[bob1]

Just as a reminder, I'll pass this along.
You know how it is, you pop the hood, you reach for the dipstick and check the oil. You see maybe that you need some washer fluid and top it off. If you think about it, you may pull the air filter and check it out. You get side-tracked and wipe down the pretty engine cover. Bing bang the hood is closed. On a whim, I checked the battery and noticed it looked low. No plates were showing or anything but I headed to the grocery store and picked up a jug of Distilled water and a turkey baster. I was surprised that I needed so much water. I had to fill the baster 2 times for each battery hole.
So do your self a favor and see if it's thirsty. With the trend of the past few years about "maintenance free" battery, this is something maybe we tend to overlook.
Bob1

 

[Stoker]

Bob1
Good advice, we seem to forget the battery until the car will not start. All it takes is a few minutes everytime you change your oil, you can check the battery while you are waiting for the oil to drain out of your Mo.

 

[jaak]

Yup, don't want to stress that alternator either.... No point tempting fate!

 

[CVeeT]

How to figure it out

I did unscrew the battery plugs, the plugs have a rectangular slot, water level was in between the top and bottom of the slot.

I assumed that these are like HIGH and LOW marks, am I right ??

And good thing you put in distilled water, it is the right thing to do,

 

[9495]

Oh shoot, I forgot about this. I was going to request that the dealer replace my battery with a maintenance-free one before I took delivery.

Oh well, I guess it's just one more thing to add to my "Oil Change and Maintenance Checklist" that I always use.

 

[10413]

I'm surprised that Nissan didn't use a maintenace-free battery. I wonder what their reasoning behind that was...

 

[bob1]

I assumed that these are like HIGH and LOW marks, am I right ??

I assumed the same and brought the level closer to the top.
My guess is a little too much does no harm but getting those plates showing above the water line could be trouble.
Bob1

 

[CVeeT]

Oh too much water will dilute the electrolyte too much, reducing the capacity of the chargeability.

I actually like maintaince "doable" battery, all batteries lose the water, at least here you can replenish it.

Got to look at the manual to confirm the level markings though.

 

[Eric L.]

Be careful not to overfill the battery. It should be above the plates, but not into the filler hole. The owners manual shows the correct water level I believe.

 

[lawbroker]

levels

I'm having trouble determining the proper amount of fluid that needs to be in the battery. Since I live in Arizona, this could be an issues.

The manual isn't very clear on this . . i can't see the 'windows' on the side of the battery because it is in a sleeve of some sort.

I know that I can check by removing the little caps that are on top . . . but what exactly am I looking for? Do the caps act like an oil dipstick and I look for the water level on them? Or do I need to peer inside the battery after removing the caps to check the level?

Also, does each cap need to be checked individually (ie, are they separate cells within the battery?)

Thanks for any advice in advance!!

 

[Eric L.]

Re: levels

I'm having trouble determining the proper amount of fluid that needs to be in the battery. Since I live in Arizona, this could be an issues.

The manual isn't very clear on this . . i can't see the 'windows' on the side of the battery because it is in a sleeve of some sort.

I know that I can check by removing the little caps that are on top . . . but what exactly am I looking for? Do the caps act like an oil dipstick and I look for the water level on them? Or do I need to peer inside the battery after removing the caps to check the level?

Also, does each cap need to be checked individually (ie, are they separate cells within the battery?)

Thanks for any advice in advance!!

Yes you will need to remove the caps, and yes you need to check each cap individually. The level you want to fill it up to (with distilled water) is just below the level where it would start to fill up the tube the cap screws into. Get yourself a giant medicine dropper (or turkey baster) - makes the job much much easier. Be careful since any water splashing out of the hole will be sulfuric acid!

 

[zebelkhan]

While charging and discharging, the battery produces H2 and O2 gases that need to scape. If you overfill the battery (to top of the cut in the cap) the gases will not be able to escape and acid may be forced out.

They sell special plastic battery fillers at part stores that help put the right amount of water in. Get one of those if you think you need one. But again, be careful because to use these, you have to insert them into the battery, which gets acid on their tips. So wear gloves and don't touch thr tip or let the water drops from it get on any metal surfaces..

 

[Gonzo]

And just to play it safe... wear some safety goggles.

 

[zebelkhan]

And just to play it safe... wear some safety goggles.

You are right. I forgot. That is a good idea.

 

[jaak]

If, when you wash the clothes you were wearing, you get little holes, then you were not as careful with the battery as you thought...

Wear old clothes when you work on it!

 

[9495]

I'm still irritated that Nissan put this battery in the Mo. What were they thinking?

I'm tempted to just replace it with a maintenance-free battery, but I hate wasting money on something that's not broken...

 

[ekaxel]

Checked it today. Levels good. I don't think I have added water in many months.

 

[zagato27]

Speaking of batteries...thought you might be interested in what happened to me. Hopefully it won't happen to you. Here's a link to the "other" forum. Battery woes I still think that something was wrong with the OEM battery. Or it was not installed/grounded properly. Since the installation of the new battery we haven't gotten one shock from opening closing the doors. Anyway, all is well. I still wish I had been able to replace it with an Optima Cheers