It often happens that for maintenance or diagnostics of the battery, access to the electrolyte is required, which means removing the cover.
Accumulators are divided into accumulators with access to electrolyte and without access to electrolyte. On batteries with access to the electrolyte, either plugs are installed (unscrewed with a ruble coin or screwdriver), or a single cover plate that can be removed with a screwdriver. Before removing, make sure your battery is not listed in the battery list below.
How to remove the battery cover Varta, Bosch, Atlas, Delkor, Bost, Banner
If you want to remove the cover from the car battery Varta, Bosch, Atlas, Delkor, Bost, Banner - take it easy, you won't be able to do this. If you want to remove the battery cover itself, on which the pole terminals are located, then you should know that it is hermetically soldered at the factory and does not imply removal - the battery can be thrown away.
If you want to remove a single lid-strip, then it closes the labyrinth system for condensation of vapors there, which you also cannot dismantle. But it all depends on why you remove the battery cover. If you need to measure the electrolyte level, you can do with weighing the battery on a scale and comparing the indicators with a new battery. If it is necessary to measure the density, then it will be easier to measure the voltage and calm down. If you need to top updistilledwater, then you can be smart and make thin holes without damaging the labyrinth system, and pour water there using a medical syringe. After filling, the holes must be soldered.
All about batteries
A battery is a chemical source of current, for the correct operation of which certain chemical processes must occur. In the process of battery discharge, sulfuric acid "sticks" to the negative electrode, forming insoluble lead sulfate, leaving
Very often, you can hear recommendations about hybrid batteries from sellers in car dealerships. So what is a hybrid battery? A hybrid battery for a car is outwardly indistinguishable from others acid batteries, not counting the designation for ethics
Sometimes battery maintenance or diagnostics requires access to the electrolyte, but if access is not available, many motorists want to remove the battery cover.
Accumulators are subdivided into accumulators with access to electrolyte and without access to electrolyte. In order to unscrew the battery plugs with access to the electrolyte, you need a ruble coin or a wide screwdriver. If the battery has a single plate-like cover, you will need a screwdriver (cover panel, remove with a screwdriver). But there are batteries that do not have access to electrolyte, so motorists often turn to specialists with advice to help remove the cover from the Wart or Bosch battery.
How to remove the battery cover Varta, Bosch, Atlas, Delkor, Bost, Banner
If you need to remove the cover from these batteries, then after removing the cover, the battery can be thrown away. Those. Varta, Bosch, Atlas, Delkor, Bost, Banner batteries will not work because the cover is not removable. Technologically, the wreck is soldered at the factory and does not imply dismantling from the battery.
If you want to remove the panel from the cover, then you need to know that there is no access to the electrolyte - this is a labyrinth system for vapor condensation. But there is one exception - if you find that the electrolyte level is below the required level (for example, it was determined by weighing,) then a medical syringe and an awl will help you. It is necessary to carefully make a hole, trying not to damage the labyrinth system, add electrolyte with a syringe, and then bake the hole.
For many drivers, the question of whether it is necessary to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery is not relevant, but for those who will do this for the first time, it will be useful and interesting to read the article. The service life of the starter battery depends on how correctly this process is organized and performed. You can completely "ditch" it or reduce it, moreover, the period of use of the battery is strong. To prevent this from happening, nothing at all is required, compliance with the rules for performing such a procedure.
Whether it is necessary to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery will become clear after reading this article.
In addition, we will also remind readers about what voltage or current should be fed to a dead battery, how best to perform this operation, directly on the car, or it must be removed. The questions, at first glance, do not seem at all difficult or insoluble, but at the same time they are very important.
A little about the types of batteries
The most widely used today are lead-acid batteries. Their cans are filled with electrolyte based on sulfuric acid, battery acid and distilled water. They differ in relatively low cost and lack of memory effects. We offer for use products that have been developed and introduced into production quite recently, these are devices based on AGM technologies, and gel batteries.New products are not yet used so often, so we will focus on the long-known and widely used lead-acid batteries. They are of several types. The most widespread are devices from the low-maintenance category, as well. But occasionally you can also find serviced batteries. Their distinguishing feature is the cost, which is slightly higher than that of the rest.
The advantages of this type of battery include only the fact that it is possible to replace unusable cans. To carry out such a procedure, they are filled with mastic, which, under the influence of high temperature, can begin to melt. As a result of this impact, the insulating properties of the mastic begin to be lost, and because of this, self-discharge currents increase. More often, the electrolyte level should be monitored, approximately 5-7 thousand kilometers, and distilled water topping up is required.
The next type implies a series of low-maintenance batteries. The name itself suggests that they require very little attention for inspection, control and maintenance. The choice of such products is quite large, you can pick up both expensive and not very rechargeable batteries. The plastic housing is highly durable. Water is added after about 20-30 thousand kilometers.
It is impossible not to say about this type of products that are classified as maintenance-free. rechargeable batteries... When operating such devices, it is practically not necessary to add distilled water, so little it evaporates. However, it should be noted the need for careful control over the condition of electrical equipment and especially.
About charging
When acid batteries are used, lead sulfates are formed on the cathode plates, and at the same time energy is released in the form of electric currents. Due to electrochemical reactions, a significant release of water occurs, which reduces the density of the filled electrolyte. If, instead of consuming voltage, it is applied to the battery terminals, then the reverse process will begin, the lead will begin to recover, and at the same time the concentration of the electrolyte will increase.
To charge the battery, you need to pass the charging current from an external source so that it is opposite to its discharge current. As a result, the lead sulfate on the positive electrode begins to manifest itself as lead dioxide. On negative electrodes, lead sulfates become spongy. These processes occur with a significant increase in sulfuric acid, and the water in the solution decreases.
When the complete restoration of the active masses at both electrodes has ended, the electrolyte has the same density as before the start of the discharge and stops increasing further. In cans, only water electrolysis processes begin to take place. Gas bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen begin to evolve from the electrolyte. On the one hand, this indicates the end of the charging process, and on the other hand, the formation of an explosive mixture, which is called "explosive", begins.
If the process is allowed to flow, an excess of the permissible gas pressure in the cans may occur and rupture them. Therefore, it is imperative to unscrew the plugs from the cans when charging the battery with a stationary charger... Disconnect the charger terminals from the battery only after disconnecting it from the mains, otherwise a spark may occur, and an explosion will follow. Do not smoke or use open fire near charged devices.
The process of restoring the battery capacity is not difficult. But it requires constant monitoring, strict adherence to all the rules for performing such work. We hope that it became clear to you whether you need to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery. It is best to perform this operation outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
As you know, inside any car battery there is special liquid which. It contributes to the accumulation of charge, and in general, the principle of the battery would not have manifested itself without it. However, the electrolyte has a lot of properties, for example, when it is discharged, it is elementary, and it also begins to boil when it is charged. And if it boils, then pressure is being created? Therefore, it seems like how is it logical to unscrew the plugs when charging or not? Let's think ...
The question is not unambiguous, and of course it is asked by people only with so-called serviced batteries, which have these plugs on top of the batteries. After all, there are also non-serviced options where there may not be such traffic jams - that is, a kind of closed sealed space.
Again, there are various plugs:
- Those that protrude are easy to "pick up" by hand and unscrew, because they rise above the surface.
- Which are made on the same plane with the surface, it is no longer so easy to turn them out, although everything is relative.
You know, I was a little surprised when several of my readers asked me this question - "how can you turn them out at all, you can't use a screwdriver?" Therefore, I decided to devote a point to this in this article.
How to unscrew the plugs on the battery?
As a rule, there are problems with the "covers", which are made under the same plane with the surface of the battery, here is a photo.
Of course, the covers have slots that hint at a Phillips screwdriver, but often the plugs stick together so that the screwdriver crumples the edges and does not turn out. Therefore, we turn on the logic - we need to take a wide and flat object that will just go into the slot. This can be done with a regular coin, for example, "5 rubles". We insert into the slot and unscrew, for clarity, here is the video.
What else I would like to note - work must be carried out in protective gloves, nevertheless, the electrolyte, if it gets on your hands, will be unpleasant to say the least. As you can see, there is a very simple way. Use it.
Why does this question arise at all?
Everything is also simple - when the battery is charged, when the battery is already fully "fed", this happens in all six "banks". Accordingly, if you charge such a battery, the seething will only intensify with every hour - your covers are not unscrewed, and therefore pressure is created inside that can damage the plastic case!
However: - the housings, as usual, are designed for such pressure and can even withstand many hours; you are unlikely to recharge for more than a few hours - this can only harm the batteries.
When to unscrew and when not?
Sometimes it is still better to unscrew the "covers", sometimes you can leave it, there are several options for the development of events, so in order:
- The battery is new, it is lower than the full charge, say 12.4V (it should be 12.7V), you just want to recharge at a small current, say a couple of hours - in this case, you don't need to unscrew the plugs, I would even say - it’s right that you don’t unscrew it. Indeed, inside the electrolyte vapor, which can simply escape into the environment, and provoke an explosion (if there is a spark or fire nearby), and recharging for a couple of hours will not do anything bad if you conduct it correctly (current and voltage).
- The battery is fresh but completely discharged. Then it is better to unscrew, after all, it is advisable for you to check the density of the electrolyte. After that, you need to charge for a long time at a low current, again, it is advisable to observe the appearance of bubbles.
- The battery is old, it boils quickly. Be sure to unscrew the plugs! It is important! I boil old batteries quite quickly, this is not the ability to hold a charge - it means that the battery has already "almost died". If you do not unscrew the plugs and charge the battery for a long time, then it can really break.
Novice motorists always have a lot of questions, many of them are due to the existing gaps in knowledge and at the same time the fear of damaging the car (detail). Over time, knowledge regarding auto topics is added, experience grows, self-confidence - some of the questions disappear by themselves. But among them there are those that can cause a dispute even among experienced car owners, for example, whether it is necessary to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery. But it’s true, is it necessary? Let's figure it out.
Varieties of batteries and other useful information.
It's no secret that car batteries there are several types: lead-acid (low antimony), calcium and hybrid (in composition), as well as serviced and unattended (in design features). So the car owner can ask the dilemma of the need to unscrew the plugs only when it comes to serviced standard lead-acid batteries or hybrids, since only these plugs will be present in them.
All other options do not provide for the possibility of adding water or electrolyte, therefore they do not have special holes.
So, do you need to unscrew the plugs when charging the car battery?
In fact, there is no single answer here.
On the one hand, everything is extremely simple: in the car, the battery is powered without violating the tightness of the case and nothing happens to it, plus, the engineers are not stupid people, they, of course, provided for the possibility of overcharging and the effect of increased pressure on the walls of the device, which means plugs there is no need to clean when charging with a charger.
On the other hand, a battery that has been actively used for a long time is not as reliable as a new one, therefore, how long it can withstand the pressure of vapors released by boiling acid is unknown, therefore, in order to minimize the risk of a possible explosion, it is still recommended to unscrew the lids.
Hence the conclusion:
- when it is required to recharge a new battery (for example, from 12.4 V to 12.7 V) for a small amount of time with a low current, we do not unscrew the "covers";
- when the battery has a short service life, but is completely discharged, the plugs can be unscrewed to measure the density of the electrolyte, while charging, their complete absence is not required, just loosen a little;
- when resuscitating a completely planted old battery or recharging it, we ALWAYS unscrew the covers, non-observance of this recommendation is fraught with rupture of the battery.
How to unscrew the plugs?
Covers in serviced devices are different: those that rise above the surface of the case and are flat, made at the same level with it. The first ones are simply twisted - with a slight movement of the hand, the second ones often defy not only hands, but also a screwdriver. What should you do then? Use improvised means - a 5-ruble coin or, for example, a narrow edge of a ruler, in general, any wide flat object, but most importantly, before starting to turn inside out, do not forget to protect yourself with gloves, there is acid inside the cans.
Several opinions.
Paul:
“I take pictures without fail, because this is how hydrogen is released. And if the contact between the banks is bad, it can break so hard that it won't seem like a little. I prefer to play it safe. And the electrolyte expands, the battery can simply "suffocate". "
Zhenya:
"It all depends on the charger, if you have it not" antediluvian ", but modern, then the device itself will not allow the acid to boil, limiting the current at the end, so you can not engage in" games "with twisting / twisting".
Sergey:
“In order to know whether it is necessary to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery, you only need to inspect the latter. If there is a "hole" in the side of the lid - you don't have to open it, if not - be sure to unscrew it!
