Here is a tip that over your life time will save you a great deal of money and who doesn't need to save money in this economy? The next time that you have to purchase a battery for one of your vehicles, or other pieces of equipment be sure to get one with filler caps so you can add distilled water when needed. Believe me, I know because I own a battery company. Let me give you a little history.
Every time we come across a relatively new sealed battery that has failed prematurely, and that happens quite often, we autopsy it by drilling into the top of it and scoping the inside. We usually find that it is out of electrolyte which is as mixture of distilled water and sulfuric acid. That is because there is no such thing really as a sealed battery. If the battery was really sealed it could blow up while recharging because during the charging process vapors and gases are given off. Without the vents the battery would build up pressure inside and then you know the rest of that story.
The solution to premature battery failure is very simple. Buy a battery with service caps so that you can check it every 30 days and add distilled water to any cells that are low. This by the way, is the policy in just about every military application that I have ever seen. At the same time, you can check the battery condition with an inexpensive tester called a hydrometer. This water loss could be normal, or it could be caused by over charging due to a faulty charging regulator. You only have to do this once a month and it is well worth the time. Check all of your belts and other fluids at the same time. You can consult your owner's hand book or the Internet.
The next step in the process is that if you have to add water to your battery cells I strongly recommend using distilled water which you can buy at the super market for about $1.00 a gallon. I don't care what anyone else says. I have seen the insides of too many batteries that have been destroyed by bad tap water full of harmful minerals. Do not over fill. Just add enough to cover the top of the cell plates by about 1/8th of an inch.
WARNING: BATTERIES WITH LOW WATER LEVELS CAN EXPLODE!
Always wear eye, face and clothing protection if you service your own battery.
Another thing, in case you do not like getting stuck somewhere, especially in the middle of the night, be sure to have your battery cables cleaned and checked for damage twice a year minimum because they tend to crumble and rot from battery acid corrosion. It is always a good idea to learn the basic maintenance checks for your vehicle and look under the hood a minimum of once a month, or at least go to a full service gasoline or repair station once a month and have them check the belts, battery, and all of the fluid levels. That's what you are paying the extra price per gallon for. Back in the day it was normal procedure, but too many people ignore the procedures today. Just imagine if our airlines did that! Well the safety of your car is just as important. One more thing, if you want to learn more about automotive and forklift batteries there is a full free training program including videos at:
Free Battery Maintenance Training
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