OT: battery filling....???

[Gridgway]

So I go to visit my local reputable german car dealer today to buy a new battery. Apparently they are stored dry and filled with acid when needed. How quaint thought I, what not sealed-fer-life? No apparantly not.

 

So I get said battery home and have a look:

- the caps are not screwed down properly

- there is electrolyte all around the tops of the caps

 

Anyway, that's all fixable by the average home mechanic (where's me fingers gone?).

 

But the real question is how full should the battery be? I think the electrolyte should be at the level of those plastic bits you can see to er show you the level.

 

And given that it is low, should it be topped up with more eletrolyte or just distilled water?

 

Tks

Graham

[6speedmanual]

Hi Gridg

 

Yes it should be filled to the level indicators.

 

Best to top up with more acid - that works best. Water dilutes the elecrolyte. If you paid for a new battery and the right amount of acid to fill it, that's what you should have got.

 

Sounds like the dealer made a scruffy job of filling it ☹️ - take it back if you have time/energy/inclination and ask them to do it properly!

 

Good luck!

 

Peter

 

 

 

6SpeedManual

*tongue*There's no such thing as too much BHP per Ton 😬

[Dickie Normuss]

The acid should cover the plates completely but not over filled so it comes out the vent tube with hard driving. I top mine up to about 1/4" above the plates if it's gone down.

 

VX HPC - Loud and proud here

Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere

[prangerman]

The new Banner battery in my 7, the levels of which I check monthly, claims on the side to be maintenance free. Hmmm. My experience of the Banner in my last 7 leads me to doubt the claim.

 

Peter

 

In Memoriam DMG

[Gridgway]

I'll check out with said opc tomorrow what they were playing at.

Graham

[Gridgway]

spoke to porky parts dept today and he agreed that the level wasn't high enough (apparently "the plates must've soaked up more than usual"!!!!). They'll fill it properly if I take it in. Mind you he was pretty ungracious when I explained that I had hoped for better! A properly filled battery, caps put back on properly and not acid all over the top.

 

Graham