SLK, have a terrible reputation.
How long should a 12v Car Battey last?
- Thread starter Benny5
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SLK, have a terrible reputation.
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Back in times of old, when flags were allowed to be flown, snowflakes were white stuff falling from the sky and Gen Z were nowt but a twinkle in Gen X eyes, we used to have turkey baster type testers, battery top up fluid etc.
It was part of the cars general maintenance to top up the battery electrolyte.
Now they are all supposedly sealed maintenance free (although it's usually just a sticker over the same top up bungs.
Would a modern battery not also benefit from the old style test and topup routine?
It was part of the cars general maintenance to top up the battery electrolyte.
Now they are all supposedly sealed maintenance free (although it's usually just a sticker over the same top up bungs.
Would a modern battery not also benefit from the old style test and topup routine?
Part of the equation, is that charge rates/voltages are much better controlled and engines start without the lots of cranking that used to be needed, so less wear, tear, and evaporation of electrolyte occurs.
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You assume all batteries are the same. They're not
I used to own a hydrometer. I found it mildly interesting to measure each cell's specific gravity, but at the end of the day it didn't really matter. While the SG could tell the charge state, another good way was to listen to how the engine turned over as you tried to start it (spinning freely or barely getting the engine to turn over).
I also recall topping up the cells with distilled water. It was so easy to overfill, which was not a good idea. It was a routine activity, doing that. The water evaporates. On the other hand, if the battery is sealed, there will be no evaporation. Therefore, less maintenance, and I'm all for that.
I also recall topping up the cells with distilled water. It was so easy to overfill, which was not a good idea. It was a routine activity, doing that. The water evaporates. On the other hand, if the battery is sealed, there will be no evaporation. Therefore, less maintenance, and I'm all for that.
