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-   -   Maintenance free batteries (http://www.autobanter.com/showthread.php?t=43247)

Ryan Underwood September 12th 05 11:37 PM

Maintenance free batteries
 
Here's a short quiz.

1. With respect to lead acid batteries, "maintenance free" means:

a) Maintenance is done by the seller at no additional cost.
b) There is no maintenance procedure that can extend the life of the battery.
c) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a way
that makes it impossible, in order to cut manufacturing costs.
d) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a way
that makes it impossible, in order to sell you a new battery on a shorter
schedule.

The question I'm really getting at is whether or not "sealed" batteries ever
run low on electrolyte like "capped" batteries do. If they do, it seems like
the battery would have an artificially short lifetime if it is not possible to
add fluid as necessary.


William R. Watt September 13th 05 01:41 AM


The topic has been discussed in the newsgroup.
Some people have pried the top off a battery which has no filler caps and
topped up the fluid to make the battery last longer. I'm one.

Ryan Underwood ) writes:
> Here's a short quiz.
>
> 1. With respect to lead acid batteries, "maintenance free" means:
>
> a) Maintenance is done by the seller at no additional cost.
> b) There is no maintenance procedure that can extend the life of the battery.
> c) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a way
> that makes it impossible, in order to cut manufacturing costs.
> d) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a way
> that makes it impossible, in order to sell you a new battery on a shorter
> schedule.
>
> The question I'm really getting at is whether or not "sealed" batteries ever
> run low on electrolyte like "capped" batteries do. If they do, it seems like
> the battery would have an artificially short lifetime if it is not possible to
> add fluid as necessary.
>



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[email protected] September 13th 05 05:31 AM


Ryan Underwood wrote:
> Here's a short quiz.


> The question I'm really getting at is whether or not "sealed" batteries ever
> run low on electrolyte like "capped" batteries do. If they do, it seems like
> the battery would have an artificially short lifetime if it is not possible to
> add fluid as necessary.


They lose much less water, maybe 80% less and should never run dry
unless very old or badly overcharged (shorted alternator regulator)
because the plates are submerged deeper and are made of a different
alloy, lead-calcium, that consumes much less water than the
lead-antimony found in low-maintenance batteries. But lead-calcium
batteries are much less resistant to accidental deep discharge and may
be ruined if the headlights are forgotten just once overnight, compared
to 3-10 times for other batteries. There are maintenance-free
batteries with removable caps, made by Exide and possibly Johnson
Controls' Eveready brand (but not their others).


C. E. White September 13th 05 02:05 PM

Try http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq.htm . It might not answer
your exact questions, but it is a good read.

Ed

"Ryan Underwood" > wrote in message
...
> Here's a short quiz.
>
> 1. With respect to lead acid batteries, "maintenance free" means:
>
> a) Maintenance is done by the seller at no additional cost.
> b) There is no maintenance procedure that can extend the life of the

battery.
> c) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a

way
> that makes it impossible, in order to cut manufacturing costs.
> d) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a

way
> that makes it impossible, in order to sell you a new battery on a

shorter
> schedule.
>
> The question I'm really getting at is whether or not "sealed" batteries

ever
> run low on electrolyte like "capped" batteries do. If they do, it seems

like
> the battery would have an artificially short lifetime if it is not

possible to
> add fluid as necessary.
>




Ryan Underwood September 13th 05 04:02 PM

"C. E. White" > writes:

>Try http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq.htm . It might not answer
>your exact questions, but it is a good read.


Thanks, bookmarked.



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