8 years is a *very* long life for a lead-acid automotive battery. I wonder if adding water will just kill it.
The green eye was part of Delco's warranty procedure. Green ball showing means the battery is charged enough to load test. Eye is dark means the battery is run down-- charge first then load test. Eye is white means too much fluid is gone -- battery can't be used.
I took some photos of Walmart batteries today. It was a mix. Not one of them were labeled as maintenance free.I have two 6 year old Everstart Maxx batteries that have removable tops and I’ve maintained them with distilled water once a year. I used the old school technique of filling until the reflection looked “ upside down” due to the split ring.
I haven’t checked the local Walmart to see if they are now all maintenance-free. The latest battery I bought was a maintenance-free one from Motomaster at Canadian Tire.
Maintenance-free batteries came out a long time ago, but then manufacturers started making batteries with removable caps again but that may have gone full circle and we’re back to predominantly maintenance-free batteries again.
Some had something new. There were 6 individual caps that could be unscrewed with a large screwdriver. Having 6 removable caps is not new but I thought the large diameter flush cap with the Philips head was new.
Here is the only place it said “ Maintenance Free”. Good enough.I bought this “maintenance free” battery from Canadian Tire but nowhere did it actually say “ Maintenance Free”. To the left you can see one of 6 outlines of a plug. I have no intent to try open them up and intend to treat this as truly maintenance free. I’ll see how it does.
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