How to understand which battery is serviceable or not?

Technologies are developing rapidly, which has also affected automobile power sources – batteries. Previously, car owners had to regularly check the electrolyte level in the battery. New models do not require so much attention to themselves. Manufacturers themselves call them maintenance-free batteries, claiming that they do not require constant monitoring of the electrolyte level. But this does not mean that the battery can be put in the car and completely forgotten about it. How to properly maintain a maintenance-free car battery is in the article.

Maintaining a maintenance-free battery includes regularly checking the electrolyte and recharging.

What is the service life of a gel battery?

Storage and service life

Gel batteries

can be stored without recharging for 1 year in a dry room at an ambient temperature from –35° to +60°C. They are designed to operate in buffer mode for five years (at 25°C).

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What is a maintenance free battery

A maintenance-free battery is a closed type battery; its case is completely sealed and the owner does not have access to the insides of the battery. This means that you cannot unscrew any elements and see what is inside. If you turn this type of battery over, the acid solution will not spill out of it.

How to find out if a battery is serviceable or not

When choosing a new battery for your car, pay attention to the design of the case. How to find out a serviceable power supply? If the surface is smooth, characterized by the presence of an indicator and several holes for venting gases, then this means that you have a maintenance-free option. If, in addition to the named elements, there are plugs that can be unscrewed and you can see the inside of the battery - electrolyte, plates, then this is a serviceable battery.

Battery life

If you compare two designs - serviced and unserviced, then of course the second one will last longer, and significantly! THIS IS THE ONE YOU NEED TO CHOOSE! Of course, for a knowledgeable person, an ordinary battery with plugs at the top will work for a long time, but there are few such motorists now! And 80% of maintenance-free options are now on sale.

If you determine the battery life, then the information here is also not unambiguous: - of course, now there are a lot of manufacturers who make really high-quality batteries, others are frankly slapdash, using thin lead plates that are destroyed after only 3 years. Therefore, if you buy a battery, look towards branded serious companies, even if they cost a little more. But they will walk for 5 – 7 years, without any problems! AS A RULE, THE WARRANTY FOR SUCH BATTERIES IS AT LEAST 24 months, or even 36! But incomprehensible companies that have appeared recently, and they cost pennies, will work for only 2-3 years at best, and they only have a 12-month warranty, or even that!

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The development of electrical energy storage systems using chemical processes helps to create truly useful maintenance-free devices, thereby greatly simplifying the lives of motorists. On the other hand, the slightest innovation in battery design is immediately used by companies selling car batteries to effectively present the undeniable advantages of their products.

From advertising slogans, new battery designs looked like they did not require human intervention for normal operation. A more than attractive offer, especially if a person already has negative experience with servicing and charging batteries.

Safety precautions

We strongly recommend using protective equipment when disassembling the power supply. It is strictly forbidden to turn over or shake the jars. This may cause a short circuit.
If the battery cover is secured with fasteners, be careful not to break them. In the event of a breakdown, the part will have to be glued, and this does not guarantee safe operation of the power source.
If you want to split the battery using a tool, choose special products that will help protect your eyes from splinters.

Can we safely say that a maintenance-free battery can be made into a serviceable one? Of course, a closed battery can be remade! If the purpose of opening the battery is to extract lead for fishing or hunting, then by observing a number of precautions, you can easily do it with just a hammer.

How to open the battery cover

Serviceable batteries have plugs for checking the cans. Getting to the contents of a maintenance-free battery is more difficult. There are no plugs, and the monolithic lid is a labyrinth for trapping and condensing vapors. Disruption of the labyrinth's passages will reduce the efficiency of the system. Therefore, before opening the battery cover, you need to weigh the pros and cons.

Attention! Before opening and checking the battery, it must be charged! The density of the electrolyte on a discharged battery is significantly lower!

Here are some options for how to get to the electrolyte:

There is a peephole in the battery with float. By prying off the glass, we gain access to one battery bank. Measuring the density of the electrolyte in one jar does not give a complete picture.
Read also: Changing transmission oil in a Hyundai Accent manual transmission
Remove the battery cover. The top part is cut off or torn off by force as it is soldered. After servicing the battery, the main difficulty is to glue the cover in place. This method should be avoided if possible.
Drilling holes is the most accessible way to open a battery.

The best method is to drill holes. For most procedures this is enough; you can pour electrolyte through them and check its level and density.

The centers must line up with the castings for the factory filler plugs. By removing the stickers, the outlines are easily visible.
It is better to drill in several stages so that chips do not get inside. The first drill is 3-4 mm. After drilling all the holes, you can use a thin dipstick to check the electrolyte level. If this is the end of the test, small holes can be filled with hot glue or silicone.
The second drill is 12 mm. Through such a hole you can use a hydrometer.

To plug the holes, you can use plastic stoppers from medicines - motherwort, peppermint, valerian. The plugs should become tight; they need to be prepared before drilling. When installing, the plugs can be placed on glue, then with a high degree of probability the properties of the labyrinth lid will be preserved. By simply inserting the plugs, we get a simple, maintenance-free battery. It is much easier to get to the banks, but you will have to do this quite often - the electrolyte will require constant topping up.

Main differences

Serviced batteries are usually equipped with plugs, which can be unscrewed to allow you to look inside the can. You can also check the condition of the electrolyte, measure its density, and assess whether the plates are susceptible to shedding or sulfation.

There is no such possibility in a maintenance-free battery. The main difference between such products is a sealed housing and a special system of labyrinth channels, which ensures the removal of steam if it is formed as a result of charging, heating or condensation. The products are equipped with special valves that regulate pressure in case of overcharging.

If an increased voltage is applied during charging, a lot of steam (electrolyte) will be released through these valves and its level will drop below the plates, which will lead to their shedding.

Another difference between maintenance-free batteries is the composition of the plates. Today, positive and negative plates are made with the addition of silver and calcium. Previously, plates with a high antimony content were used, which required high water consumption.

Is it possible to charge a battery without removing the terminals?

Modern designs lose charge more slowly and require almost no water or other human intervention. That is why they got the name “unattended”. The following manufacturing technologies exist:

WET. Based on a liquid electrolyte, Ca/Ca or Ca+ is also indicated on their body.
EFB. The electrolyte is placed in a special “package”.
A.G.M. Fiberglass is used as a filler.
GEL. A gel electrolyte is used.

Only the first type can be fully serviced, so before starting work, you should find out which category the battery belongs to.

Desulfation procedure

Restoring a maintenance-free car battery is possible if there are problems with the level and condition of the electrolyte, or severe sulfation of the plates has appeared. Whereas in case of short circuits and shedding of carbon plates, it is easier to replace the battery with a new one, rather than try to somehow repair a failed battery.

If a battery has sulfation, problems invariably arise with the capacity of the battery, which does not hold a charge well. In this case, even after parking the car for several days, it may no longer be possible to start the engine. You can restore a maintenance-free car battery in one of three ways:

Repeated charging and discharging.
Chemical cleaning.
Physical cleaning of plates.

When physically cleaning the plates, the electrolyte is drained from the battery and holes are made in the cover using a jigsaw or soldering iron. The plates for manual cleaning are removed through the holes made, rinsing them with distilled water. All the insides of the cans are also cleaned with distillate. The plates are returned to the jars, electrolyte is poured in and the holes made are sealed. All that remains is to charge the battery.

The difficulty of such physical cleaning is explained by the fact that the plates themselves are fragile; accordingly, when exposed to external influences, they may be damaged, which does not allow the subsequent use of the battery.

A maintenance-free battery can be revived by chemical restoration, for which the Trilon B solution is used. The work itself usually takes no more than a couple of hours, and all the car owner needs to do is prepare the solution correctly. The battery should be fully charged, drain the electrolyte, and rinse the jars with distilled water. Trilon B solution is poured into the battery, where it remains for about an hour. The active liquid dissolves sulfates, the chemical reaction is accompanied by boiling of the electrolyte and the active release of gas. Therefore, all work is carried out outdoors or in a ventilated area.

After cleaning, the chemical is drained from the battery, the battery is washed with distillate, and electrolyte is poured inside. All that remains is to charge the battery, and subsequently monitor the voltage and capacity, performing additional chemical cleaning of the battery if necessary.

Charging and discharging the battery can also solve sulfation problems. It is necessary to remove the battery from the car, fully charge it at home, after which a connected load plug or a light bulb with wires is used to quickly discharge the battery. The charging and discharging cycle is repeated several times, which helps solve problems with shedding of the plates. Repeated recharging can also be considered an excellent preventative against battery problems, so such maintenance should be performed once a year before the onset of cold weather.

During operation, maintenance-free batteries may fail, requiring replacement or high-quality restoration. In the presence of so-called sulfation, it is possible to restore a maintenance-free battery by chemical or mechanical cleaning. You can also repeat the charge-discharge cycles several times, which restores the battery, allowing you to solve problems with capacity and insufficient starting current power. If a car owner has problems with the operation of the battery, then on the Internet you can find thematic videos telling about whether it is possible to restore a maintenance-free car battery.

Features of the serviced battery

To figure out which batteries are serviceable and which are not, you need to pay attention to the structure of the device. Even an inexperienced driver can do this

Serviced batteries have special holes that are closed with plugs.

These technological openings are intended for pouring electrolyte into the container. If the level of this indicator drops critically, you can unscrew the plugs yourself and pour the required amount of substance into the device. If a maintenance-free type of battery cannot be repaired due to such a malfunction, then the second type of device allows it to be used further after refilling. Cleaning is carried out, as in maintenance-free batteries.

Maintenance of the presented type of equipment is carried out in the order indicated above. But there are a number of features of this process. Using a hydrometer, the density and level of the electrolyte are monitored. Also in this technique there are several floats with different weights, as well as a pear. It is designed to fill the body.

Do-it-yourself repair - how to restore the battery correctly

Having reached the electrolyte, you need to check three parameters:

Color. The electrolyte should be transparent, without foreign inclusions. The collapsing lead plates give the liquid a dark color.
Level. As water evaporates, the electrolyte level drops, which reduces power. Each battery has its own liquid level parameters, but all batteries must have plates immersed in electrolyte.
Density. It is checked with a special device - a hydrometer. The density of the electrolyte in a charged battery is 1.27.

Important! When working with electrolyte, use personal protective equipment! Wear goggles, protective gloves and a respirator. Electrolyte splashes in the eyes or on the skin will cause a chemical burn.

The procedure for diagnosing a maintenance-free battery is as follows:

We check the voltage of the battery and the vehicle's on-board network. This is necessary to prevent chronic undercharging of the battery. During short, frequent trips, the battery does not have time to charge; as the temperature drops, the capacity drops by 20 - 40%. Many owners blame working equipment, although it needs to be operated correctly.
We charge the battery. For charging, it is advisable to use a factory-made charger, preferably with a controller. The use of electronics will increase the accuracy of the charge. If the charger is idle, set the current to approximately 0.1 of the capacity. A 60 A/h battery needs to be charged with a current of 5 - 6 Amps. Charging continues. until the ammeter readings drop to 2-3 amperes. A severely discharged battery needs to be charged with a current of 1-2 amperes (about 1/20 capacity) for several days. The voltage should not exceed 15 volts, otherwise the jars will “boil” and may swell.
Drill holes in the battery cover. We check the electrolyte level using an improvised dipstick. If the battery case is made of light plastic, then the level can be checked by shining a flashlight through the battery.
We check the density with a hydrometer.
After checking and topping up, the battery must be tightly closed.

This is interesting: The principle of operation of a lead-acid battery

How to correct electrolyte status

There are three options for correcting electrolyte density:

At a normal level, low density. We use a hydrometer to take out the entire contents of the jar and pour it into a glass container. Add concentrated acid and bring the density to the recommended level. Fill the electrolyte into the jar to the level.
When the electrolyte level is low, the density is high. You need to add distilled water, stirring the electrolyte with a glass rod. After work we measure the density.
At normal levels, high density. Drain the electrolyte, add distilled water, fill to the level.

Important! The density of the electrolyte is its main characteristic. The entire operation of the battery depends on maintaining this parameter normally.

When performing battery maintenance, you can drain all the electrolyte into a glass or enamel container, stir and check the density. Pour the normal electrolyte back into the jars, and if there is a shortage, add fresh electrolyte with the appropriate density. Topping up should be done evenly into all jars so that the amount of fresh sulfuric acid is the same in all jars.

Operation after maintenance

Once opened, a maintenance-free battery loses its sealed properties. It is better not to use this type if the structure is turned over or is standing in the car.

Any interference with the labyrinth lid will lead to loss of the properties of capturing and condensing distilled water vapor. The repair turns a maintenance-free battery into a serviceable one. You will have to look into the battery more often.

Complete battery maintenance by charging. It is discharged by connecting several energy consumers, and then charged. small currents. After two or three charging cycles, it is advisable to check the battery with a load plug. If the battery capacity has dropped sharply, you should decide to replace it.

Best Maintenance Free Batteries

The controversy surrounding power supplies for cars continues. We present to your attention the best maintenance-free batteries according to various test versions.

Lead-acid batteries

Bosch Silver - German plate casting technologies with the addition of silver ensure stable starting currents and long-term operation. The cost of a simple model is from 6 thousand rubles. You can also find a model labeled Plus on sale. It is characterized by an even lower level of electrolyte losses due to the presence of special channels in which the liquid settles in the form of condensate. The cost of this model is from 7 thousand rubles.
Varta Blue Dinamic also contains silver, however, it differs in the composition of the plates. Characterized by minimal self-discharge rates of maintenance-free batteries. The average cost is 5 thousand rubles.
Multu Silver Evolution. Starting current – 420 amperes with a capacity of 55 A/h. You can buy it for 4 thousand rubles.
Medalist is distinguished by its long service life - up to 7 years and resistance to overcharges. The average price is 4,500 rubles.

Flaws

The most significant drawback inherent in maintenance-free batteries is the high requirements for the stability of the on-board network voltage. This requirement is a consequence of the fact that calcium batteries do not allow deep discharge, thereby losing their capacity.

Systematic undercharging during short trips in winter leads to the fact that after a number of successive starts of the starter, the EMF level approaches the minimum permissible, and the generator voltage is reduced due to the large number of consumers (heated mirrors and seats, headlights, heater operation). Before installing a maintenance-free battery in a car, you should make sure that the generator has the necessary power reserve and that the stability of the on-board network voltage does not go beyond the specified limits.

Even worse for such batteries is high voltage. Towards the end of the charge, no matter what quality the batteries have, the moment of electrolysis of water in the electrolyte comes. In a sealed case of maintenance-free batteries, this can lead to swelling of the case, cracks, and leakage of electrolyte.

What tools are needed for opening

To gain access to the filler holes, even if they are filled at the factory to the surface level of the case, you must remove the cover from the battery. How to open the battery cover? If it is on the grooves, then carefully unclip the fasteners and remove the element. You may need a flathead screwdriver.

A hot pressed part will not come off easily. During its dismantling, there is a high probability of the part breaking. Therefore, we do not recommend removing this type of element. However, if you wish, you can try to break the integrity of the part using an awl, screwdriver or drill. You will not remove the cover completely, but you will be able to make holes for further operations.

Types of batteries

There are the following types of car batteries:

serviced;
poorly maintained;
hybrid;
not serviced.

Serviced. This type of car battery is almost out of service and is extremely rare in retail sales. Typically, these are models from domestic manufacturers. They are distinguished from other types of batteries (especially foreign ones) by a large number of disadvantages that affect ease of use.

The disadvantages of serviced batteries include a fragile, unprotected case (most often made of ebonite), which was coated for insulation with a special substance that loses its properties with sharp fluctuations in ambient temperature. This is the reason for the sharp drop in battery charge in winter. This was also the reason for the drop in the liquid level in the containers, which required its constant replenishment.

Low maintenance. Most often found in modern cars. Typically, such batteries are characterized by a very durable casing made of various types of plastic. During operation, they require monitoring the level of electrolytic fluid and replenishing it approximately once every 30 thousand kilometers. The advantages include their fairly moderate cost.
Hybrid. Hybrid car batteries are one of the modifications of the previous type of batteries. But they have a significant difference: the contact groups in the cells consist of different metals, which makes it possible to achieve certain advantages, namely:
low fluid consumption in the battery;
long lifespan and unpretentiousness.

Hybrid car batteries are rare and not in great demand due to their high price.

Maintenance free. The design of such batteries does not provide for monitoring and restoring the water level in the cells, and therefore the necessary holes are missing on the body. However, for the correct use of maintenance-free car batteries, it is necessary to monitor other components and mechanisms of the car that are part of the electrical system

It is important to regularly monitor the condition of the belts, monitor the serviceability of the generator and all electrical wiring of the machine. The combination of convenience and low cost makes them an ideal choice for a car owner if he is confident in the technical condition of his iron horse

How to charge?

Since our maintenance-free battery is calcium, you can use my instructions for charging it and that will be enough. However, now I want to expand on the information a little.

The thing is that when I wrote that article, I indicated that it was necessary to charge the battery with a voltage of 16.1V (some manufacturers actually indicate this). However, there are now a large number of batteries whose instructions do not indicate any special algorithms, or indicate that all other options need to be charged in the same way.

What happens in the end:

We charge as written on the case (indicated by the manufacturer)
If it is written that the currents should be the same as all other options, then you need to charge at 14.8V
If it is indicated that you need to use the so-called swing, from 14.8 to 16.0V, then we do it that way.

Why such a run up? Actually, this depends on the structure of the plates inside; now more and more manufacturers are improving the formula. PERSONALLY, my opinion is that now they are abandoning the high calcium content, and adding calcium + part of silver and, as it seems to me, part of antimony. This gives normal charging currents.

The bottom line is that now almost all chargers are automatic, and if you don’t have any special instructions on your battery, then simply connect it to automatic mode and charge (most likely, the voltage will remain at 14.8V) and it will charge up to 100%.

Deep discharges

You know, no matter what anyone says, but a maintenance-free calcium battery is afraid of deep discharges (this is another disadvantage). Although now, again, some batteries have the inscription “resistant to deep discharges,” but it seems to me that it is necessary to clarify how many of them it can survive.

Previously, I wrote that literally 5 - 7 deep discharges can remove up to half the battery capacity - I STILL THINK SO! Even if silver is added to the formula, the battery can survive 10 discharges, but the capacity will definitely drop after such abuse. Therefore, it is unacceptable to allow such critical discharges. Because this is critical.

Why are we watching an interesting video now?

I’ll finish with this, you can take a maintenance-free battery, but you need to carefully check the electrics of your car for faults, so that later it won’t be excruciatingly painful for a ruined battery. I’ll end here, sincerely yours AUTOBLOGGER

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Do I need to add water or electrolyte?

A new, maintenance-free battery that works properly in your vehicle does not need to be opened or serviced.

If it was subjected to a long recharge, turned over, or its performance dropped sharply - only then you need to think about either purchasing a new battery, or how to disassemble and restore the faulty battery.

When to service your battery:

If it is visible to the light that there is less electrolyte in one jar.
The voltage at the terminals is low and charging has no effect.
capacity noticeably decreased.
Electrolyte leaked due to damage to the housing.
Carrying out restoration after battery sulfation.

This is interesting: Bosch car battery charger

Pros and cons of maintenance-free batteries

Maintenance-free and maintenance-free power supplies—each has its own benefits. At first glance, it seems that maintenance-free batteries have only advantages. For those who recently bought a car or do not want to maintain it themselves - yes. However, for those who are used to monitoring the important components of the machine, such power sources are unusual - you can’t get inside, you don’t need to add anything. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of maintenance-free batteries.

Advantages of maintenance-free batteries

They do not require special attention or periodic inspection.
Unpretentious in operation.
No water loss due to the tightness of the housing.
Work in any position - liquid does not leak out of the housing.
Long service life of a maintenance-free car battery.

It is worth noting that most modern cars are equipped with a closed battery from the factory, but this does not mean that they do not require attention. We strongly recommend that you periodically recharge the power supply to extend its life. Do not set the charger voltage to more than 14.5 volts. A sealed battery is not always equipped with gas release valves, so we recommend charging with an automatic device that will not generate excessive voltage.

Remember that a faulty car electrical system leads to “starvation” of the battery and its faster failure.

Disadvantages of maintenance-free batteries

Despite a fairly impressive number of advantages, it is worth noting some disadvantages of a closed-type battery.

There is no way to somehow influence the performance of the battery in case of problems. You will not be able to check the density of the electrolyte and the sulfation of the plates; add water.
Slightly higher cost compared to serviced power supplies for cars.
To safely charge such a battery, you need an automatic device.

Types and characteristics of maintenance-free batteries

Nowadays you can find serviced and maintenance-free power supplies on the market. The development of technology has made it possible to produce products in which electrode grids are made with the addition of calcium. This approach made it possible to reduce the amount of boiled water, and therefore relieved the car owner from the need to control the electrolyte level. The sealed lead-acid battery is the main type of these batteries.

Since water losses still remained, they began to add antimony (to positive) and calcium (to negative) to the composition of the plates. The technology of hybrid power supplies for cars labeled Ca+ or Hybrid has appeared. They have become the golden mean in terms of water consumption. Please note that hybrid batteries are also available in serviceable housings.

A new round of technology has become gel and AGM batteries, in which the electrolyte is not in liquid form. In AGM batteries, the electrolyte is located in a porous filler, which prevents water evaporation. The gel structure of the acid solution also minimized water loss and made it possible to create a completely maintenance-free battery.

Maintenance-free car battery design

As can be seen in the figure, a maintenance-free battery has the same structure as a serviceable one - plates and an acid solution (electrolyte). The structure of a maintenance-free car battery is as follows:

negatively and positively charged lattice plates made of lead;
jars - separate containers in which plates are installed;
electrolyte - acid solution;
a housing on which terminals are necessarily present and optionally there are indicators or plugs.

Attention! In gel power supplies, which we will talk about in another section, the presence of spiral electrodes is allowed instead of the usual plates.

The lattice structure of the plates is impregnated with electrolyte and guarantees a high-quality chemical reaction. To prevent differently charged electrodes from touching, they are separated by a separator. It does not interfere with the movement of the acid solution, but prevents short circuiting.

The battery case is made of durable material, since its main function is to ensure structural integrity. It is characterized by resistance to external and chemical influences.

The plugs on the batteries indicate their serviceability - if necessary, you can unscrew them and carry out maintenance on the power source, add water, determine the electrolyte level, etc. The difference between maintenance-free batteries is that there are no plugs on the case.