Water in battery. - Ford Forums

PHoeNiX_EB · 08-18-2003, 18:50

A few days ago i had a Flat battery. So i put it on the charger. When my old man see it chargin he asked me if i put water in the battery. I said no! I have always believed this is BAD for the battery! After an arguement about weather it is ok to do so or not the moron topped the battery up with water. (Mind you it had already been charging for about 3 hours!) After a few more hours charge I put the battery in the car! Car starts! But only once. Now the battery wont charge weather I jump start the car or charge it with a charger! So this arvo I will have to get a new battery!
I blame my old man for putin the water in the battery but he keeps insisting its good for it! Personally i dont see how watering down the battery acid can be good for it! So what do you guys think, should you put water in the battery? If so why?

PHoeNiX_

6pAc|30nG|00n · 08-18-2003, 18:53

if its a sealed battery you dont touch it but if its not your spossed to top up with demineralised water i think

VH-PBC · 08-18-2003, 19:19

My old man had couldn't start his car one morning; he was off to put petrol in it. He thought that it was because there was no petrol in the tank then checked the battery, chucked in some water (don't know which type) then next thing you know it she fired up and off to the servo. Nothing since.

DXR88U · 08-18-2003, 19:36

hi don't blame your old man for putting water in your battery.as mentioned in a previous reply if it is a sealed battery you dont need to touch it but if it's not you can add water to a battery if the acid level in the battery is not covering the cells inside.

ps: also there is no real life span on batteries that is why car manufacturers dont cover batteries for the life span of a new car warranty. i have had a brand new battery shit itself shortly after purchasing and then my latest one lasted 4 years. also the cold winter months put an extra strain on them and if its not in peak condition they soon let you know.

**donuts2001** · 08-18-2003, 20:19

Your meant to add distilled water to the battery now and again, because the water evaporates from the cells. So when you add new water to it, the acid will be the same concentration as if you bought it from the shop.

Your dad probably looked at the cells and saw that the acid/water level was below the electrodes. If it goes below the electrodes it kills them super fast, maybe thats why your battery is now dead.

SiX_iN_a_RoW · 08-18-2003, 21:07

also dont sit the battery on cement as this flattens them, and no thats not bullshit lol

PHoeNiX_EB · 08-18-2003, 23:01

I was under the impression that when you buy a battery theres NO WATER in it, just acid!

DeeMan · 08-18-2003, 23:55

Acid contains water... The 'Acid' that you speak of is just acidic water..

mongrelEB · 08-19-2003, 00:01

A battery contains acid diluted with water. From memory it's sulphuric acid.
Anyway, the water does evaporate over time, so you need to keep an eye on it and top it up with distilled/demineralised water now and again.
It really should be that, not tap water, as the minerals etc in tap water can react with the chemicals in the battery.

As donuts said, adding water if the battery is low will bring the acid back to the original concentration.

theman · 08-19-2003, 00:16

Yeah mate the battery contains distilled water with sulfuric acid. If the water level is too low it will fruck up your battery and reduce its life span. Also if you fill up your battery with too much water (distilled) then when you start it there will be a spillage of the electrolyte or whatever.
Usually when the car is running the batteries voltage should be 20% more than usual. So with a 12V battery it should run at about 14.4V.