What to add to the battery - water or electrolyte? Car battery service. Battery electrolyte level

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Anyone, even a novice motorist, knows that timely car maintenance is very important for its comfortable operation. Therefore, checking its main main parts, instruments and sensors before a trip is an obligatory ritual for a driver. Also an important condition is the periodic inspection and repair of the vehicle by qualified craftsmen at car service stations. But many car owners, in the process of increasing their driving experience, begin to independently understand the main parts and mechanisms of their vehicle. Therefore, in most cases, they are able to repair and maintain its devices on their own.

The battery should be attributed to such main parts in the vehicle. In the normal scenario, such a battery is charged while the vehicle is running. But there are frequent caseswhen other devices in the car malfunction, it must be charged using a special device. Such operating conditions affect the rapid wear of the device. In addition, from time to time it needs to be refueled. Many people often get confused about what to add to the battery: water or electrolyte. What functions this device performs, how to determine the level in it, how and with what to fill it correctly, we will figure it out in this article.

Battery concept

This is a special mechanism that is used in the vehicle directly for its start and further operation. In addition, such a device is designed to optimize the operation of voltage peaks at the time of starting the vehicle.

Electrolyte concept

Electrolyte is required for efficient battery performance. It is a solution of hydrochloric acid and distilled water. Third-party impurities should not be used here. Otherwise it will change its density. The electrolyte level in the battery is also important for proper performance. If it is below the prescribed norm, then in the future it will inevitably lead to unstable operation of the auxiliary power source of the vehicle, and the owner will not be able to start the car normally. This will dry out the internal plates, and the battery power will be significantly reduced. Also, do not exceed the sufficient level of fluid in the system. Otherwise, in the future, this will lead to a complete or partial breakdown of this mechanism. The battery will drain faster. Therefore, the electrolyte level inthe battery must be stable. This will ensure the normal operation of the vehicle.

When the battery needs to be recharged

According to many experts, a car battery is maintenance free. Therefore, the question of what to add to the battery: water or electrolyte - some masters consider irrelevant. But this is if it is used under normal conditions. If the car owner likes to travel long distances in his vehicle, then he must take this parameter into account. The composition of the electrolyte necessarily uses water mass. During the operation of the device, it may evaporate. The liquid may begin to actively turn into a vapor state in the event of a complete or partial malfunction of the relay-regulator. The main points of a malfunction of the mechanism must be attributed:

1. The appearance of strong steam from the filling holes.
2. The appearance of drops of electrolyte on the battery case.
3. Great battery heating during vehicle operation.

Also consider the type of battery. They are serviced and non-serviced. In the first case, the evaporation will be greater, so it is for them that the question of what to add to the battery is relevant: water or electrolyte. In maintenance-free batteries, the liquid is in a sealed container. Therefore, during operation, the liquid still rises, but does not go beyond the boundaries of the body, and subsequently falls down again, falling outinto sediment. In such devices, the cycle is closed. These batteries do not require a fluid check.

Methods for checking the electrolyte level

As noted earlier, only serviceable batteries require this check. The first way to check must include a visual inspection. As a rule, the battery case of the device is made transparent. There are various marks here. They indicate the liquid level. Therefore, you can visually track the amount of electrolyte in the system.

But not all models of serviceable batteries are made with a transparent case. In this case, the car owner can use a special transparent tube, which has a diameter of 5 mm.

For verification:

• need to unscrew the battery cover;
• release the tube into the liquid until it stops;
• finger tightly clamp the outer hole;
• get the phone.

The electrolyte level must correspond to the level of its column in such a tube.

What to do if the electrolyte level does not match

The car owner should know that the height of the liquid in the tube must be within 15 mm. If this rate is exceeded, then the excess solution should be removed. To do this, you need a rubber bulb or syringe.

When the electrolyte level is low, water can be poured into the solution. Do you add electrolyte to the battery? The answer to this question can be obtained by analyzing the composition of the solution inbattery. As already noted, this is water and a solution of hydrochloric acid. During operation, only water evaporates, so it is topped up during maintenance. But if the density of the solution is too low, then acid is added to increase it. Therefore, when answering the question of what to add to the battery: water or electrolyte, you must first measure the density of the solution. You can do it yourself.

Checking electrolyte density

The car owner must also know that, in addition to the electrolyte level, its density must also be checked. Therefore, before adding distilled water to the battery, you should definitely check the density of the solution.

This can be done with a special device called "hydrometer". It has the shape of a float. It has a corresponding scale, graduated in units of density. The balloon is on top. This is where the solution comes in. The liquid level must ensure the normal movement of the float in a vertical position. The electrolyte density indicator in the battery should remain within 1.25-1.3 g / cu. see. When the level deviates upwards, distilled water is used. If this level deviates to a lower side, then a special corrective electrolyte is used. It significantly increases the density of the liquid used in the system.

How to add distilled water to the battery

If the density is above normal, this indicatesevaporation of the liquid to be added. How much water to add to the battery? The level of the solution in the battery must be maintained 1-1.5 cm above the level of the plates. Do not add distilled water more than the allowed rate. After refueling, be sure to re-check the fluid density after charging the battery.

Conclusion

Based on the foregoing, it must be concluded that in order to ensure the normal operation of the vehicle, the owner must monitor the level of electrolyte in the car battery. Otherwise, the driver simply will not start his vehicle. The level should not deviate up or down. In the future, this will certainly lead to malfunctions in the system. In addition to monitoring the level of electrolyte, one must carefully monitor its density. If the set indicator deviates, certain actions must be taken to increase or decrease the density level in the system. Can water be added to the battery? Yes, but only if the density of the solution in the battery is higher than normal.