I loaned an extra bike I wasn't riding to my mechanically challenged brother and although he means well by doing preventive maintenence I'd rather he didn't bother. Anyway, should I expect a premature battery failure or will it be ok? I've never even taken the cap off a sealed battery (why would I, right?) so I don't even know how they are sealed. Did he wreck anything just by prying the cover off?
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OT What happens if you put water in a gel cell battery?
- Thread starter MarcS
- Start date
- Replies 6
- Views 1,152
jkilroy
Diamond
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2004
- Location
- Vicksburg, MS
How did he get a gell cell open to add water? They are supposed to be sealed in a permanent manner. Have you checked the voltages to see if there has been a change.
matt_isserstedt
Diamond
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2003
- Location
- suburbs of Ann Arbor, MI, USA
I think he should pay the extra-premium price once again as a lesson not to tamper with the gel cell.
Just kidding
, I just got my first 12v automotive gel cell not long ago...didn't look like opening it was even a possibility as Kilroy says.
If nothing was punctured/impaled I'd put the cover back on and call it a good day.
Just kidding
, I just got my first 12v automotive gel cell not long ago...didn't look like opening it was even a possibility as Kilroy says.If nothing was punctured/impaled I'd put the cover back on and call it a good day.
chuckey
Stainless
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
- Location
- Wensleydale, UK
Thinking about the gel battery, having no knowledge of them what so ever. I would guess that the acid is held in a gel, so when a trials bike goes up a 60 degree slope the gel does not run downhill into the lowest cell. So the watered battery will suffer from this effect when you go up (or down) a step slope. In the worst case could cause an internal short circuit while the liquid is running. Could cause other cells to be short of acid and so wear out. Of course if you don't go up and down steep slopes or rear peg your way round bends (depends on how the battery is mounted) there should be no problems.
Frank
Frank
"sealed" does not equal "gel cell".
You can get water into a "sealed" battery, and that is OK, if it's not tap water, and the batteery WAS low.
But I have never opened a "gel cell". You'd need to be pretty motivated to open a gel cell, and I don't know how you would close it again.
You can get water into a "sealed" battery, and that is OK, if it's not tap water, and the batteery WAS low.
But I have never opened a "gel cell". You'd need to be pretty motivated to open a gel cell, and I don't know how you would close it again.
Thanks. I'm still shaking my head wondering how he managed it. Turns out he also changed the oil for me. The problem with that is I had just changed it and put $25 worth of synthetic in it and it had less than 1000 miles on it. I'm betting he used 69 cent Walmart oil too. Guess it's time he bought it from me before it gets totally destroyed. The good part is he's a very good carpenter and I'm not so I'll put him to work pounding nails.
Racer Al
Stainless
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2006
- Location
- Oakland, California, USA
Even if you pay him $1 per nail, that's still a lotta nails. 
