Battery question - Land Rovers Only

Hailsharky · 06-06-2005, 05:32 PM

I had a huge Beer Blast here this weekend and apparently left a dome light on in my Discovery.
So today the battery was dead.

The top of the battery has caps I can pull off to check the water level.

Now I never deal with batteries.
Tell Me,
does the water have to be at a certain level?
If I pull the caps off teh battery will acid water spray of from pressure?
Until I get my SO's car back from teh body shop I cant take my battery in my rover down to Kragen for a full charge.
Thanks guys.

HALLIDAY · 06-06-2005, 07:22 PM

AAAHHHHH, Batteries!! You should be fine. Flip the caps off and check the fluid levels. It should be right below the bottom of the plastic or a bit above will not hurt. Do not over fill. I drove this afternoon about one hundred miles with the A/C on low today (about ninety degrees outside) and smelled something I attributed to North Eastern Jersey. After I got home (two hours) I went out to start the truck and had a dead battery. I turned the Trooper around to jump the Rover and when I took off the battery cover off it was leaking out of two corners and was bulging at the sides and hot as a bastard. The cold lead was loose and it SMELLED. I have had batteries explode when I used to fish off shore
and it is scary. Any way, I took it out and got a new one at the auto parts store
and when I brought it in the guy at the counter almost had a cow. Two days ago this battery looked brand new, always keep an eye on 'em, especially in the hot weather!

Hailsharky · 06-06-2005, 07:28 PM

LOL,

Thanks dude, that was funny and helpfull.

Series 3 guy · 06-07-2005, 05:47 AM

Just my two cents....I ditched traditional lead acid batteries a few years back.I have been using Optima batteries and have never had any issues with charging or if I leave my lights on.Great cold cranking amps for cold mornings and can hold a charge of at least 13v+,under a load for a while.I use them camping alot.Runs everything! It has changed my confidence in running aux off my 12v system in the mountains. think about it if you ever decide to change batteries. They Rock.

HALLIDAY · 06-07-2005, 08:52 AM

I checked those out at the auto parts store and they were slightly more expensive (eighteen dollars) than the list price at AtlanticBritish. I am guessing with the shipping charge they are cheaper at the store.

Hailsharky · 06-07-2005, 09:52 AM

My battery is an Interstate.

I was told they are the best batteries.

Only heard of the optimas on this Forum.

The battery was expensive from what I remember just over two years ago.

01001010 · 06-07-2005, 09:55 AM

Oh man, you've only heard of Optimas on this forum??? I know serg doesnt like it, but watch Speed Channel...these are the bats they use on Race Cars, boats, the hardcore rock-crawlers, the stuff you see in the media pretty much, and for good reason, they are the BEST!

Trigger · 06-07-2005, 12:16 PM

Optimas are the best, true, but you pay for it too. I'm currently running a giant marine deep-cycle in the 90. My old one died on me the night before a wheeling trip last month and it was the best I could come up with. It barely fits under the driver's seat where I can easily stuff two Optimas if I had them. It gives some huge number like 925 cranking amps and 100+ amp hours.

OkieRover · 06-08-2005, 01:02 PM

Optimas are popular with the classic car crowd. They don't leak acid and destroy things you can't replace.

I would love to have a pair of Optimas in my Rover. Someday I will.

Hailsharky · 06-08-2005, 01:46 PM

I took my Interstate down to Kragen for a recharge. The guy tested it and said it was the burliest battery he ever tested. I was like, cool.
He made me feel like I was showing off a kick ass shotgun or something.

Anyhow, I get it back today.

Thanks for the advice guys.

BTW Halliday, I never put water in it, when I pulled off the caps I could see water just at the bottom of the plastic holes.

John C · 06-08-2005, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hailsharky

I took my Interstate down to Kragen for a recharge. The guy tested it and said it was the burliest battery he ever tested. I was like, cool.
He made me feel like I was showing off a kick ass shotgun or something.

Anyhow, I get it back today.

Thanks for the advice guys.

BTW Halliday, I never put water in it, when I pulled off the caps I could see water just at the bottom of the plastic holes.

you mean distilled water, right?

HALLIDAY · 06-08-2005, 02:26 PM

Being free of contaminants distilled water is the best. On some boats we had rather large banks of batteries and the cheif engineers on some boats would always say that it made no difference. These were battery banks maintained without distilled water for years on end with no problems. Water taken from the taps on boats has to have traces of SOMETHING but hey, your the cheif! I would always use distilled in my cars and boats just so years down the road you do not have problems.

Hailsharky · 06-08-2005, 02:52 PM

I was going to use the water that shoots through my neighbors sprinklers, but since I shaved my beard into a huge Tom Selleck mustachio, I didnt want them to be suspect on the stranger on there lawn.

Glad it all worked out.

Hailsharky · 06-08-2005, 10:20 PM

Before I put the battery back in, I cleaned the rust off my bolts that hold the battery bin to the engine compartment. The bolts were as rusty as the nails on a pier.

Then I treated them with rustoleum paint.

I was surprised how funky it was down there.

06-06-2005, 05:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
Hailsharky Nacho Libre Join Date: May 2005 Location: So Cal "CL" Posts: 590 Gallery: 0	Battery question I had a huge Beer Blast here this weekend and apparently left a dome light on in my Discovery. So today the battery was dead. The top of the battery has caps I can pull off to check the water level. Now I never deal with batteries. Tell Me, does the water have to be at a certain level? If I pull the caps off teh battery will acid water spray of from pressure? Until I get my SO's car back from teh body shop I cant take my battery in my rover down to Kragen for a full charge. Thanks guys.

06-07-2005, 05:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
Series 3 guy MISSING THE HELL OUT OF SEATTLE Join Date: May 2005 Location: Beckenham,Kent ENGLAND Posts: 1,930 Gallery: 5	Just my two cents....I ditched traditional lead acid batteries a few years back.I have been using Optima batteries and have never had any issues with charging or if I leave my lights on.Great cold cranking amps for cold mornings and can hold a charge of at least 13v+,under a load for a while.I use them camping alot.Runs everything! It has changed my confidence in running aux off my 12v system in the mountains. think about it if you ever decide to change batteries. They Rock. __________________ 82' series III 109 safari prepared 2.25 pet.WILL NEVER GET RID OF!!!!!! 91'Range Rover classic 3.9L V8!(sold) 98' Land Rover Discovery with a MOD wolf 300 tdi(sold) 97' Defender 90 300 tdi (sold) 99' p38 Range 4.6 autobiography (sold) 2007 Porsche GT3..faster than the 109!

06-07-2005, 09:55 AM	#7 (permalink)
01001010 Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lawrenceville, GA Posts: 4,543 Gallery: 15	Oh man, you've only heard of Optimas on this forum??? I know serg doesnt like it, but watch Speed Channel...these are the bats they use on Race Cars, boats, the hardcore rock-crawlers, the stuff you see in the media pretty much, and for good reason, they are the BEST! __________________ JC... 1996 Discovery SE - The Blue Marlin - gone =( 1965 Series IIa 109 RHD 2.25L Dsl - Wilks 1965 Series IIa 88' LHD 2.25L Petrol - Fionna

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06-06-2005, 07:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
HALLIDAY Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 144 Gallery: 0	AAAHHHHH, Batteries!! You should be fine. Flip the caps off and check the fluid levels. It should be right below the bottom of the plastic or a bit above will not hurt. Do not over fill. I drove this afternoon about one hundred miles with the A/C on low today (about ninety degrees outside) and smelled something I attributed to North Eastern Jersey. After I got home (two hours) I went out to start the truck and had a dead battery. I turned the Trooper around to jump the Rover and when I took off the battery cover off it was leaking out of two corners and was bulging at the sides and hot as a bastard. The cold lead was loose and it SMELLED. I have had batteries explode when I used to fish off shore and it is scary. Any way, I took it out and got a new one at the auto parts store and when I brought it in the guy at the counter almost had a cow. Two days ago this battery looked brand new, always keep an eye on 'em, especially in the hot weather!

06-06-2005, 07:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hailsharky Nacho Libre Join Date: May 2005 Location: So Cal "CL" Posts: 590 Gallery: 0	LOL, Thanks dude, that was funny and helpfull.

06-07-2005, 08:52 AM	#5 (permalink)
HALLIDAY Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 144 Gallery: 0	I checked those out at the auto parts store and they were slightly more expensive (eighteen dollars) than the list price at AtlanticBritish. I am guessing with the shipping charge they are cheaper at the store.

06-07-2005, 09:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
Hailsharky Nacho Libre Join Date: May 2005 Location: So Cal "CL" Posts: 590 Gallery: 0	My battery is an Interstate. I was told they are the best batteries. Only heard of the optimas on this Forum. The battery was expensive from what I remember just over two years ago.

06-07-2005, 12:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
Trigger Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 82 Gallery: 0	Optimas are the best, true, but you pay for it too. I'm currently running a giant marine deep-cycle in the 90. My old one died on me the night before a wheeling trip last month and it was the best I could come up with. It barely fits under the driver's seat where I can easily stuff two Optimas if I had them. It gives some huge number like 925 cranking amps and 100+ amp hours.

06-08-2005, 01:46 PM	#10 (permalink)
Hailsharky Nacho Libre Join Date: May 2005 Location: So Cal "CL" Posts: 590 Gallery: 0	I took my Interstate down to Kragen for a recharge. The guy tested it and said it was the burliest battery he ever tested. I was like, cool. He made me feel like I was showing off a kick ass shotgun or something. Anyhow, I get it back today. Thanks for the advice guys. BTW Halliday, I never put water in it, when I pulled off the caps I could see water just at the bottom of the plastic holes.

06-08-2005, 02:26 PM	#12 (permalink)
HALLIDAY Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: new jersey Posts: 144 Gallery: 0	Being free of contaminants distilled water is the best. On some boats we had rather large banks of batteries and the cheif engineers on some boats would always say that it made no difference. These were battery banks maintained without distilled water for years on end with no problems. Water taken from the taps on boats has to have traces of SOMETHING but hey, your the cheif! I would always use distilled in my cars and boats just so years down the road you do not have problems.

06-08-2005, 02:52 PM	#13 (permalink)
Hailsharky Nacho Libre Join Date: May 2005 Location: So Cal "CL" Posts: 590 Gallery: 0	I was going to use the water that shoots through my neighbors sprinklers, but since I shaved my beard into a huge Tom Selleck mustachio, I didnt want them to be suspect on the stranger on there lawn. Glad it all worked out.

06-08-2005, 10:20 PM	#14 (permalink)
Hailsharky Nacho Libre Join Date: May 2005 Location: So Cal "CL" Posts: 590 Gallery: 0	Before I put the battery back in, I cleaned the rust off my bolts that hold the battery bin to the engine compartment. The bolts were as rusty as the nails on a pier. Then I treated them with rustoleum paint. I was surprised how funky it was down there.

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