A car flooded-cell battery can last for years, providing that it gets maintained properly. While you are driving your automobile the alternator keeps your battery charged, but the method it uses to charge your battery is different from the method battery power charger charges. This can increase the risk for the difference of how long your battery last before it needs replacing.
Additionally, flooded-cell batteries, as the name suggests, contain fluid in each cell. The cells contain two lead plates it is imperative how the plates remain covered in fluid. The fluid is sulfuric acid, which is corrosive and burns skin and clothes. If the degree of the fluid falls and so the lead plates get exposed they dry out and sulfation occurs. Sulfate crystals form for the plates and when the fluid level isn’t replenished then this damage can become irreversible.
However, keeping your battery maintained is a pretty straightforward job then you know that whenever you go to start your vehicle on the cold frosty morning, the battery may have the power to start your car.
Topping-up your Battery
Firstly, it’s sensible to utilize a set of protective gloves before topping the battery. Although most unlikely, ensure obtain the acid in the cells on your skin. Secondly, all battery manufacturers suggest you disconnect the negative (black) battery cable from your battery before looking to service your battery. However, the situation with today’s cars is that they have a lot of electrical equipment that ideally should be connected constantly; you could decide never to disconnect the cable.
Remove the plastic caps around the top of it; you’ll find six ones and they usually unscrew. Look carefully inside the cells and you will probably go to a maximum marker. This is where the fluid level should be. If you find some of the cells have fluid approximately the marker then you certainly don’t need to do anything whatsoever. If you find the higher level fluid in any of the cells is below the marker, you then need to pour in sanitized water until it reaches the marker. Don’t overfill the reservoirs and only use sterilized water; tap water contains impurities which may get a new cell’s ability to charge correctly.
Once you’ve got a topped-up cellular structure, leave the cell caps off whilst you charge the battery. When you charge an electric battery with all the trickle-charge method, gas bubbles start rising for the surface of the fluid if the caps are stored on pressure can build-up.
Charging your Battery
Connect the cable clamps on the end with the cables in the battery charger to its terminals. The red cable attaches to the positive terminal and black cable to the negative terminal. Set your charger to trickle or slow charge and turn it on. Leave battery to charge for around 12 hours or before the charger light indicates your battery is full.
Don’t forget to change the plastic cell caps once you have charged your battery. If you do this every month or two, especially throughout the winter period you will keep your battery in good.
