A healthy battery, with a green indicator at the bottom left and clean battery terminals
Who has ever cared about how the battery in your car is doing? Only when the car won't start do you realize how important such a battery is. Or when you are told at the garage that the battery [for your feeling too early] needs to be replaced.
The realization started with me when I was told at the Mazda garage that the battery had to be replaced after 2 years. This is because the car mechanic saw that the transparent round indicator on the battery turns red. They did have a new one in stock for me, not too expensive and it was done in 10 minutes. Apparently this mechanic has also been given a sales target to sell batteries during this lousy time.
I couldn't accept it. I thought how is it possible, so early. After a few days on the internet and youtube, I've come to the conclusion that regular riders like me don't treat the battery it deserves. Then just believe such a mechanic and replace the battery every 2-3 years. It's that easy anyway.
Tools
I immediately got to work. Bought a smart charger with good reviews from the Foxsur brand on lazada for no more than 500 baht. The charger can so-called “repair” a battery – by pulsating charging – or carry out the charging in 7 steps – starting with sulphate caked in the acid and dissolving it drop by drop at the end. The charger is also a voltmeter, if you do not connect it to the mains.
Smart charger, in the photo engaged in "desulfation" - a process to dissolve encrusted sulphate in the battery acid
In addition to a charger, you need safety glasses and PVC gloves to top up the battery. Not made of latex, because you go to work with any loosely splashed battery acid.
Also useful to have in the car is a USB voltmeter with extra USB connections that you can plug into the cigarette lighter holder. Also available on lazada.
USB volt meter
Red means refill water
And now the truth instead of the sales lie of the car mechanic. For most battery brands, the red indicator indicates that the battery needs to be topped up with distilled water. You can buy it at the gas station.
And they say that such a lead battery is maintenance-free. Then where are the filler holes? Not. According to the booklet you should check the water level of the battery every 4 months. I think once a year is enough, say every 1 km.
3 of the 6 filler caps under the sticker, take a coin to unscrew them
If the battery is continuously charged while driving, part of the water in the battery fluid evaporates as gas [hydrogen and oxygen], due to the chemical reaction – electrolysis – on the metal parts in the battery. And if this water is not replenished, corrosion can occur in the metal parts, so that the battery needs to be replaced sooner. So for a longer life, always ensure that the metal parts remain submerged under water.
Remove the long narrow sticker in the middle, and you will see 6 filler caps, one per battery cell. Here it is important not to overfill, only up to the bottom plastic edge of the filler hole. After topping up and closing the filler caps, gently shake the battery on all sides to thoroughly mix the topped-up water with the lower battery acid. Otherwise, the layering of water will remain on top and acidic on the bottom. This results in less loading capacity.
White means recharge. Green means a healthy battery
After water has been added and mixed, the battery indicator will gradually change from red to translucent white. This means that the battery has more capacity and can be recharged. Plug in the smart charger and wait for charging to finish with FULL indication. You restart the charging process until the battery indicator gradually changes from white to green. Only then will you have a fully charged healthy battery.
Check the battery charge level regularly and recharge it occasionally
And please keep this green battery indicator position as long as possible. So from now on, when you open the hood and check the oil or water level, also check the battery indicator. Recharge additionally with white, top up with water with red.
With the voltmeter of the smart charger, a healthy battery will indicate at least 12,5 volts, if the car has not yet started. After starting the car, the voltage should be around 13,6-14,0 volts, depending on the car's alternator.
If the voltage is well below 13,6 volts while driving - this can be done, for example, because additional mobile devices are being charged in the car, then it is important to check the battery indicator after returning home and possibly recharge the battery. If this happens chronically, you could have it checked whether the alternator [cable] is still good, or if your mobile devices draw too much current, install a larger battery.
Install larger battery
In any case, it is useful to replace a larger battery than what the manual prescribes, as long as you stay within the physical dimensions of the battery. Sometimes it only saves 500 baht. You enjoy it more, because you don't have to check the charge level as often. A larger battery has more charge [expressed in Ah] and reserve capacity [RC] and can draw more current [CCA – cold cranking amp] to start the car without a hitch. For example, my current FB battery has size 65D23L [60 Ah with battery length of 23cm]. With the same physical size [23L] I can take a larger battery of the brand GS type Q85 with size 95D23L. This has a charging capacity of 70Ah and can draw 100 amps more current during starting [CCA].
Short rides and not driving that often
If you don't use the car that often or if you make a lot of short trips, it is even more important to keep an eye on the battery indicator and the battery voltage while driving. The chance that the battery is not sufficiently charged is greater.
Because an unused battery naturally loses charging capacity. Moreover, a stationary car always consumes some power. Think of an immobilizer and central door locking. More modern cars with a lot of electronics on board consume even more standby power.
If you don't use your car for a week, it's handy to recharge the battery. And if you don't use the car during a long absence, make sure you disconnect one of the battery cables, and this stops idle consumption by the car. Natural discharge of the battery unfortunately continues.
Recharge with vehicle battery cables disconnected
Disconnect car battery cables
In more modern cars with many [safety] electronics such as ESP, EBD, LDW and a multimedia screen, it is wise to first disconnect both battery cables from the car before connecting the charger.
There is a chance that the on-board computer decides to lock certain things of your car for safety, after certain voltage levels have been detected by the computer during charging. After starting the car, they remain locked, so that the fan for the air conditioning, for example, no longer works. And you have to go to the brand garage to have this lock removed.
Submitted by Eddie
Thanks for the contribution Eddy, very instructive, but I don't think it's right for everyone, my 70ah battery is from 2020, the original from Chevrolet, and it clearly says: "NO MAINTENANCE" and "DO NOT OPEN BATTERY", so it is maybe your battery is older, or a different type?
My battery is 70ah, CCA is 600A, (at -18 deg C) but luckily I haven't had to try this out yet, what I understand is that the high temperatures here play an important role in the life of the battery, with me between 3-4 years usually, with my previous cars here.
(Incidentally, there are no filler caps, not even under the sticker, because there is only a small one on it, with the data)
many thanks for this informative explanation about the battery. I didn't know that such so-called maintenance-free batteries do need maintenance.
Thanks for your clear explanation Eddy.
Question: where on the battery is that round transparent indicator that indicates a color visible?
I drive a Mazda CX-30 and have a GS battery but I can't trace a transparent indicator.
Educational explanation from Eddy.
Putting the above into practice, I bought the wrong charger. I would fill the battery with the wrong fluid and I would be severely burned by the battery acid. Then I would have helped my on-board computer to the pennants. People like me better get tricked by the garage 🙂
Perfect and clear explanation Eddy. Yes, the garages and certainly the official dealers are happy to sell you a new battery. They pretend it is a carton of milk :: Expiry Until ::: The condition does not matter, only the date.
It would be nice and interesting if you would post a piece about the car tires next time.
After all, when you come to the garage, they don't look at the condition and profile of the tires..
..NO they look at the date on the side of the tires ..Then they look at you and ask if you and your family are tired of life because you still dare to drive around with tires .. .They are already 3 years old old and MUST be replaced with the utmost urgency and they actually don't dare let you leave without new tires …. Even though the tires have only run 20000 km .. only the date is important .. (and for their turnover of course too )
After years of working in the mobility industry, and having replaced a lot of batteries.
The next maintenance-free battery is a battery where you don't have screw caps and never have to refill distilled water.
If the indicator is red, it only means that the acid content specific gravity of the liquid is too low due to discharge or rarely being charged, so it does not mean that the battery is defective.
First put the battery on the charger and then see what happens.
Batteries have a shorter lifespan in a hot environment such as in Thailand.
With daily frequent use of the vehicle, a battery will last longer than if you go for a short drive once a month.
Or if you don't make many km and cover short distances, the start-stop ritual.
Therefore, it is better to purchase a trickle charger in such cases.
Battery life in my old 16 year old Mitch diesel is around 3 years, my now 5 year old Ford Focus has never been renewed.
And then there are dry cell batteries often used in big motorbikes, these are batteries without liquid and work via a different principle.
But on average, a battery in Thailand will last around 3 to 4 years.
Jan Beute.
Nowadays, the vast majority of cars have gel batteries and these are indeed maintenance-free. If the battery does need to be replaced, I would opt for a gel battery.
Yep,
Replacing the battery is not always easy.
Sometimes you have to “learn” the car which battery it has received using the BEM code:
Battery Energy Management.
https://www.hamu-automaterialen.nl/Media/Hamu/Pagina%20inhoud/Handleidingen/Technische%20info/Hoe%20kan%20ik%20en%20moet%20ik%20altijd%20een%20accu%20inleren-1.pdf
That story Pieter that is correct.
It works like this, with some new models, including even my 5-year-old Ford Focus, it has to be done.
As the battery ages it will lose capacity, as you call it the BEM system ensures that the battery receives more power from the alternator during the aging process of the battery.
If you now go to a battery farmer somewhere around the corner, or a small local garage to install a new battery, the BEM system will not recognize the new battery, with the result that it will receive a too high charging current for a longer period of time.
As a result, there is a good chance that after a year this battery will also fail due to overcharging.
So with many newer models, visit the authorized brand dealer after replacement to reset the system.
But I'm afraid that at some brand dealers many have never heard of this.
Sometimes you can recognize it by the positive terminal of the battery if there are several wires including a thinner qua diameter that disappears in a wiring harness and leads to the system control unit.
If you drive older vehicles such as my old Mitsh pickup, replacement is no problem at all.
Batteries that are maintenance-free also have 6 filling caps in some cases, but these caps no longer have a hole for venting, real maintenance-free batteries always have the letters MF for Maintenance Free.
Jan Beute.
Right Jan,
Wanted to indicate that things have changed over the years, as you yourself indicate.
The same applies to engine oil, especially for cars with the timing belt in the oil.
The saying “a forewarned counts for two” is still true.
And with the internet it is easy to do your “homework” before we take “action”.
This can save you a lot of trouble and feels better to be well informed.
Another thing:
Replacing & bleeding the water pump in a VW Golf 7, how difficult can they make it..
Doesn't make you happy.
Mvg Peter