so that's not bad. Definitely not planning to go to any majore effort like that, lol.
Also these are 18V, so I'd need 1 1/2 car batteries to even try that haha.
There's a place on ebay that for $45 will rebuild them, so I think I'll go that route!
