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I purchased a replacement battery from Walmart two days ago, and it was the first maintenance free battery that I ever dealt with. Some of you may be familiar with this type of battery. It had six separate plastic bottles of electrolyte, and all of the bottles are stuck together in a unit so that the mouths of the six bottles align with the six filler holes in the battery. The instructions said there was to be a "multibarrel" six-hole funnel which was to be used to fill all of the battery cells at one time.
When I got the battery home I noticed that the tape over the box cover had been cut with a razor, and apparently the "special funnel" had been removed. Someone apparently cracked the funnel for their own battery and went back to Walmart to get a "replacement".
At first I though that this elaborate method of adding electrolyte to the battery was just some extra safe way for the battery company to avoid lawsuits from people spilling the acid on themselves. I remembered with all of my other batteries, I just got one big bottle of electrolyte and pored it into each cell separately.
So I though I'd just pour each of the six bottles separately into the cells. And I was able to do this. I thought the odds of aligning all six filler holes at once without funnels were not in my favor, and I end up spilling too much acid. But later I got to thinking that there was a real technical reason for the elaborate method of adding the acid. The instructions said to leave the bottles positioned in the funnel for at least 20 minutes. And that once the bottles are empty, slowly remove the bottles and funnel from the battery. And the seal the battery with plugs immediately after filling.
So can anyone tell me was the purpose of the special funnel to prevent air from mixing with the acid in the cells. I never saw the funnel, so I don't know if it would have created an air tight method of transfering the acid to the cells. But if one were to "slowly" remove the funnel and bottles, air would have gotten in there to some extent.
I also recall that there were pointed plastic projections inside the battery near the top of the holes. Those built in projections could have pierced the aluminum foil sealing each bottle. Is it possible that the instructions didn't match this particular battery, and there never was meant to be a special funnel? The six bottles should have just been pressed upside down against the sharp projections within the battery?
So I am asking, did I damage or reduce the effectiveness of the battery by filling each cell separately? This process took about 8 minutes, with each cell exposed to the air after it was filled until the last cell was filled and the six unit plug strip was put in place.
This was Walmart's Easy Start ES-9BS battery, as I recall.
Finally, I must add that my original battery for my Kat will be replaced under warranty by my Suzuki dealer. But the dealer didn't have any in stock, and has to order the battery and have it shipped to me. I didn't want to go without riding in case of the inevitable delays and backorders that could happen.
So when my replacement YUASA battery arrives, how long might it last on the shelf if I don't activate it until my Walmart battery goes. Hopefully, many years from now.
Thanks to anyone who might know.
When I got the battery home I noticed that the tape over the box cover had been cut with a razor, and apparently the "special funnel" had been removed. Someone apparently cracked the funnel for their own battery and went back to Walmart to get a "replacement".
At first I though that this elaborate method of adding electrolyte to the battery was just some extra safe way for the battery company to avoid lawsuits from people spilling the acid on themselves. I remembered with all of my other batteries, I just got one big bottle of electrolyte and pored it into each cell separately.
So I though I'd just pour each of the six bottles separately into the cells. And I was able to do this. I thought the odds of aligning all six filler holes at once without funnels were not in my favor, and I end up spilling too much acid. But later I got to thinking that there was a real technical reason for the elaborate method of adding the acid. The instructions said to leave the bottles positioned in the funnel for at least 20 minutes. And that once the bottles are empty, slowly remove the bottles and funnel from the battery. And the seal the battery with plugs immediately after filling.
So can anyone tell me was the purpose of the special funnel to prevent air from mixing with the acid in the cells. I never saw the funnel, so I don't know if it would have created an air tight method of transfering the acid to the cells. But if one were to "slowly" remove the funnel and bottles, air would have gotten in there to some extent.
I also recall that there were pointed plastic projections inside the battery near the top of the holes. Those built in projections could have pierced the aluminum foil sealing each bottle. Is it possible that the instructions didn't match this particular battery, and there never was meant to be a special funnel? The six bottles should have just been pressed upside down against the sharp projections within the battery?
So I am asking, did I damage or reduce the effectiveness of the battery by filling each cell separately? This process took about 8 minutes, with each cell exposed to the air after it was filled until the last cell was filled and the six unit plug strip was put in place.
This was Walmart's Easy Start ES-9BS battery, as I recall.
Finally, I must add that my original battery for my Kat will be replaced under warranty by my Suzuki dealer. But the dealer didn't have any in stock, and has to order the battery and have it shipped to me. I didn't want to go without riding in case of the inevitable delays and backorders that could happen.
So when my replacement YUASA battery arrives, how long might it last on the shelf if I don't activate it until my Walmart battery goes. Hopefully, many years from now.
Thanks to anyone who might know.
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