Storage Battery question

IIRC, you'd use sulphuric acid, aka "battery acid" diluted with pure water to a specific gravity of about 1.29.

You can measure the specific gravity easily with a "battery hydrometer".

HTH,

Jeff

If you lost any electrolyte, it must be replaced with the same dilution of acid.

The operative question here is, "how much?" The problem with answering that is that you don't know how much was in each cell before you lost it. IF the cells were topped off, it's easy. Otherwise, you might find yourself emptying the thing and replacing the whole amount.

Most full-service repair centers have pre-diluted electrolyte on hand.

LLoyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote: (clip) you don't know how much was in each cell before you lost it. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If you take the caps off the cells, can't you see the liquid level, and/or the tops of the plates? Add acid (of the proper SG) until the plates are covered equally. Usually there is something molded into the top of the battery that tells you when it's full. Don't run it with the tops of the plates exposed.

I agree. - You lost acid, you replace acid. Do however first charge the battery untill the cells all gas. Then top up to the marks with acid at the 'charged` density.

Forgot about

battery fluid.

Or suck out some acid with a hydrometer syringe, measure it's specific gravity with that same hydrometer, and dilute your acid to the same s.g. That way it matters not a jot what state of charge the battery is in.

REMEMBER !!!!!!!! Do what you aughter, add the ACID to the WATER

AWEM

wrote: (clip) Do however first charge the battery untill the cells all gas. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Don't charge the battery with the plates partly exposed. You would be running the charging current through only the submerged part of the plates, resulting in an uneven condition on the plates. In the worst case, you could wind up with high enough current density to do damage. This probably isn't going to happen, though, since OP says only a little bit of fluid was lost.

Does anyone know what happens if you have a plate in two different states of charge immersed in the same electrolyte? Seems to me you would get current flow within the cell.

Which would flow in a direction which would equalize the condition of the plates.

All battery acid that I have ever bought has been diluted and ready to put into the battery AS IS.

Now, if you somehow are fortunate enough to have technical grade or better sulfuric acid, then, is when you dilute with distilled water to a certain specific gravity. If you do have that grade of acid, I will tell you what the hydrometer should read when you add the acid.