Polarkraft05 Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 my starting battery was in the back of the truck and got tipped over, and the acid spilled out of it. it is a "maintanence free" battery, but i can add water to it easily. here is my question is adding deionized water good enough even though pretty much all of the liquid in the battery is gone? should i add some sulfuric acid? how much? also most informative sites say to never add liquid to a uncharged battery add it after you charge it fully. can i charge my battery with no liquid in it? im thinking it would be best to add some water to it then charge it then top it off. Quote
endless Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 I was always told just enough water to cover the plates inside the battery. It has to be distilled water as well. http://www.justbajan...-01/printer.htm Quote
Polarkraft05 Posted March 15, 2012 Author Posted March 15, 2012 i know generally you just add distilled water, but since mine is empty im thinking i will need to add some acid to it. Im just not sure and not sure how much I know the reason you generally only add water is that is generally all that escapes the battery during charging. but since everything poured out of mine that means there is no acid in it. im hoping someone has done this before as i fell it is different than just topping it off with water Quote
endless Posted March 15, 2012 Posted March 15, 2012 (edited) Maybe this can help http://answers.yahoo...03060050AAGw0Fb Well maybe not but this guy bought battery acid at autozone. Edited March 15, 2012 by endless Quote
Super User slonezp Posted March 15, 2012 Super User Posted March 15, 2012 There was a thread on here about this in the last year. I can't find it. Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted March 15, 2012 Super User Posted March 15, 2012 When you spill the contents of a battery, you need to add electrolyte, or you will dilute the remaining acid. When a battery loses fluid through evaporation, it's water that is lost, so it's water that is added to bring the contents back to the proper level. Quote
endless Posted March 16, 2012 Posted March 16, 2012 When you spill the contents of a battery, you need to add electrolyte, or you will dilute the remaining acid. When a battery loses fluid through evaporation, it's water that is lost, so it's water that is added to bring the contents back to the proper level. Rhino how do you add electrolyte? Where can you get it? Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted March 16, 2012 Super User Posted March 16, 2012 Try a battery store like Interstate. You might be wise to call, see if they have it, and then bring your battery to them, and let them bring it back to proper levels. It depends on the amount you'd have to buy. And then, what do you do with the excess? The Interstate stores around here will test your battery for free. And they do it in front of you. I've been to them for batteries and a charger, and they've treated me well. Quote
Al Wolbach Posted March 16, 2012 Posted March 16, 2012 I'm curious, how much damage to the truck?............................Al Quote
Polarkraft05 Posted March 17, 2012 Author Posted March 17, 2012 no damage to the truck, to be honest i didnt give two thoughts about it. it spilled in the bed, and i have rhino liner. there was a roll of paper towels nearby that soaked most of it up. ill have to go out in the morning and see if it did anything to the rhinoliner. I doubt it did anything though As for the battery i think im going to go to the autoparts store and buy some battery acid, hopefully it will have some dilution instructions. Ill fill it up most of the way, then charge the battery then top it off. Quote
Super User Fishing Rhino Posted March 17, 2012 Super User Posted March 17, 2012 no damage to the truck, to be honest i didnt give two thoughts about it. it spilled in the bed, and i have rhino liner. there was a roll of paper towels nearby that soaked most of it up. ill have to go out in the morning and see if it did anything to the rhinoliner. I doubt it did anything though As for the battery i think im going to go to the autoparts store and buy some battery acid, hopefully it will have some dilution instructions. Ill fill it up most of the way, then charge the battery then top it off. Battery acid should be fine as it is. Battery acid/electrolyte are the same thing. Some batteries are stored dry with no liquid. The upside is that the battery is filled when it is sold. When I bought 8D Rolls Surrette batteries for my lobsterboat, the New Bedford dealer who sold them had to add the electrolyte. As long as the dealer rotates their stock, and has a good turnover, they don't stay on the shelf long long enough for it to be a problem. Generally speaking, I doubt there are many places that want to have their employees dispensing acid into batteries. Here's the scoop on Interstate Batteries and how to tell the date they were shipped to the dealer. Others must have something similar. When you buy off the shelf at a place like WalMart, check to see if there is a shipping date on the top, or elsewhere on the battery. If it's coded, ask an employee (if they know) how to read the date. There is no way of knowing, or being comfortable that they do rotate their stock when adding batteries to the display. How to read the date code on an Interstate 12-volt and 6-volt automotive, commercial, or marine battery A 4 or 5-digit shipping date code is engraved into the cover of each Interstate battery at the time the battery is shipped from the manufacturing plant. This code can only be seen when looking down on the top of the battery. The code is not on the label on the battery and it is not on the rim around the cover. The code is usually near one of the corners of the battery. This code tells when the battery was shipped from the factory to the local Interstate Battery wholesale distributor . The additional digits tell where the battery was made. The first digit from the left side is a letter which stands for the month of the year. A = January; B = February; C = March, etc. The second digit from the left is the year that the battery was shipped from the factory. 4 = 2004, 5 = 2005, 6 = 2006, 7 = 2007, 8 = 2008, 9 = 2009, 0 = 2010, etc.. The national policy of Interstate Battery System is to recharge our batteries that are on a dealer's shelf or in our warehouse every 3 months in order to keep them fresh. Usually, a battery is sold to a consumer during the first 3 months after it is received from manufacturing plant. If the battery has been recharged by an Interstate Battery wholesale distributor then there will be another date code on the cover of the battery. It will either be a 2 digit code that is branded into the cover or is on a small round label that is on the cover. In each case, the code will be read in the same way: The first digit from the left is a letter that indicates the month that the battery was recharged (A = January, B = February, C = March, etc.). The second digit indicates the year that the battery was recharged (4 = 2004, 5 = 2005, 6 = 2006, 7 = 2007, 8 = 2008, 9 = 2009, 0 = 2010). http://batteries-faq...p?questionid=53 Quote
Al Wolbach Posted March 17, 2012 Posted March 17, 2012 I'm curious, how much damage to the truck?............................Al I recommend you rinse that bed liner with a water and baking soda solution to neutralize the battery acid. Someone help, baking soda is correct isn't it?..........................Al Quote
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