Maintenance free battery

May 15, 2007 9 Replies

I hope someone can answer this--- How maintenance free is a maintenance free battery. I have one in a riding mower that is 2 years old and most of the time it is dead. I put the charger on it and it is O.K. untill the next time. How do you check the specific gravity if you can`t get to the water/acid? What other maintenance should be done in the future? Thanks all



The main cause of premature demise of batteries of any type in seasonal equipment is letting it slowly discharge over time while it's not being used. If you want them to last, get a battery tender, which will keep it fully charged. Do that and you should get 6 years out of it. Otherwise, maintenance free totally sealed batteries are just that and no maintenance is required.

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you canprobably remove the sticker and pry the real caps off.

yeah sitting over off season kills battery life

you might try chargng it at a few amps for a week dont overheat battery and add water if needed.

" snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

few "maintenance-free" batteries are really "sealed";the cell covers are molded together in a couple of banks and can be lifted and distilled water added if needed.

a battery tender is what he needs.

If you can get the caps off; you can do a gravity check.

-- Oren

"I don't have anything against work. I just figure, why deprive somebody who really loves it."

I don't do anything to mine.

Then it's not maintenance free. At least not now.

When the mower is running, measure the vottage at the battery posts. Should be at least 13 point something. If it is too low, that could be why your battery is dead, because instead of charging it more while running the mower, you're draining it.

Are you sure you can't get to the water? They've discussed the battery caps in the last 10 or 20 years, but look for a little slot at one end of them. If you can open them, fill until the miniscus shows with steam distilled water.

If you can't, just keep charging the battery before you start the mower, until you can't stand it anymore. And buy a new one (assuming the charging system is good.)

They've disguised them!

Then buy a new one.

voltage at batter charging MUST be at least 13.8 or the alternator or regulator is bad.

try removing the caps under the label, the battery is bad what do you have to lose?

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