Maintenance-free Batteries

[FusilliJerry82]

Is it just me or have maintenance-free batteries fallen out of favor in the mainstream. If I remember correctly, the majority in aftermarket were sealed/maintenance free circa the late 90s/early 2000's but now all I see are standard pop-top types in all but upper-echelon models.

Am I nuts or has anyone else noticed this?

 

[bdcardinal]

The ones by Johnson Control have the pop tops but they are maintainence free. When i worked at Sears Auto they told us that if there were signs the customer added water we were to not honor the warranty on the battery.

 

[CivicFan]

To tell you the truth, I have not seen non maintenance-free batteries for the past 15 years or so.

 

[Jonny Z]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
The ones by Johnson Control have the pop tops but they are maintainence free. When i worked at Sears Auto they told us that if there were signs the customer added water we were to not honor the warranty on the battery.


Maybe up north but down here they are mostly low maintenance. Technically maintenance-free has to be Ca/Ca formulation, 12.80V when full, but all the ones I have seen are Pb/Ca, 12.6x when full.

The only true maintenance free ones here are the AGM ones.

 

[The_Jeff]

Maybe the advertising novelty wore off, and they discovered people weren't doing maintenance anyway... so they got quiet on the subject. (And reintroduced the "low maintenance" battery?)

GM was big on maintenance free delcos in the 80s, maybe you just got out of GM cars? As Johnny said Maintenance free got a slightly different chemical composition; GM upped the alternator output a few 1/10 volt to compensate.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
The ones by Johnson Control have the pop tops but they are maintainence free. When i worked at Sears Auto they told us that if there were signs the customer added water we were to not honor the warranty on the battery.


That's kind of goofy. Still have the caps but then say don't add water to them? What's the point?

 

[bdcardinal]

the caps were on there for assembly. and if you consider Santa Barbara up north, more power to you.

 

[bigmike]

I usually buy Optimas, however, in my truck I have a Delco that is sealed. Wife's car is new, so not going to replace that until it's ready. I always replace with sealed batteries though.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

I suppose I mean then that I remember seeing non-cap batteries in the past.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82

That's kind of goofy. Still have the caps but then say don't add water to them? What's the point?


Some Ford OE batteries have caps that apparently lock into place so they can't be removed without destroying them. You could probably replace them with caps from a similar size Johnson Controls battery that are designed to be removed (Johnson Controls makes most of the Ford OE batteries).

Non-serviceable batteries have always been rare, from what I've seen. They're even rarer now that most Delco batteries are made by Johnson Controls with removable caps, as opposed to the 'sealed' Delco design used previously. (They're not really sealed).

Most East Penn/Deka batteries are 'sealed'. Carquest sells them under their own Carquest brand if you really want one. AAA also sells them, and I believe Batteries Plus sells them too (under the Werker brand).

Since Johnson Controls has the lion's share of the market, and since nearly all of the batteries they make are serviceable (the same is also true of Exide), most batteries that are sold are serviceable and that has been true for a very long time now...at least 20 years.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

Well the "maintenance free" batteries with the caps; are they truly maintenance free or is it like how most driveline parts now don't come with zirk fittings even though in reality they would last longer with regular service?

 

[Ausfahrt]

I worked for an automotive battery distributor for a few years way back in the '80s and sealed batteries (particularly AC Delco units) would get low on electrolyte if driven a lot of hiway miles in the Florida heat.

I am sure that lead acid battery technology has improved over the years but I still prefer the option to add water if necessary. The new gel batteries are a different story and many swear by them.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
Well the "maintenance free" batteries with the caps; are they truly maintenance free


It is my understanding that they have the same lead/calcium construction as 'sealed' batteries, which makes them maintenance-free.

If you ignored the vent caps and never added water, such a battery should last as long as a 'sealed' battery.

If you checked the water every couple of years and top it off, it may last longer, especially in a hot climate.

 

[SteveSRT8]

no battery can be completely sealed as they emit hydrogen gas.

Even 'sealed' ones have to have a provision for off gassing.

 

[brianl703]

Right, and if you tip a 'sealed' maintenance-free battery over, if it's a wet-cell, liquid will start leaking from it eventually.

If it's an AGM or gel cell, then nothing will leak out of it, even if the case is cracked.

The way to tell the difference? Most car batteries are wet cells. You'll hear liquid sloshing around inside when you pick one of them up.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Sounds like my saturday nite.