Went to move my work van yesterday (diesel) but the battery was flat just put it on charge. Q do you still have to remove the plugs to charge it? Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
You mean remove the battery leads, or something else by 'plugs'? Looks like you removed the leads anyway!
My dad always said when recharging a battery remove the plugs where you can fill up with distilled water. But most batterys are sealed however this one is not. Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Batteries have breathers, sometimes connected to a pipe. You know - that little red bit you pull off and throw away is the connector if you have a pipe.
With this kind of battery, you "have" to open the caps, because during recharging (due to chemical reaction and to temperature rise) bubbling appears and the level rise. If you don't open, the risk is that acid will flow over by breather pipe and finally, after rest, the battery will have less electrolyte. With plugs taken off, you can check electrolyte level before charging. If required, you can fill up to 1cm of the top with distilled water. And recheck at the the end of charging (and refill !).
..and be careful to switch off the charger before you remove the jump leads - a spark from them could ignite the hydrogen gas given off from the removed plugs.
Battery's new was only put on end od February. Thing is vans just been sat on the drive for 5 weeks now and opening and closing it with the fob 20 times a day has just took its toll i assume. Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Trickle charger is a good ask next Birthday or Xmas. You could also buy one as a gift for your better half or kids if you have them. Claim it’s actually for your camper and is this a gift for everyone.
Modern cars all use a lot of power just sitting there. There will be a shortage of batteries.. All lead acid based batteries will have a vent,* otherwise they would blow up when charged by the car. It will be a hole under the overhanging edge of one end or in the side of the top. Into which you can insert a plastic tube which can be fed outboard to stop the acid laden gases from spraying near the battery. *Except SLA/AGM which rely on not having a permanent vent and trust the user not to overcharge them and cause them to get hot, bulge and vent for one final time. On my daily driver car ( actually fewer annual miles than my bus ) I currently have a solar cell off a junk garden ornamental water feature that had a 20 volt 4 watt solar panel on it, connected via a diode to a permanently live accessory cigar lighter socket ( behind nearside rear seat on a Peugeot 307SW) all joined up and gunged with sealant. Its lying on the roof of the car.
