Keeping check of the electrolyte levels and adding water to a car battery is one of the keys to a well-maintained automotive power cell.
Regularly checking the levels of electrolyte in your battery will reduce the risk of overheating. Maintaining the right electrolyte levels also keeps the plates protected from sulfation or any material buildups which enhances its life and boosting performance.
Ways To Check Car Battery Water Levels
If you haven’t done it to your car battery or if you are a newbie driver that doesn’t have any idea on how to check the water levels of your battery. You should stick for a while and read this article because you are about to learn.
Below is a step by step guide that will walk you through the process of checking the electrolyte levels of a car battery and refilling them when needed.
NOTE: Before you proceed to the actual process, make sure to wear rubber gloves, goggles, and other basic protective gears.
Step 1 – Locate And Removing Your Car Battery From The Vehicle
In carrying out the process of checking for your battery’s electrolyte levels. Start by locating the automotive power cell from your vehicle.
Batteries are usually installed in the car’s engine compartment, start your search there. Then remove the clamps from the battery terminals and use the necessary tools to unscrew the bolts to detach it from the battery tray.
Step 2 – Inspect The Battery And Check For Physical Damage
Give your automotive battery a quick inspection and check it for any physical damages like dents, cracks and other signs of wear and tear. This is just to get an idea of the battery’s physical condition.
Step 3 – Clean Your Automotive Battery With A Baking Soda Solution
Prepare the power cell for the next step by cleaning it and getting rid of dirt buildups and corrosion. Prepare a baking soda solution by dissolving a tablespoon full of baking soda in a cup of warm water.
Use a piece of cloth to apply the solution on the exterior of your battery, especially the terminals. Then use a wire brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the terminals of the power cell and make sure to get rid of corrosion.
Let the solution sit for a while and let it do its magic, breaking down any buildups of dirt and corrosion. Then use a dry piece of cloth to wipe everything dry.
Step 4 – Open The Battery Ports Or Cells And Check The Level Of Electrolyte
To check for the water levels of every battery cell. You first have to open the battery port covers, the rectangular plastic covers on the top of the battery. Then carefully remove the round covers of every battery cell to allow you to look down into every cell. You can use a flashlight and look down into every battery cell.
At this point, you are now going to check the electrolyte level on each battery cell. Look for the electrodes within the battery and check the level of the liquid within the cells. Ideally, the liquid at every cell of the battery completely covers the electrodes. If the battery electrodes are exposed, a refill is required.
Step 5 – Replenishing Your Car Battery By Adding Distilled Water
If the electrolyte levels on every cell of the battery need to be replenished, you have to carefully add distilled water to make sure that all the electrodes are entirely submerged.
Keep in mind that for new batteries or fully charged power cells it’s ok for the water levels to reach the bottom of the filler tube. While for older batteries, the water should only be enough to cover the electrodes.
With that in mind, carefully add distilled water to every cell of your automotive power cell. Try to refill every battery cell with the same amount of water to have their water levels uniform.
If the water level in every battery cell is at the ideal level, you don’t have to refill them with distilled water and skip this step.
Step 6 – Replace The All The Covers And Reinstall the Battery
Finally, once you confirmed that the water or electrolyte levels of your automotive power cell are true. You can now replace the round covers to every battery cells and then the rectangular plastic cover on top of the battery. Then start the process of reinstalling the battery in its tray.
Conclusion
That is how you can check the electrolyte levels of a car battery. If the battery needs to be refilled, you need to carefully add distilled water to every cell.
How to add water to an auto battery is an essential part of battery maintenance. It is very important to monitor your electrolyte levels regularly and make sure they are true. To optimize your battery’s life and boost its performance.
