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Car Battery question

perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
edited March 2017 in Ask the Experts
Ok long story short. one year old Auto battery gets turn over by accident all liquid spilled out "caps were off [:(]" . can I refill battery [?] do I refill with water or do I use ACID and treat it as a new battery that is shipped dry and we fill and then charge we fillout of a 55GALLON drum THanks guys

Comments

  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Once the battery was filled it needed to stay filled. If it was drained (spilled) the plates were exposed to air so it is probably doomed. You need to refill it with acid, trickle charge it (no fast charge) and cross your fingers.
  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,649 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian
    Once the battery was filled it needed to stay filled. If it was drained (spilled) the plates were exposed to air so it is probably doomed. You need to refill it with acid, trickle charge it (no fast charge) and cross your fingers.



    +1

    Last Quad battery I bought, was sold uncharged. Sulfuric Acid? In a special dispenser, was packed separately to be added. As Mark noted it required trickle charging, 12 hours+.

    If you don't have the special dispenser for the acid, that just will give the battery the correct amount. Be super carefull, the acid is very dangerous and toxic. Wear eye and skin protection.
  • AdamsQuailHunterAdamsQuailHunter Member Posts: 2,014 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello - Been there - done that - got the tee-shirt. Do what Mark and rufe-snow have suggested. Containers of sulfuric acid can be found at automotive parts stores. In addition to the protection suggested - wear some old clothes - even a small amount of acid will put holes in them. If this happens - IMMEDIATELY wash "you" with cold water and apply baking soda - don't ask me how I know.
    Best Regards - AQH
  • NeoBlackdogNeoBlackdog Member Posts: 16,565 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
    quote:Originally posted by mark christian
    Once the battery was filled it needed to stay filled. If it was drained (spilled) the plates were exposed to air so it is probably doomed. You need to refill it with acid, trickle charge it (no fast charge) and cross your fingers.



    +1

    Last Quad battery I bought, was sold uncharged. Sulfuric Acid? In a special dispenser, was packed separately to be added. As Mark noted it required trickle charging, 12 hours+.

    If you don't have the special dispenser for the acid, that just will give the battery the correct amount. Be super carefull, the acid is very dangerous and toxic. Wear eye and skin protection.

    AND DON"T BREATH THE FUMES! Do it outside.
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    EDITThanks guys I have been working around Batteries for many years and have seen first hand how dangerous they can be . I fill and charge most likely 50 batteries a year out of a 55 Gallon blue PLASTIC drum filled with correct strength acid I work in sales at JOHN DEERE dealership
    but also help out at Parts counter at times we get all our batteries with no acid in them DRYwe then fill and charge this accident happened to yours truely had battery out of mower it was fully charged went to check fluid level took all caps off and got called away came back 20 minutes later battery had been moved by fellow worker[?][V] and turned onto it's side fluid all over the floor I put bakeing soda on spilled fluid cleaned up mess but did not know if I needed to refill the lost fluid with distilled water or the correct Strength acid out of our drum i thought I worked around some fairly smart service people and parts people . HOWEVER about a 35% -65% opinion say distilled water because plates Have the stored energy
    still in them and the other side say the acid takes the charge and stories the energy that is why you check the specific-gravity to see amount of charge so now I am confussed HELPm
  • asphalt cowboyasphalt cowboy Member Posts: 8,904 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Neither the lead plates nor the acid Store the energy. The production of electricity is an ongoing process of the lead and acid combined. Initial charging of the battery is what gets the process started.

    You need to re-fill with the correct electrolytic acid and then charge the battery again.
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    EDITThanks guys I have been working around Batteries for many years and have seen first hand how dangerous they can be . I fill and charge most likely 50 batteries a year out of a 55 Gallon blue PLASTIC drum filled with correct strength acid I work in sales at JOHN DEERE dealership
    but also help out at Parts counter at times we get all our batteries with no acid in them DRYwe then fill and charge this accident happened to yours truely had battery out of mower it was fully charged went to check fluid level took all caps off and got called away came back 20 minutes later battery had been moved by fellow worker[?][V] and turned onto it's side fluid all over the floor I put bakeing soda on spilled fluid cleaned up mess but did not know if I needed to refill the lost fluid with distilled water or the correct Strength acid out of our drum i thought I worked around some fairly smart service people and parts people . HOWEVER about a 35% -65% opinion say distilled water because plates Have the stored energy
    still in them and the other side say the acid takes the charge and stories the energy that is why you check the specific-gravity to see amount of charge so now I am confussed HELPm


    John Deere...like the 1911 of tractors...
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