Yep its long but good to know and do.
I was planning to post this Sunday but had no luck getting my computer to plant a nice write up here my car and pickup batteries I usualy get three to five years by doing this. Strait Trucks not as long but it helps them last a little longer trucks usualy shake a battery to death breaking the plates leaving the battery useless.
First Read This.
You do this at your own risk I do not assume any responsability if somthing goes wrong and you wreck any parts, destroy yours or anyone elses vehicle, home, property, even if you level the neighborhood. If you or anyone else gets injured or killed. You assume all the risk If you follow my instructions you should be O.K.You will be working arround Sulferic acid, Hydrogen, and lead. Please use common sense no smoking, or eating and keep the kids and pets away while working .
If you are not sure take it to a shop.
When working with lead acid batteries wash hands and exposed skin with baking soda and water before using hand cleaner to neutralize the acid. Wear old clothes and if you get electrolite on them. Polyester can hold up to electrolite but cotton will not.
To do a proper maintainence you will need the following items
(1) SAFETY GOGGLES Its an eyesight thing
(2) leather work gloves for handling the battery
(3) A box of SYNTHETIC gloves for the rest Nitrale works good.
Gloves are verry handy but not a deal breaker.
(4) A good multi meter or automotive batery tester.
(5) Batery hydrometer (optional) A good multi meter will do if you dont have one.
however a hydrometer is more accurate.
(6) Baking Soda any brand will do.
(7) Cleaning brushes or battery post cleaner.
(8) Distilled Water.
(9) Garden hose.
(10) Petrolum Jelly or terminal spray.
(11) Brake parts cleaner.
(12) Battery charger. a simple 6/12/boost is fine make sure it has a timer or shuts off automaticaly when the battery is charged.
(13) Tools
(14) Battery bottle, or bulb syringe or turkey baster. Not your wifes favorite one!!!
O.K.Battery Maintenance is simple if you understand how a batery works and have common sense. Im not going to get too deep into the technical stuff unless necessary if your into that ask me and I will try to answer it. Short description of how an automotive battery works just a little techy.
A lead acid battery dose not hold a charge it creates one when there is a demand and the correct chemical reaction takes place betwene the lead plates and acid / water electrolite. Electricity hydorgen, water, and lead sulfate are produced. Durring charging hydrogen, water, and lead sulfate are converted back into acid water electrolite. Electrolite is 65% sulferic acid 35% water. There are five or six plates to a cell, and six cells producing 2 volts each, to a battery that produce a total of twelve to 12.5 volts.
First step is having a charged battery drive the car/ truck, put on a charger let idle for a few minuites, A quick check with the volt meter while the truck is running will let you know if your alternator is working should show 12 - 14 volts idling 12 -12.5 volts shut down write down your voltage . I prefer to disconnect both battery cables if you have a problem this will tell you wether it is a parasitic drain, short or the battery. Let it sit abbout 12 hours.
Before starting test your voltage write it down Dose it match? Look over your battery is it intact no leaks, treminals un dammaged not swollen, is there liquid inside at least to the top of the plates? If dry all is not lost. Discharged lower than 10 volts, low water might be savable but dammaged posts, or swollen cases the battery is junk. Make sure your vent caps are tight and clean the battery and terminals with baking soda and tap water make a soupy mix rinse and dry the battery. When dry open the vent caps. FYI most maintainence free batteries can be maintained unless they are permanently sealed you may need to pull back the stickers to find the plugs most thread in. The electrolite (water/acid mix) should be at the bottom of the wells the plastic tube that goes into the battery defintiely no lower than the top of the plates. If its low add distilled water you dont want to add minerals to the electolite this can shorten the life of your battery. If you dont have distilled water tap water can be used in a pinch as long as you dont have hard water issues. This is where the batery bottle, bulb syringe, or turkey baster comes in. a battery bottle fills the cells to the proper level use a bulb syringe or turkey baster to fill each cell to the bottom of each well. if you slightly over fill not a big deal you can draw out the exess.
Check your spacific gravity in all cells with the hydrometer this tells you how effective the battery is at producing electricity.
1.265 = 100% 1.225 = 75%% 1.190 = 50% 1.155 = 25% 1.120 Discharged
In reality anything less than 50 % is junk but it may just get you to your next payday but not much farther For your work truck / van I would be cautious with 75% as it may be on its way out.
Put the battery on charge vent caps off untill the charger kicks off use the timer 12 volts and keep an eye on the water level it is normal for some water to bubble out of the battery if it loock like there is a problem batery is hot or smoking stop charging. Do not let the water level run lower than the top of the plates while charging never charge on boost this can wreck your battery or cause it to explode When charged water if necessary, test the voltage, and specific gravity. it its all good install the battery. Make sure your terminals are in good condition, coat the terminals with petrolum jelly or terminal spray. Find out what the amperage pull is for your starter and test to see how many amps you drop when the starter ts cranked this may or it may not work with your tester.most parts stores have charging and starting system testers they usualy work with multi battery systems if wired in parralel you have twelve volts like a car.
Good Luck and work safe.
Bob Wolf.
I was planning to post this Sunday but had no luck getting my computer to plant a nice write up here my car and pickup batteries I usualy get three to five years by doing this. Strait Trucks not as long but it helps them last a little longer trucks usualy shake a battery to death breaking the plates leaving the battery useless.
First Read This.
You do this at your own risk I do not assume any responsability if somthing goes wrong and you wreck any parts, destroy yours or anyone elses vehicle, home, property, even if you level the neighborhood. If you or anyone else gets injured or killed. You assume all the risk If you follow my instructions you should be O.K.You will be working arround Sulferic acid, Hydrogen, and lead. Please use common sense no smoking, or eating and keep the kids and pets away while working .
If you are not sure take it to a shop.
When working with lead acid batteries wash hands and exposed skin with baking soda and water before using hand cleaner to neutralize the acid. Wear old clothes and if you get electrolite on them. Polyester can hold up to electrolite but cotton will not.
To do a proper maintainence you will need the following items
(1) SAFETY GOGGLES Its an eyesight thing
(2) leather work gloves for handling the battery
(3) A box of SYNTHETIC gloves for the rest Nitrale works good.
Gloves are verry handy but not a deal breaker.
(4) A good multi meter or automotive batery tester.
(5) Batery hydrometer (optional) A good multi meter will do if you dont have one.
however a hydrometer is more accurate.
(6) Baking Soda any brand will do.
(7) Cleaning brushes or battery post cleaner.
(8) Distilled Water.
(9) Garden hose.
(10) Petrolum Jelly or terminal spray.
(11) Brake parts cleaner.
(12) Battery charger. a simple 6/12/boost is fine make sure it has a timer or shuts off automaticaly when the battery is charged.
(13) Tools
(14) Battery bottle, or bulb syringe or turkey baster. Not your wifes favorite one!!!
O.K.Battery Maintenance is simple if you understand how a batery works and have common sense. Im not going to get too deep into the technical stuff unless necessary if your into that ask me and I will try to answer it. Short description of how an automotive battery works just a little techy.
A lead acid battery dose not hold a charge it creates one when there is a demand and the correct chemical reaction takes place betwene the lead plates and acid / water electrolite. Electricity hydorgen, water, and lead sulfate are produced. Durring charging hydrogen, water, and lead sulfate are converted back into acid water electrolite. Electrolite is 65% sulferic acid 35% water. There are five or six plates to a cell, and six cells producing 2 volts each, to a battery that produce a total of twelve to 12.5 volts.
First step is having a charged battery drive the car/ truck, put on a charger let idle for a few minuites, A quick check with the volt meter while the truck is running will let you know if your alternator is working should show 12 - 14 volts idling 12 -12.5 volts shut down write down your voltage . I prefer to disconnect both battery cables if you have a problem this will tell you wether it is a parasitic drain, short or the battery. Let it sit abbout 12 hours.
Before starting test your voltage write it down Dose it match? Look over your battery is it intact no leaks, treminals un dammaged not swollen, is there liquid inside at least to the top of the plates? If dry all is not lost. Discharged lower than 10 volts, low water might be savable but dammaged posts, or swollen cases the battery is junk. Make sure your vent caps are tight and clean the battery and terminals with baking soda and tap water make a soupy mix rinse and dry the battery. When dry open the vent caps. FYI most maintainence free batteries can be maintained unless they are permanently sealed you may need to pull back the stickers to find the plugs most thread in. The electrolite (water/acid mix) should be at the bottom of the wells the plastic tube that goes into the battery defintiely no lower than the top of the plates. If its low add distilled water you dont want to add minerals to the electolite this can shorten the life of your battery. If you dont have distilled water tap water can be used in a pinch as long as you dont have hard water issues. This is where the batery bottle, bulb syringe, or turkey baster comes in. a battery bottle fills the cells to the proper level use a bulb syringe or turkey baster to fill each cell to the bottom of each well. if you slightly over fill not a big deal you can draw out the exess.
Check your spacific gravity in all cells with the hydrometer this tells you how effective the battery is at producing electricity.
1.265 = 100% 1.225 = 75%% 1.190 = 50% 1.155 = 25% 1.120 Discharged
In reality anything less than 50 % is junk but it may just get you to your next payday but not much farther For your work truck / van I would be cautious with 75% as it may be on its way out.
Put the battery on charge vent caps off untill the charger kicks off use the timer 12 volts and keep an eye on the water level it is normal for some water to bubble out of the battery if it loock like there is a problem batery is hot or smoking stop charging. Do not let the water level run lower than the top of the plates while charging never charge on boost this can wreck your battery or cause it to explode When charged water if necessary, test the voltage, and specific gravity. it its all good install the battery. Make sure your terminals are in good condition, coat the terminals with petrolum jelly or terminal spray. Find out what the amperage pull is for your starter and test to see how many amps you drop when the starter ts cranked this may or it may not work with your tester.most parts stores have charging and starting system testers they usualy work with multi battery systems if wired in parralel you have twelve volts like a car.
Good Luck and work safe.
Bob Wolf.