90 wt Gear Oil for Batteries ?

[jimmie]

ummmmmmmm

[Blackhawk19]

Never heard of using Oil but there's a bunch of great info in this thread. Thanks everyone.

[jaxsprat]

I've always added/filled the battery cells with distilled water BEFORE I charge it up, been doing it this way for years. Don't know that it would make a difference but I can't really complain about my battery life. Seems like all the one'sin the cars just "die", no warning, no nothing, just won't start one day from internal shorts. The cranking batt on the boat did that one time as well.

I was always taught to add only enough distilled water to battery before charging to just barely cover the plates, if you fill to top before charging it could/will boil over- as the gas bubbles created during a charge will raise the level of the battery water. I shouldn't have to worry about the levels this year when I am able to fish again as I picked up a gel cell on sale over the winter.

[CrappiePappy]

I was always taught to add only enough distilled water to battery before charging to just barely cover the plates, if you fill to top before charging it could/will boil over- as the gas bubbles created during a charge will raise the level of the battery water. I shouldn't have to worry about the levels this year when I am able to fish again as I picked up a gel cell on sale over the winter.

Jax ... I used to do the same thing -- add distilled water to battery before charging. Come to find out that the "right" way to do it, if your water level is low & below the plates, is to put in enough distilled water to cover the plates & then charge it up ... and once charged up, add enough distilled water to come within 1/4" of the bottom rim of the cell pour holes. And if the plates are covered, and the water level is just a bit low ... charge it up & then fill to those levels. Like many others, I'm sure, I always thought that adding the water "after" charging the battery, would dilute the acid and lower the % of charge. But ... according to all the "how to charge a battery" sites I've looked at, you should charge the battery first & then top off the water level ... except, of course, if the water level is below the tops of the plates (& then you should make sure the plates are covered before charging).

In reality, the water level should never be allowed to get below the top of the plates. We should always monitor the water levels, as part of our routine of getting the boat ready to use or immediately after use (before plugging in our chargers). Careful maintenance of our batteries will insure that our rigs are always "use ready" ... and we won't be that guy at the ramp, or on the lake, that has a weak/dead battery & can't start/run his rig Doh

... cp