Dead car battery question(s)

[Moskvich]

Advice required from the Blonde brains trust please...

I've got what seems to be a completely dead car battery - taken out of a car that hasn't been started for a good couple of months. Obviously should have disconnected it but didn't, so it's been sitting there running the clock till it could run it no longer... Got hold of a battery charger, put it on a trickle charge, but doesn't seem to be registering anything.

Is it likely to be possible eventually to get the battery to take a charge..? Is it a good/bad idea to connect it up via jump leads to another car to give it an initial charge and then try and put it back on the charger?

Or just give it up as unrescuable and get a new one? Battery is relatively new, about a year old, and hasn't been flat before.

Thanks!

[ScottMGee]

Battery is relatively new, about a year old, and hasn't been flat before.

Should be covered by a guarantee, find the receipt (or proof of purchase, i.e. credit card bill) and return it to the shop.

[snoopy1239]

Same happened to me. Jump leads should do the trick if it's only a year old. If not, then take it back and demand a replacement.

[rex008]

Do you really mean trickle charge? If so, that's your problem. You need to whack some current into it. Trickle charge is when it's full and you want to keep it "topped up".

Is it sealed? Are there what looks like big screwdriver crosses in the top? If so, is there a little sight glass to check the acid level? There are usually instructions on the battery to check whether it has got enough. If not, you can top up with distilled water usually. It won't charge if the level is low, which can happen if it's been fully discharged.

[gatso]

you can get distilled water from wardonkey when his girlfriend defrosts his freezer