Help charging Battery

[Rotaryguru]

Hi everyone, I need to charge my battery, but I\'m unsure whether I need to open the tops or not when charging. Is this a maintenance free one, or do I use a screw driver to open the caps?

Photo attached.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg24/rotaryguru/DSC00087.jpg

[batman]

maintenance free batterys dont have screw caps mate so yes open them up check there full of water must be distilled water.
then charge
leave caps off when charging but dont over fill as when the elements charge they get hot and the water can over flow dont want battery acid on the floor or surface

[Rotaryguru]

Thanks! :cool

[batman]

no worries

[David Nock (RIP)]

You can leave the caps in place if you are just trickle charging (float charging), but yes, as ascaudio says, if you are doing a boost charge open the tops but I would add to leave the plugs lying loosely in place to stop bubbles of gas leaving an acid spray. Make sure the plates are covered with electrolyte when you add the distilled water-but not much more than that. Check the level regularly and use a trickle charger in the dark months and you\'ll get years and years out of a battery. I fitted a Halfords - similar one to that  - in 2001 and it\'s still fine.

[andrewrx7]

If you trickle charge, do you need to remove the battery connections from the car, or can you leave them attached and therefore the stereo unit etc still with power?

[Rotaryguru]

I\'ve had the battery on charge since 7am this morning, its just slowly trickle charging away on a Halfords charger. The caps are loosly in place, you can see the lead cells and water, so its all good.

How long do I have to charge it for? I haven\'t charged a battery for years, I normally would just crash start the car and go for a long drive to charge it up, but since the car has no plates, thats not an option.
:3gears-lh
Is it 12 hours of charging or 24?

[batman]

12 hours will be enuff doesnt it have a guage or an led status light?

[David Nock (RIP)]

If you trickle charge, do you need to remove the battery connections from the car, or can you leave them attached and therefore the stereo unit etc still with power?

Yes, fine to leave the battery connected to the car.
Always, when charging, make sure you connect and disconnect the charger with it\'s power supply turned off, so you don\'t draw a spark at the terminals. Watch out with all charging batteries, the gas is highly explosive so treat any bare terminals with extreme care when using spanners  or croc clips etc and keep the bonnet up if you can so gas can dissipate.
I charge our (on the road) car for about 6 hours every month or so December through to end of Feb, \'cos we only do a couple of trips a week.