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Topping up relatively new battery with water

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  • 18-10-2014 8:23pm
    #1
    wildrover444
    Registered Users Posts: 328 ✭✭


    Hi. Changed battery in wife's car bout six months ago. 1.0 Nissan micra 97. But it has been dying a lot over last three months or so. Originally I was thinking it was happening cos she only used car bout twice a week on average. I was jump starting it a lot. I have a battery charger and finally took out battery to charge it but when I took off the six caps on top of battery and looked down into it there seems to be no liquid at all inside in it. Found that strange for newish car battery. I bought the distilled water for it but I am a worried bout topping it up as have not done that before. There is no sticker on battery to say it's maintenance free. Should I go ahead and top it up. Just worried it case I damage it. Make of battery is Oldham performance battery. Never heard of them. Any advice would be appreciated.


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    #2
    visual
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,268 ✭✭✭visual


    Battery is already toast
    if its still under warranty bring it back.


    Years ago distilled water was used to top up batteries and then charge up the battery fully


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    #3
    martinr5232
    Registered Users Posts: 2,298 ✭✭✭martinr5232


    wildrover444 wrote: »
    Hi. Changed battery in wife's car bout six months ago. 1.0 Nissan micra 97. But it has been dying a lot over last three months or so. Originally I was thinking it was happening cos she only used car bout twice a week on average. I was jump starting it a lot. I have a battery charger and finally took out battery to charge it but when I took off the six caps on top of battery and looked down into it there seems to be no liquid at all inside in it. Found that strange for newish car battery. I bought the distilled water for it but I am a worried bout topping it up as have not done that before. There is no sticker on battery to say it's maintenance free. Should I go ahead and top it up. Just worried it case I damage it. Make of battery is Oldham performance battery. Never heard of them. Any advice would be appreciated.

    You need to get your car checked out to see what condition your charging system is in then bring that battery back if everything is ok.

    Those cells should be filled with acid and only topped up with disstilled water but after six months the cells shouldnt be empty or even below the level of the plate which leads me to think its possibly over charging slightly.


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    #4
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    Dodgy battery return it.


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    #5
    JohnBoy26
    Registered Users Posts: 8,532 ✭✭✭JohnBoy26


    martinr5232 wrote: »
    You need to get your car checked out to see what condition your charging system is in then bring that battery back if everything is ok.

    Those cells should be filled with acid and only topped up with disstilled water but after six months the cells shouldnt be empty or even below the level of the plate which leads me to think its possibly over charging slightly.

    It sounds more like a bad battery tbh. I'd take it back before checking anything on the car. The place where the op purchased it will in all likelihood have a tester to check if the battery is faulty or not.


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    #6
    wildrover444
    Registered Users Posts: 328 ✭✭wildrover444


    Cheers. When I originally brought it to garage to check it six months ago he did perform a few tests and then Said it was battery. So I must find out where he got the battery so I can take it back there.


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    #7
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    Its not the car...its the battery.


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    #8
    martinr5232
    Registered Users Posts: 2,298 ✭✭✭martinr5232


    wildrover444 wrote: »
    Cheers. When I originally brought it to garage to check it six months ago he did perform a few tests and then Said it was battery. So I must find out where he got the battery so I can take it back there.

    If you bought it from a garage or even a fella doing work at the side of his house its upto him to sort it out for you.


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    #9
    martinr5232
    Registered Users Posts: 2,298 ✭✭✭martinr5232


    JohnBoy26 wrote: »
    It sounds more like a bad battery tbh. I'd take it back before checking anything on the car. The place where the op purchased it will in all likelihood have a tester to check if the battery is faulty or not.

    Very unusual to have six faulty cells on a battery.


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    #10
    pablo128
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭pablo128


    martinr5232 wrote: »
    You need to get your car checked out to see what condition your charging system is in then bring that battery back if everything is ok.

    Those cells should be filled with acid and only topped up with disstilled water but after six months the cells shouldnt be empty or even below the level of the plate which leads me to think its possibly over charging slightly.
    Probably overcharging a good bit actually, considering it does small miles.

    The battery has to be losing acid from somewhere. It is boiling and then venting the vapours out of the battery. This is because of the overcharging.

    If you have a voltmeter, you can check for yourself. With the engine running at tickover, it should be charging at around 13.5 volts. On a high idle, or with a bad battery, it should be charging at around 14.5 volts.


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    #11
    wildrover444
    Registered Users Posts: 328 ✭✭wildrover444


    pablo128 wrote: »
    Probably overcharging a good bit actually, considering it does small miles.

    The battery has to be losing acid from somewhere. It is boiling and then venting the vapours out of the battery. This is because of the overcharging.

    If you have a voltmeter, you can check for yourself. With the engine running at tickover, it should be charging at around 13.5 volts. On a high idle, or with a bad battery, it should be charging at around 14.5 volts.

    Don't have voltmeter unfortunately. Can the fact the I jump started the car a lot affect the battery. Maybe cos wife wasn't using car too often caused battery to go dead and then jumping it a lot might have damaged it.


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    #12
    pablo128
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭pablo128


    wildrover444 wrote: »
    Don't have voltmeter unfortunately. Can the fact the I jump started the car a lot affect the battery. Maybe cos wife wasn't using car too often caused battery to go dead and then jumping it a lot might have damaged it.
    Like I said, where do you think the acid went? It certainly wouldn't have boiled off from jump starting it.


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    #13
    whizbang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,924 ✭✭✭whizbang


    Maybe the battery has been sitting on the shop floor for years, and simply dried out.
    Not too many places stock wet batteries anymore in that size..?

    There should be a date code on the battery somewhere.


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    #14
    pablo128
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭pablo128


    whizbang wrote: »
    Maybe the battery has been sitting on the shop floor for years, and simply dried out.
    Not too many places stock wet batteries anymore in that size..?

    There should be a date code on the battery somewhere.
    Believe it or not, I work for a large motor parts distributor. Once a week, I go around the battery stock room, and check and charge as neccessary. The equipment tests for dead cells, voltage, amps and health. A battery which has been sitting for too long will see it's health drop. Any lower than 50% and it's officially fcuked.

    Now most motor factors will order batteries which aren't that popular as they need them, as they can have them delivered that day or the next day at the latest. The shop will return them within the month if not sold due to a change in the VAT laws about 2 years ago.

    Hope this clears things up a bit.


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    #15
    whizbang
    Registered Users Posts: 1,924 ✭✭✭whizbang


    That's the way it should be...

    I worked for a supplier that stocked batteries. Despite lot number, serial no, date code tracing etc, even weighing every battery that came in, they still could not understand the need for checking.

    Mostly SLA, Are flooded cells becoming obsolete in cars?


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    #16
    pablo128
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭pablo128


    whizbang wrote: »
    That's the way it should be...

    I worked for a supplier that stocked batteries. Despite lot number, serial no, date code tracing etc, even weighing every battery that came in, they still could not understand the need for checking.

    Mostly SLA, Are flooded cells becoming obsolete in cars?
    The bulk of our sales are still wet cell batteries alright.


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    #17
    wildrover444
    Registered Users Posts: 328 ✭✭wildrover444


    Cheers for the advice. Il try to sort it out this week and let ye know if it was the car or the battery


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