Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

They still lose water like the older ones, just slower.

On a Jeep that has heavy battery use they will fail faster than one you
can top up easily.

That said, most of them can have the top opened so they can be topped up
with distilled water which will vastly extend their life.

I knew a company that sold used batteries to all the car lots. They
collected 'dead' maintenance free batteries, opened them, topped them up
with water, deep charged them and sold them with a 1 year warranty.

I talked to the owner and he stated he almost never has a warranty claim
and if it happens it is right away because the battery really was a dead
one.

They do not make much if any difference with terminal corrosion because
they still do outgass.

Same goes for the spiral cell lead acid batteries like Optima. Optima
has a slower terminal corrosion rate, but it still corrodes them to the
point of a failed connection on both of my Jeeps after a couple years.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Wblane wrote:
>
> Do maintenance free batteries still corrode their terminals/connectors? Are
> there any disadvantages to maintenance free batteries? I'm thinking the next
> battery I'll get for my Jeep will be maintenance free.
> -Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

They still lose water like the older ones, just slower.

On a Jeep that has heavy battery use they will fail faster than one you
can top up easily.

That said, most of them can have the top opened so they can be topped up
with distilled water which will vastly extend their life.

I knew a company that sold used batteries to all the car lots. They
collected 'dead' maintenance free batteries, opened them, topped them up
with water, deep charged them and sold them with a 1 year warranty.

I talked to the owner and he stated he almost never has a warranty claim
and if it happens it is right away because the battery really was a dead
one.

They do not make much if any difference with terminal corrosion because
they still do outgass.

Same goes for the spiral cell lead acid batteries like Optima. Optima
has a slower terminal corrosion rate, but it still corrodes them to the
point of a failed connection on both of my Jeeps after a couple years.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Wblane wrote:
>
> Do maintenance free batteries still corrode their terminals/connectors? Are
> there any disadvantages to maintenance free batteries? I'm thinking the next
> battery I'll get for my Jeep will be maintenance free.
> -Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

They still lose water like the older ones, just slower.

On a Jeep that has heavy battery use they will fail faster than one you
can top up easily.

That said, most of them can have the top opened so they can be topped up
with distilled water which will vastly extend their life.

I knew a company that sold used batteries to all the car lots. They
collected 'dead' maintenance free batteries, opened them, topped them up
with water, deep charged them and sold them with a 1 year warranty.

I talked to the owner and he stated he almost never has a warranty claim
and if it happens it is right away because the battery really was a dead
one.

They do not make much if any difference with terminal corrosion because
they still do outgass.

Same goes for the spiral cell lead acid batteries like Optima. Optima
has a slower terminal corrosion rate, but it still corrodes them to the
point of a failed connection on both of my Jeeps after a couple years.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Wblane wrote:
>
> Do maintenance free batteries still corrode their terminals/connectors? Are
> there any disadvantages to maintenance free batteries? I'm thinking the next
> battery I'll get for my Jeep will be maintenance free.
> -Bill (remove "botizer" to reply via email)

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 14:07:50 -0400, Mike Romain <romainm@sympatico.ca>
wrote:

>They do not make much if any difference with terminal corrosion because
>they still do outgass.

I have never understood why aftermarket car batteries don't have
sealed lids (screw-in service plugs) and vent hoses, like motorcycle
and aircraft batteries. The oem battery on my ex-Saab 9-5 had one. The
oem battery on my wife's Audi has one.

I have _never_ seen a vented aftermarket battery. No way can sulfuric
acid venting from an unsealed batter be considered good for your
vehicle.

Rant over.

John



John Davies TLCA 14732
http://home.comcast.net/~johnedavies/
'96 Lexus LX450
'00 Audi A4 1.8T quattro
Spokane WA USA

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 14:07:50 -0400, Mike Romain <romainm@sympatico.ca>
wrote:

>They do not make much if any difference with terminal corrosion because
>they still do outgass.

I have never understood why aftermarket car batteries don't have
sealed lids (screw-in service plugs) and vent hoses, like motorcycle
and aircraft batteries. The oem battery on my ex-Saab 9-5 had one. The
oem battery on my wife's Audi has one.

I have _never_ seen a vented aftermarket battery. No way can sulfuric
acid venting from an unsealed batter be considered good for your
vehicle.

Rant over.

John



John Davies TLCA 14732
http://home.comcast.net/~johnedavies/
'96 Lexus LX450
'00 Audi A4 1.8T quattro
Spokane WA USA

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 14:07:50 -0400, Mike Romain <romainm@sympatico.ca>
wrote:

>They do not make much if any difference with terminal corrosion because
>they still do outgass.

I have never understood why aftermarket car batteries don't have
sealed lids (screw-in service plugs) and vent hoses, like motorcycle
and aircraft batteries. The oem battery on my ex-Saab 9-5 had one. The
oem battery on my wife's Audi has one.

I have _never_ seen a vented aftermarket battery. No way can sulfuric
acid venting from an unsealed batter be considered good for your
vehicle.

Rant over.

John



John Davies TLCA 14732
http://home.comcast.net/~johnedavies/
'96 Lexus LX450
'00 Audi A4 1.8T quattro
Spokane WA USA

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

Jerry Bransford proclaimed:

> To me, only a sealed battery like an Optima or Exide Orbital is truly
> "maintenance free". Those others that look like they are sealed on top that
> are called maintenance free don't do that as well as they'd like you to
> believe.

On a ZJ, would I have to worry about resetting remote keys or anything
if I were to install myself? Looks like the local 4Wheel Parts has
the Optima Red...bummer they closed the store in Santa Clara and the
only one still open is way the heck in downtown traffic.

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

Jerry Bransford proclaimed:

> To me, only a sealed battery like an Optima or Exide Orbital is truly
> "maintenance free". Those others that look like they are sealed on top that
> are called maintenance free don't do that as well as they'd like you to
> believe.

On a ZJ, would I have to worry about resetting remote keys or anything
if I were to install myself? Looks like the local 4Wheel Parts has
the Optima Red...bummer they closed the store in Santa Clara and the
only one still open is way the heck in downtown traffic.

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

Jerry Bransford proclaimed:

> To me, only a sealed battery like an Optima or Exide Orbital is truly
> "maintenance free". Those others that look like they are sealed on top that
> are called maintenance free don't do that as well as they'd like you to
> believe.

On a ZJ, would I have to worry about resetting remote keys or anything
if I were to install myself? Looks like the local 4Wheel Parts has
the Optima Red...bummer they closed the store in Santa Clara and the
only one still open is way the heck in downtown traffic.

Re: Maintenance free batteries: disadvantages?
 

Merely replacing a battery won't (usually at least) cause any problems with
things like that.

Jerry
--
Jerry Bransford
PP-ASEL N6TAY
See the Geezer Jeep at
http://members.cox.net/jerrypb/
"Lon" <lon.stowell@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:KKlbd.176582$wV.51502@attbi_s54...
> Jerry Bransford proclaimed:
>
>> To me, only a sealed battery like an Optima or Exide Orbital is truly
>> "maintenance free". Those others that look like they are sealed on top
>> that are called maintenance free don't do that as well as they'd like you
>> to believe.
>
> On a ZJ, would I have to worry about resetting remote keys or anything
> if I were to install myself? Looks like the local 4Wheel Parts has
> the Optima Red...bummer they closed the store in Santa Clara and the
> only one still open is way the heck in downtown traffic.