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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / April 2006add water to sealed car batteries
I have a sealed battery that is 3 years old. It lost its charge. I pried open the top plate which covers the cells (with a screwdriver) and squirted water into the cells. I then glued back the top plate. The battery works fine now. Anybody tried an easier way - like drilling a 1/4" or 3/8" hole into the top plate into each of the cells- filling them with water, then sealing the holes with clay or polyethylene plugs? I find it easier to peel them open and close them back up. With those batteries usually one top up in their life will do it unless you alternator has gone nuts and is then boiling them dry. Those 'maintenance free' batteries are a bad planned obsolescence scam. They lose water just like any other battery, just a little slower. I got a 'new' Jeep the other day that 'needed' a battery. All it needed was a little water in each cell and a nice slow charge. It now tests out just fine. Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > I have a sealed battery that is 3 years old. It lost its charge. I > pried open the top plate which covers the cells (with a screwdriver) [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > the top plate into each of the cells- filling them with water, then > sealing the holes with clay or polyethylene plugs? > I find it easier to peel them open and close them back up. With those > batteries usually one top up in their life will do it unless you [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > was a little water in each cell and a nice slow charge. It now tests > out just fine. Time to get up to speed everybody. If you can easily pry the top off, you probably can add distilled water. However, many of the new batteries do not use FREE water inside. They use a gel or a pad. Trying to add water is playing with danger and yourself. > > I find it easier to peel them open and close them back up. With those > > batteries usually one top up in their life will do it unless you [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > batteries do not use FREE water inside. They use a gel or a pad. Trying > to add water is playing with danger and yourself. I have one of those spiral cell Optima batteries in one Jeep. There is no free liquid in them but they are still a lead acid battery. When they get a dry cell, they are garbage. No place to pry open either. Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of the car it is a good idea to invert it, and let the "sediment" flow across the plates on their way to the top which is on the bottom momentarily. Also this type battery has small escape holes under the end's "eaves" and have to be covered while the battery is inverted. I've never had to add water, but see nothing wrong with it, and especially tapping a hole in the top, using a plastic plug for sealing. mho ve >double dog dare you, sound familiar? >to reduce your driving by - 10%. > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of > the car it > is a good idea to invert it, and let the "sediment" flow across the > plates on their way to the top which is on the bottom momentarily. Lead-acid battery manufacturers add a small cavity at the bottom of the battery beneath the plates. On conventional lead-acid batteries, the lead drops off the plates and falls to the bottom of the battery whenever you charge and discharge your battery. Over the years, this can add up to quite a bit of lead. When you turn a battery upside down, all that lead falls between the plates and has a good potential to short out a cell in your battery. Anyway, the best advice is not to do it. In article <1146274216.935948.154810@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com>, > > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > short out a cell in your battery. > Anyway, the best advice is not to do it. IOWs, shade-tree doesn't/didn't know any better... > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of > the car it > is a good idea to invert it, and let the "sediment" flow across the > plates on their way to the top which is on the bottom momentarily. My grand mother had something like that, except that it was a glass globe with a country scene inside with a horse drawn sleigh, if you turned it over, it made the inside look like snow was falling. > Also this type battery has small escape holes under the end's "eaves" > and have to be covered while the battery is inverted. Wow, the house my grand mother grew up in had escape holes also. (in case of Indian attack) > I've never had to add water, but see nothing wrong with it, and > especially tapping a hole in the top, using a plastic plug for sealing. If [you're] going to the bother of 'tapping" a hole, should he use a threaded plug? > > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > If [you're] going to the bother of 'tapping" a hole, should he > use a threaded plug? ========== ========== <g> ~:~ Marsh ~sips his mushroom tea......reads on~ In article <1146329396.964666.276650@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com>, > > > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > > > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > Marsh > ~sips his mushroom tea......reads on~ At least one person got it... ;-) ========= ========= > > > > Also this type battery has small escape holes under the end's "eaves" > > > > and have to be covered while the battery is inverted. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Marsh > > ~sips his mushroom tea......reads on~ ======== ======== > At least one person got it... ;-) ========== ========== Some folks carry "speed kills" to an all new meaning. lol slow Ever hear of them that don't know....them dudes don't even suspect. ~:~ marsh ~takes a hit off his joint...sips his crownroyal~ That would sound like something a battery salesman would tell someone..... And by the by, a battery needs to be vented. If you drill out the vent and block it you will have issues. Maybe explosive issues when the hydrogen gas builds up and has no place to go.... Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > >to reduce your driving by - 10%. > That would sound like something a battery salesman would tell > someone..... [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > hydrogen gas builds up and has no place to go.... > y to the top which is on the bottom momentarily. Exactly. A lot of drag or street racers would put the battery in the trunk for a weight transfer advantage. Except instead of one battery, they might put two of them in it. And they might be big ones from a Cat dozer. The back seat would be taken out (to save weight) and a sheet of metal would take it's place, all neatly sealing up the trunk area. Then they would wonder why the trunk lid would blow off. Bottom line: you need to let the gases escape. > I don't know about adding water to a maintenance-free battery, but a > shade-tree mechanic told me one time when you have the battery out of [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > >double dog dare you, sound familiar? ========= ========= Advise........... quit hang'n around them shadetree mechs. they're gonna git you killed. "frick'n bumpass's" ~:~ Marsh ~picks up the battery......drops it 2 foot onto the shop floor...... fixed~ >I have a sealed battery that is 3 years old. It lost its charge. I >pried open the top plate which covers the cells (with a screwdriver) >and squirted water into the cells. I then glued back the top plate. > > The battery works fine now. Just make sure it's fresh water. Salt in battery may bring up a wrest in tainted cells. This is a well-known current event, even as charged. Although I realize that my posts, many may diss, still. Water we wading for? 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