PSA: Our "maintenance free" battery is not maintenance free

[c17chief]

My VW would not start this morning. The little indicator window was clear, which on the sticker it says clear = change battery, black = good. The outline for the service port on each cell was barely perceptible under the sticker, so I decided to peel back the stickers....and sure enough, underneath were 6 caps like a normal non-maintenance free battery. After removing the caps, each cell was in fact pretty low too. Got some distilled water and filled it back up, jumped it, and went for a nice 1hr drive to get it charged back up some. After getting back from that, the little indicator window was black again. Started it up a couple other times during the day on subsequent trips, and so far so good!


This little tidbit has been stated before on here, so this is just a reminder. If you are a DIY type and your battery is out of warranty, or else don't mind the loss of it by peeling off the top stickers...check and stay on top of your water levels!

 

[scdevon]

Cars are made now to cater to soccer mom/dad types who don't want to be responsible for anything that resembles maintenance.

Cars used to be made to be repaired, maintained and adjusted for a lifetime. In 2013, it's too much "hassle" to ask an owner to check the battery for water and add as necessary. People would rather call a tow truck when their car won't start. (Rant off). VW and all the rest are in a race to the bottom catering to a new breed of vehicle owners by placing a maintenance free decal over the battery cell caps.

 

[frugality]

The outline for the service port on each cell was barely perceptible under the sticker, so I decided to peel back the stickers....and sure enough, underneath were 6 caps like a normal non-maintenance free battery. After removing the caps, each cell was in fact pretty low too.

'Maintenance free' batteries still have those fill ports.

I learned this when buying a motorcycle battery. The dealer sold batteries that were dry and included a 6-cell water pack. You had to activate it yourself. You opened up the battery cap(s) and installed the water, then capped it. Then it was supposed to be 'maintenance free.' I didn't like this....I wanted a sealed battery, ready to go. The instructions that came with the battery required charging with a fancy load-sensitive charger, and checking the voltage, etc.....stuff that I didn't have equipment for. So I returned this battery, saying, "I want a sealed, maintenance free battery." The folks behind the counter said, "It IS a sealed, maintenance free battery. You just have to add the water to it." Why the *blank* do I have to add water to a 'sealed, maintenance free' battery?! I ordered an absorbed-glass-mat battery online instead, which was sealed and ready to go.

But I guess what happens is that ALL lead-acid batteries are shipped this way -- for safety reasons, for safe transport. When you buy a lead-acid battery that's ready-to-go, someone behind the counter has already activated it.......added the water and put that sticker over the caps.

 

[flylow2]

by the way. It isn't water that you are adding to the battery. It is sulfuric acid!

 

[Ol'Rattler]

by the way. It isn't water that you are adding to the battery. It is sulfuric acid!

It may be sulfuric acid, but the correct name is electrolyte.

The whole "maintenance free" thing is such a crock. My battery has the stickers covering the cell caps and a notice for the little indicator that states something like, "if the indicator goes clear, the electrolyte level is low and you need to replace the battery".

I always remove the dumb a** stickers and top off with distilled water as needed.

 

[Diesl]

But there are batteries with some type of catalytic converter in the top that 'burns' any boil-off hydrogen, ain't there? They are truly maintenance free, except even those have a relief valve, to prevent explosions if you decide to really cook them.

Is it true the whole car is engineered only for a lifetime of 150k miles?

 

[Joe_Meehan]

It may be sulfuric acid, but the correct name is electrolyte.

The whole "maintenance free" thing is such a crock. My battery has the stickers covering the cell caps and a notice for the little indicator that states something like, "if the indicator goes clear, the electrolyte level is low and you need to replace the battery".

I always remove the dumb a** stickers and top off with distilled water as needed.

sulfuric acid, but the correct name is electrolyte.

Since we are trying to get things right, sulfuric acid is a specific electrolyte.

 

[dieseldorf]

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=69491

 

[engineered2win]

Cars used to be made to be repaired, maintained and adjusted for a lifetime.

Back in the day a lifetime was 30-40k miles (or less) and everything needed constant maintenance, so don't start with that good ol days garbage. Most cars now can easily go 120k without replacing anything but wear items and basic maintenance.

 

[scdevon]

Back in the day a lifetime was 30-40k miles (or less)

I think not. Tell that to 240D and 300D Benz owners. A VW TDI is a dispose-a-car compared to those beasts.

 

[scdevon]

It may be sulfuric acid, but the correct name is electrolyte.

The whole "maintenance free" thing is such a crock.

I always remove the dumb a** stickers and top off with distilled water as needed.

It's "maintenance free for life" (or until it leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere due to the lack of .2 cents worth of distilled water). Whichever comes first.........

 

[air1mtt]

I have enough stuff to worry about, love anything that is maintenance free.

 

[MaddogTDI]

I think not. Tell that to 240D and 300D Benz owners. A VW TDI is a dispose-a-car compared to those beasts.

Yes... And there are some '67 mustangs still on the road and some '77 Dusters and even some '85... Um... '85... Well, maybe not the '85's. But there are lots of various old cars out there. But the vast majority of new cars are vastly more safe, vastly more efficient, vastly lower maintenance, vastly more reliable, and vastly longer lasting. The "cost" of that vastness has been the purchase cost of a new vehicle. Everyone can come up with their anecdotal story of their brother's uncle's neighbor's sister who bought a used '70's Whatsamadinger xxxD that cost $100 and lasted another 500K miles with just one oil change.

 

[ZeroCool]

I am still a fan of the yellow or red top optima batteries.

They are on the pricey side, but definetely worth it... especially with the cold cranking amps and for any of you that want to upgrade the stereo and increase stress with regards to electrical load.

 

[ottomatic]

I think not. Tell that to 240D and 300D Benz owners. A VW TDI is a dispose-a-car compared to those beasts.

Unless you had a 95 300E diesel that came with a biodegradable wiring harness. Which I did

 

[pinkertonfloyd]

But I guess what happens is that ALL lead-acid batteries are shipped this way -- for safety reasons, for safe transport. When you buy a lead-acid battery that's ready-to-go, someone behind the counter has already activated it.......added the water and put that sticker over the caps.

Not really for safty... but for shipping (lot lighter). Also allows stock to be fresher.

Best place to get a battery is a battery distributor that sells to the public. They prepare them fresh while you wait... where the average battery on the shelf has been sitting 3-6 months.

 

[pinkertonfloyd]

It may be sulfuric acid, but the correct name is electrolyte.

The whole "maintenance free" thing is such a crock. My battery has the stickers covering the cell caps and a notice for the little indicator that states something like, "if the indicator goes clear, the electrolyte level is low and you need to replace the battery".

I always remove the dumb a** stickers and top off with distilled water as needed.

The only true "Maintenance Free" batteries are AGR aka "Gel Cells", which are the type that can be mounted upside down. They're also commonly used for UPSs. Cost is about double... but they usually last longer and can take vibration a lot better.

 

[nayr]

Sears Diehard Platinum is the best AGM battery you can buy; its a rebranded $400 Odyssey battery w/a Warranty that kicks Optima's butt. Ive got 2 of em in my 75 Westfallia and one in my Jeep. If you keep an eye out you can get em on Sale for ~$150 a few times a year.

Deka AGM batteries are the same as Braille Racing ones; I have one of those in my MK4.. AGM/Gel are the only maintenance free ones; dont discharge em too deeply and the'll live a nice long life..

 

[frugality]

I am still a fan of the yellow or red top optima batteries.

Don't try them on your TDI, unless Optima has changed them and they are really rated for TDIs now.

I used to work for Johnson Controls, the maker of Optima batteries, and got them half price with a company discount. I got one for myself, and a few for fellow Michigan TDI-ers. Bad idea. The Optima site spec'd a certain battery for TDIs, but we all had them fail in a few years. They just don't have the cold cranking amps. I bought a new lead-acid battery from my VW dealer at a very reasonable price, and was good from then on.

 

[frugality]

Not really for safty... but for shipping (lot lighter). Also allows stock to be fresher.

Not really. As someone commented above, when I said 'water', it's really 'electrolyte'. It comes with the battery, in a special container. So whether you ship it with the electrolyte inside the battery, or outside, the shipping weight is the same. It's done for safety reasons, so you don't have activated batteries in transit. Imagine what a semi truck accident would look like with a bunch of live batteries.