bingS4

I have an Interstate Mega-Tron plus battery I installed along with a refurb alternator in June of last year. Over the winter, I left a dome light on and it drained it dead, dead, dead. I jumped it with a Passat for a couple minutes to get enough charge in it to charge it fully with a 15A Smart charger, then top it off with a 1A Battery Minder which did "desulfination" for several days.

It was fine until a couple days ago when the volt meter started creeping down from 14V to close to 12. When I hook up the Battery Minder, it can't seem to fully charge the battery so it looks like the battery is dying for good - or maybe needs water?

There aren't removable lids on the cells, but there are six plugs with phillips heads - does that imply it's a maintainable battery and I can unscrew those and add some distilled water if it needs it?

I will also be putting the charger in "alternator test" mode to hopefully rule out a bad alternator. I sure don't feel like replacing that again so soon.

Thanks for help from the battery experts out there. I'm basically just hoping to get this shaped up without burning my face off with exploding sulphuric acid.

Hibiscus Red S4

Worked for me - it's bought me about 6 months longer now (I reckon it may buy me a year-if I replace it next winter that's fine).

Ram@S4-MTM

If it says "maintenance free" leave it and buy another...

bingS4

I just hope I didn't kill it so badly it's gone after only one year.

quickaudi:STFA

it means you should have bought an Optima.

bingS4

bish

JohnKo

Yes, although you might be too late

bingS4

it and the alternator tomorrow.