battery top-up question

[philepo]

This cold morning my c200 engine turned over quite slowly. The battery was ok until recently when I left something in the cigarette lighter and it completely drained the battery (it wouldn't even jump start, had to leave on charge for a few hours).

Can I buy dilute sulfuric acid to top up batteries or should I just check the levels and top up with water?

Cheers!

 

[bennesspipers]

you are only supposed to use acid from new. You must have quite an old battery to be able to top it up,i thought ALL batteries were sealed for life now. Probably life expired.

 

[Stratman]

Depending on how old the battery is, it's probably worth changeing sooner rather then later. There is a long litany of threads on here concerning strange, unrelated faults that were cured with a new battery. Common ones include random alarm and immobiliser faults and cruise control problems.

 

[Ted]

You should only use de-ionised or distilled water to top up your battery, to just above the level of the plates or seperators.
If you need to add more than a slight amount, it may be worth getting your charging checked.
I would say get your battery tested NOW as it sounds like either it may be failing, or you charging system needs checking, and it WILL fail at an inconvenient (and possibly expensive time/location)
As Bennesspipers says, sulphuric acid should only be added to a new battery.

 

[goldestate]

check levels top up with de ionised water and charge for at least 12 hours with a decent charger, preferably with a desulphating facility c tek make, one, make sure your battery charger has the spec for your size battery many many batteries are thrown away that are perfectly serviceable through ignorance.

 

[BTB 500]

Yup as above, you can't recharge a completely flat battery in a couple of hours (unless you have some pretty exotic kit).

 

[philepo]

OK, I'll try long charge at wk end.

It is the old fashioned type with access screws for all the cells.

Thanks for the advice.