Which batteries still have cell caps?

Hello,

Today, almost all car batteries sold are advertised as "virtually maintenance-free." While their water consumption is minimal compared to models from, for example, 40 years ago, it still exists and increases with the charging voltage (gassing!) and ambient temperature. Those who never check the electrolyte level (and add water when necessary) will likely have to replace their battery sooner than someone who maintains it in the traditional way.This only works if the batteries have cell caps that can be opened without causing damage. Common designs include separate screw caps for each cell, as well as cover bridges with clip-in, threadless caps; pictures are included in the attachment.

In addition to refilling with distilled water(!), serviceable cell caps also allow for the equalization of different acid levels within the cells, which can occur when acid is added quickly without subsequent checks, and which tend to shorten rather than extend the battery's lifespan.

Therefore, it would be helpful as a buying guide if as many users as possible could check their batteries and post here whether they have replaceable cell plugs.
Those who do not want to remove the cover stickers before the warranty expires can usually still feel with their fingertips through the labels to see if there are screw plugs with the typical cross-shaped profile underneath.
Although you can feel the circular grooves around the plugs, if there are no profiles for attaching a tool, then the plugs are likely locked or welded in place, and therefore can only be opened destructively.
With lid bridges, it is impossible to feel for the plugs from above; you can only feel the grooves that run perpendicular between the lid bridges and the actual lid. There must be gaps on the sides of the lid bridges into which lever tools (e.g., slotted screwdrivers) can be inserted.

Okay, I'll start with the batteries from our cars, which are probably still available for purchase.

Good candidates for battery specialists.
Cartechnic UltraPower UP45: Lid bridge.
Intact Racepower RP50+: Screw plug.
OEM Varta battery from 2004 in a Polo TDI: Screw-on terminal caps.

Bad guys for battery specialists
Panther P+75: Welded cell plugs.

Hi Ulf!

Since we've already discussed the topic of (lead-) batteries, their subtypes, and related maintenance & care multiple times, I still don't understand what you're trying to get at, which is something that has already been discussed/written about many times.

IF someone who is interested in batteries, let's call them a "battery expert," values their battery highly, they will inevitably buy a dry-precharged battery, meaning one that is not filled with electrolyte, which logically must have open cell caps.

Anyone who wants or needs a SuperDuper battery that is suitable for AGM/Gel technology will, due to the design of such batteries, only find sealed versions – and this makes sense, even for those who understand the principle.
Despite the factory filling and labeling behind a protective film, the EFB (Electronic Function Board) technology at MOLL is exposed, as I mentioned in a previous post.
(By the way: MOLL is a test winner again http://www.moll-batterien.de/qualitaetsauszeichnungen/adac_efb.html)

And the remaining users, whose primary focus is on the purchase price, generally have little interest in maintenance and upkeep. After all, why bother if you plan to replace it with a new one every three years?

Best regards from Munich!

DieselBär30x wrote:

Since we have already discussed the topic of (lead-) batteries, their subtypes, and related maintenance & care multiple times, I don't understand (again) what you are trying to get at, which has already been discussed/written about many times.

In short:
I would like to continue using batteries (that are not AGM or EFB), where the cell caps can be opened without causing damage for regular maintenance, and I want to have access to a wide range of battery types (not just from one manufacturer).

Da ich bisher auf keiner Webseite o.ä. Data in the style of...
"Absolutely maintenance-free, but still with screw plugs underneath the label."
I'm asking other users and hoping for responses from those who don't consider the end of their battery's lifespan as an unavoidable, predetermined fate.

Renault Megane TCe130 and dCi130, models from 2012 and 2013: The bridge plug is palpable under the adhesive film; "Removal voids warranty." No information about the supplier is available, and capacity/starting current cannot be read when installed. Note that the gasoline engine has a battery with both thin and thick terminals, and both are used. With the diesel engine, I could only identify the thicker terminals, but due to its complex installation, it's difficult to see clearly. Both vehicles were driven alternately during a vacation in Finland; they are "Scandinavian versions" equipped with an electric auxiliary heater and an integrated battery charger (aftermarket).

Evening, Ulf!

Also, also in the short form "Reh":
Quality buyers purchase with open containers; Google keyword: "dry preloaded."
Specialized buyers have no other option or are required to select "specialized" as a purchase criterion.
"Geiz-ist-Geil!" (Thrifty is great!) shoppers invariably buy the cheapest, low-quality products (and they habitually and pedantically insist that these are superior to better quality options!). These products are often based on designs from as far back as 20 years ago and therefore always have exposed cells.

Please don't misunderstand me, but I still don't understand the deeper meaning.
Should the message be: "WHO has information about battery manufacturers that are still using production methods from 20 years ago?"
Or even more provocative: "WHO knows which (pseudo-)manufacturer least fulfills the customer-side (!!!) demands?"

Let's wait and see, but the "GiG" clientele you mentioned won't show any (extended) interest, and the remaining people who are interested in the technical aspects will likely dismiss it.

Best regards from Munich!

PS: @Spati: Sorry for skipping over it, but it's a sensitive .

DieselBär30x wrote:

the cheapest garbage... which, due to its design, is probably at the level of technology from 20 years ago and therefore always offers open cells.

For example, the Exide EA530 ( http://www.batterium.de/Exide-Premium-Superior-Power-EA530-53Ah-Autobatterie-einbaufertig ) appears in the picture to have the same lid bridge as the UP45 in my image in the original post.
According to this, Exide is producing low-quality products that are stuck in technology from 20 years ago? And yet, they are still being tested and rated as "Highly Recommended" (scroll down in the link above), even outperforming and significantly outweighing the other batteries being tested.

Quote:

I still don't understand the deeper meaning.

You don't have to either.
However, since we're back to the question of purpose, here's another argument in favor of replaceable battery packs:
During operation, active material from the plates of every flooded lead-acid battery gradually sheds and falls into the sediment space, where it permanently sulfates. As a result, the acid level decreases, and even with prolonged full charging, the acid density no longer reaches the 1.28 kg/l of a new battery.
If you can access the cells, you can identify potential issues using a chemical indicator. If one cell shows a significant difference from the others in this way, it indicates an imminent cell failure. You can then proactively arrange for a replacement instead of being caught off guard by a battery failure at a critical moment when you're in a hurry and batteries are only available locally at exorbitant prices.With hermetically sealed cells, you can't even compare the states of different cells with each other... that is definitely NOT progress for me!

Hallo erstmal: das mit dem Reparieren sehe ich aBär auch so. Vergebene Liebesmüh. ZTime waste.
If the plate material starts to crumble, eventually there will be a short circuit between the plates at the bottom, regardless of the electrolyte level. This usually causes the battery to fail significantly. Replacing it is the solution. Calcium batteries have the lowest self-discharge rate. Pure lead batteries have the longest lifespan (e.g., Hawker ZB).
I've been buying spiral batteries from IntAct for over 10 years now. They are mainly used as a backup to start the engine and mostly sit around, being charged sporadically and occasionally used as a jump-start battery.
It only has a capacity of 50Ah, but boasts a cold-cranking current of 900A!
Still excellent. That would be a battery that doesn't require any maintenance for me.
Then I assembled a 16 AH LiFePO4 battery pack from 8 Headway cells, with 1000 cycles. The continuous discharge current of 400A is more than sufficient. It will last forever, and individual cells can be easily selected and replaced if necessary.
I have one installed in my motorcycle. The original battery was 6 kg, but this 8 Ah Headway battery weighs only 1 kg while providing the same starting power!
Would that mean 3 kg with the box for the car, compared to the previous 15 kg?
"Lead-acid batteries require a lot of acid and often lack a good recycling system. Once the acid is depleted, the battery needs to be replaced, regardless of whether it's still usable or not."

teileklaus wrote:

If the plate material starts to dissolve and fall off, eventually there will be a complete breakdown of the plates at the bottom, regardless of how high the electrolyte level is.

Usually, this causes the battery to fail quite dramatically...

Quote:

...and often in a rather unexpected way. As previously described: The development of a problem can often be identified by observing that a particular cell consistently exhibits increasingly worse values compared to the others. Without open vent caps, one is completely helpless against unexpected individual cell failures, unless you replace the battery preemptively, potentially wasting years of potential further use.

CaCa have the lowest self-discharge rate.
Bitte gib mir den deutschen Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest.
"Lead-acid batteries }require a lot of acid and often lack a good recycling system; they need to be refilled, and once they're depleted, that's it, regardless of whether you can or cannot." "In the Polo, we had a terrible battery from a hardware store, which I had to top up with water every year. It failed about 4 years after the first topping-up: not due to cell failure, but because of a grid or cell connector break."If I had followed your advice and gotten rid of it ("throw it away as soon as you need to refill the water"), we would have wasted money on a new battery four years too early...