Just read about this in Mental Floss magazine and found the following on Reader's Digest on line.

"If you get behind the wheel only to discover that your car's battery has given up the ghost -- and there's no one around to give you a jump -- you may be able to get your vehicle started by dropping two aspirin tablets into the battery itself. The aspirin's acetylsalicylic acid will combine with the battery's sulfuric acid to produce one last charge. Just be sure to drive to your nearest service station."

Anybody tried this or can confirm it's accuracy?

 

Seeing as the battery has six separate cells, which cells do you omit the aspirin from.
A lead acid battery primarily stores electricity, it cannot produce enough power to start a car using a starter. Some articles said the reaction warmed the battery and that's why it worked.
Having your battery fail is a headache so I think you would be best served by taking the pills yourself.

 

you would be best served by taking the pills yourself

great response onehundered

 

I would assume (troublesome word that it is) that it would require the two aspirin per cell. Also I read a claim that there are two ways to charge a battery, electrical or by chemical reaction. I am no rocket scientist so I can't say.

Sounds like a real test for Mythbusters! Actually looked at the Mythbusters site and it appears a number of people do not THINK it will work, but the masters themselves have not tried it. They were talking about placing aspirin on the terminals.....

 

Now if this were to really work, I want to know about it. Does anyone ever feel that certain car gremlins follow you around? Battery failure is one of mine. Also misaligned tires. Which reminds me - I need to check pressure and have alignment checked - simply for peace of mind...........

One of your non-technical forum members - Alicia

 

You should offer the aspirin to the misses.

That will eliminate the I have a headache answer.

 

I'll second that.

It goes back to physics, my friends. To get 300 or more amperes of current from a battery, you need ENERGY. That energy comes from charging, and your car's alternator does that charging.

Just where does this energy come from when you drop the aspirin in? Now, perhaps the chemical(s) in the aspirin DO cause a reaction in the cells that produces some (let's call it "latent") energy. But enough to crank a V6 engine?

Ok fine, I can't say for sure it's B.S. without testing the idea myself... but I do lean toward throwing a "B.S." flag down on this one.

 

Or you could get a bell for your car like bikers have on their bikes....

The Legend Bell or Guardian Bell for Motorcycles

My wife and I both worked in battery manufactering at Enersys, warrensburg MO. All of our batteries were made from lead and pos/neg paste. Then filled with small portions of acid. No water. We made diehards, stingers, odessey and military applications. The ones that sat to long and wouldnt pass OCV -open current voltage check (my old job) would most likely get sent to formation where they would recharge them. No asprin or motrin

 

(Most) modern batteries I've seen are maintenance free without vent caps for dropping in aspirns. Squirrel Crusher

 

Those "Bayer" dudes really came up with a winner all those years ago....a regular cure all....but, I will stick to "jumper cables" or better yet, just keep a good battery in the car....I am not a chemist, but there are some really interesting things out there. My wife bought me these hot packs for my sore old back...you snap a small metal disc back and forth...kind of like the old cricket clickers we had as kids...causes some kind chemical reaction which creates heat...they last for a few hours. To reactive them, you boil them in water until the liquid is clear again...let them cool...and you can do it all over again...so, who knows, maybe it does creat heat, and there is just enough voltage left to get you started...but I agree with the others, and would just take them myself and call AAA...or AA according to how bad you feel....

 

I believe in imperical evidence. So now I have to experiment. Gary

 

Its crap, like the magnet on the house water line or the cars fuel line. Crap clear and simple...Woody

 

Disagree professor!
I swear my car has more power with those magnets.
Not as much as the Ebay performance chip gives me but close!

 

I've even heard of peeing in the battery. Isn't that nice? It's supposed to be uric acid which does the magic.

 

Hey, you might have something there. Most new diesel engines have a Urea injection system that helps them meet emissions standards.

Joe Greenwood
Baton Rouge roadster

 

It might work. But who's going to be first to try it?

 

You got that wrong, they said pi$$ on it and then went and got a new battery.