Battery Description: Sulfation
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Suzuki XL-7. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
If the battery is allowed to stand for a long period in discharged condition, the lead sulfate becomes converted into a hard, crystalline substance, which will not easily turn back to the active material again during the subsequent recharging. "Sulfation" means the result as well as the process of that reaction.
Such a battery can be revived by very slow charging and may be restored to usable condition but its capacity is lower than before.