maintanance free car battery

[omeg3i]

hi
I have just filled the battery with ionised water before I was going to charge it, then I reaslised on the side in big letters was maintanance free. The car is dead, having been off road for three months or so.
on top of the battery there are five crosses which you can unscrew and check the water levels. Have I done the right thing in topping up the water and is it safe to put the battery on charge? thanks a lot any helpx

 

[seco services]

Yes not a problem.

 

[omeg3i]

thankyou so much, hopefully it will start tomorrow and I can drive to work fingers crossedx

 

[Spark123]

12v batteries usually have six cells, you haven't missed one have you?

 

[Peter.N.]

If the battery has be flat for three months you may well find its now dead, but worth a try anyway.

Peter

 

[wotan]

I have one of these modern battery chargers that will not start charging unless the battery has some charge in it, there are a series of indicators

Battery charging, battery flat or damaged, reverse polarity,


To get the flat damaged battery to start charging, connect to the charger, but do not switch on, then with jump leads from a good battery piggyback the other damaged / flat battery, switch on the charger, it should then start charging, you then remove the piggy back battery, and charging should continue on the damaged / flat battery, overnight should do it.

Wotan

 

[JohnD]

I'm surprised a maintenance-free batt needed to be topped up, or easily could be.

 

[wotan]

hi
I have just filled the battery with ionised water before I was going to charge it, then I reaslised on the side in big letters was maintanance free. The car is dead, having been off road for three months or so.
on top of the battery there are five crosses which you can unscrew and check the water levels. Have I done the right thing in topping up the water and is it safe to put the battery on charge? thanks a lot any helpx

It is more usual to use de-ionised water for batteries.

Wotan

 

[Nige F]

Even better with De stilled water

 

[Mop]

I've found batteries in general are goosed if they have been laid flat for a goodly while ........ Bin it .... Grab a new un' & check out the charging biz.... Failing that .. You know as much as I do

 

[wotan]

Even better with De stilled water

I would prefer to use distilled water.

Wotan

 

[Mop]

Makes no odds .... Its f00ked !

 

[wotan]

Keep away from calcium batterys, they are rubbish.

Wotan

 

[JohnD]

why do you say that?

they seem to have a longer warranty.

 

[Burnerman]

Maintenance free batteries - of the traditional type - are only such because any gassing and subsequent vapour is allowed to condense back into the cell, therefore the liquid level should stay reasonably constant.
If there is an issue with calcium batteries, with me I've found that when they are done then thats it - no half measures or warnings! Other than that, they do seem to give a high cranking voltage throughout their life
which is grand for a reliable start up.
I've no technical facts to back this up.
John