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  1. #1
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    Jun 2015
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    Filling battery with water

    Hey everyone

    i have a rookie question

    My trolling motor batteries are finally starting to need some water after the first two
    yeats of them not losing any...I check periodically and today I found that all three were getting a little low and the top of the cell was out of the electrolyte but not fins. I have been researching and plan on filling each with distilled water to just cover them not all the way into fill neck...is there anything I’m missing? I really don’t want boil over in my pretty ranger

    thanks

  2. Member
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    #2
    Just fill them to the bottom of or slightly into the "fill neck" with distilled water and you should be good to go.

  3. Member wmitch2's Avatar
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    Aug 2006
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    #3
    The plates need to be under water to reach full charge. Any lower and you'll experience problems. Each cell needs to be filled to the bottom of the fill tube. If you over fill, it will boil out during charging. You should check your battery often. I prefer sealed no-maintenance Blue Top Optimas. Never "leak" and always CLEAN !!
    Ranger Boats / Mercury Motors
    G Loomis Rods / Shimano Reels
    Raymarine / MinnKota Ultrex
    Garmin / Live Scope Plus
    Pepper Jigs / Robo Worms
    Troll Bridge / V-T2 Vents


  4. Member Snoopy Rod's Avatar
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    #4
    sounds like you are right on

  5. Member Walkabout7781's Avatar
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    #5
    When I used conventional batteries, I found a water bottle, the kind with a straw thingy, worked really well to put water in without overfilling. And yes, use distilled water.

  6. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
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    Jun 2004
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    SW Indiana
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    #6
    Don’t fill to the bottom of the tubes. Too much splash out in rough water. 1/4” over the plates will work or halfway from plates to bottom of tubes.
    If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
    nothing else matters.​

  7. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    #7
    fill them to the bottom of the neck, thats why its there
    Mercury 250 proxs 2B115089

  8. Member
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    #8
    go to dollar store --get turkey baster ---works great to fill em up with no spill of water
    1988 Ranger 364V
    150HP Merc Black Max

  9. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #9
    Don't be shocked but they will hold more water than what you think even if they look only a little low. Charge the batteries, then fill them with water as soon as they are done charging. The reason for this is you want what's inside the battery to be fully expanded. If you fill a cold battery with water and then you charge it you risk the possibility of boiling over. Now if they're extremely low then add a little water and charge them just so your not charging exposed plates. Then once the charge is complete fill them the rest of the way up. As previously mentioned always use distilled water and a turkey baster is good to use to add water.

    Several years ago I bought a new battery for a 4 wheeler. It came with the battery case empty and the electrolyte in a separate container. The container was a large heavy duty squeeze bottle that had a nipple on the end. Then there was a tube about 1 ft long that slid over the nipple. It was super easy to fill the battery from the squeeze bottle. I saved that container and use it to fill my batteries.

    This is just an idea but this would be a great time to pull the batteries and clean the bilge area. Your batteries are low on water from the result of getting hot when charging. This is natural but what's also natural is the battery releases gas fumes when charging. Guess where that residue of gas fumes have settled...in your battery trays and bilge area. I recommend you spray a little water in the battery trays and anyplace close to them and sprinkle it down with baking soda. This will kill any battery acid residue in the bilge. If battery acid residue is present the baking soda will start to foam. That means it is doing its job of killing the acid. Do not do this in the driveway unless you want an nasty stain on the driveway. If you do this on grass it will kill the grass but it will grow back.

  10. Member
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    Goose Creek, SC
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    #10
    I use the clear 16oz squeeze bottles from SamsClub.

    https://www.samsclub.com/sams/bakers...prod4720158.ip

    if it's a really hard to reach spot you can attach a short tube to the end.