How to Check Car Battery Water Levels

It's important to regularly check the electrolyte (it really isn't just water) level in your car's battery, for two reasons: first, because it naturally evaporates and second, because a small amount electrolytes into hydrogen and oxygen every time you charge the battery. Learning how to safely check and replace the water in your car battery is an important aspect of car maintenance. Start with Step 1 below for detailed instructions on how to check car battery water levels, while protecting both you and your car.

Part 1 of 4: Cleaning the Battery and Opening the Ports

 

1. Locate the battery. In most cars, you simply need to open the hood of your car to access the battery. 

• Some batteries are located lower in the engine compartment, behind the front bumper and ahead of the front wheels. These are sometimes accessed from the bottom and need to be removed for service.

 

• Most BMW and Mercedes Benz batteries and a few others are located in the trunk, concealed in an isolated compartment.

 

2. Clean. Before you check the water levels, clean any dirt or debris from the top of the battery and around the battery terminals. This is important, as you do not want any foreign material entering the battery cells when you open them. This is also important because a clean battery surface helps slow or stop corrosion on nearby metal. 

• For general cleaning of road grime and minor corrosion use an ammonia-based window cleaner. Spray the cleaner on your rag — not on the battery itself — and wipe away any dirt. Paper towels can be used as long as you replace them before they disintegrate to bits.

 

• Heavy corrosion can be cleaned with a paste of baking soda and water. Again, wet the rag and wipe, do not soak the battery with baking soda. Sometimes it takes many repetitions of wetting the rag and wiping. Follow up by cleaning with a rag dampened with window cleaner to remove the baking soda. Leaving a residue of baking soda on the exterior of the battery will speed up future corrosion of the terminals and nearby metal.

 

• Don't get ahead of yourself here — be sure the covers are on the battery ports at this stage of cleaning. Do not let cleaning fluids drip or flow into the battery through the ports.

 

• Note: If you prefer, you can remove the battery from the car before cleaning and performing this maintenance, and reinstall it afterwards. This may be safer, especially if the battery is in an awkward location. This will reset some or all of the electronics in the car however (clock, radio station presets, etc.). If the battery can be serviced without removing it from the car, this usually saves considerable time overall.

 

3. Open the ports. On top of the battery are typically two semi-rectangular plastic covers, used to seal each battery cell port. These can be removed by gently prying with plastic putty knife or a screwdriver. Try prying from a number of points around the periphery of the cover if the cover does not immediately come loose. 

   

 •Some batteries have six individual round covers instead. These can be removed by twisting counter-clockwise, and then lifting them out.

 

 • If the battery is labeled as "maintenance free," it is not designed to be opened. Manufacturers advise that water cannot be added to these batteries, they simply need to be replaced if they stop working well.

 

4. Continue cleaning if necessary. Removing the port covers may reveal more dirt on the top of the battery. Continue cleaning by wiping away from the ports with a rag dampened with window cleaner.

• Do not use baking soda for this cleaning. Use a small amount of window cleaner, being very careful to prevent anything (cleaner, dirt, bits of paper toweling, etc.) from entering the ports.
• Don't be tempted to skip this step — keeping the top of the battery clean will reduce future corrosion. This is an effective aspect of battery maintenance for preserving the integrity of the connections.

Okay, Part 2 will be continued in the next post :)

Thanks.

Source : wikihow.com