Oopps..Did I screw up??

I accidently overfilled my batteries with water! I am new to boating and I was always told to add water to your batteries.....What I didnt know is that you arent supposed to fill them up the whole way! AND I DID!....Yes, I filled them until they overflowed! The batteries are just 1.5yrs old. Did I just ruin my batteries?? CAn i just pour out the extra water to get them to the right level?? OR do I just need to go to bass pro and buy new batteries? I dont want to go fishing this weekend and be done at noon bc my batteries want hold a charge!! Thanks for any info!

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

you are supposed to use distilled water...did you at least use that?

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

also...im pretty sure you arent supposed to use batteries like that for your boat...could be wrong... why are they not factory sealed?

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

rtpassini said:

you are supposed to use distilled water...did you at least use that?

Click to expand...

Yes, I used distilled water. The marine trolling motor batteries at walmart are not sealed you can pop the caps off.....

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

yeah, i wouldnt fill them. if you fill them too full and charge them, im pretty sure they can mess stuff up.

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

older boat motors have charging systems that prefer serviceable batteries.

You can suck some of the excess water out and you should be fine, but don't get any on your clothing, it is now diluted with a small amount of battery acid. You can pour it down your drain in a small amount without harm, just be sure to flush the drain with at least a gallon of water to make sure the acid gets past any drain traps. The waste treatment facility can handle a little amount of acid, and so can a septic system.

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

BE CAREFUL. That's not water in there anymore; its sulfuric acid now. You can carefully take some out with a glass eyedropper until you can put the caps on. Wear gloves and eye protection when you do this. You did not ruin your battery. Just charge it up.

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

The problem is when they charge they can bubble and overflow. Not good if you want a bilge or deck full of sulfuric acid splashing around. You need to CAREFULLY use a turkey baster(what I use)or a hydrometer and drain some of that off. Dispose of carefully and properly. If you wee to look down into the battery there is a lip. Below that you will see the lead cells. You need to stop the water in between those two places.
I would now siphon off what I could and then put the batteries on a slow charge for a day or two. Use a regulated charger to keep from overcharging. You will then be good to go! Good luck!

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

Thanks for yalls quick replies! I am glad I did not ruin my batteries, my budget has been pushed with this boat and all I need now is to have to go and blow another $100 on batteries! Now, what exact level should i make my batteries at (water)?

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

triumphrick said:

The problem is when they charge they can bubble and overflow. Not good if you want a bilge or deck full of sulfuric acid splashing around. You need to CAREFULLY use a turkey baster(what I use)or a hydrometer and drain some of that off. Dispose of carefully and properly. If you wee to look down into the battery there is a lip. Below that you will see the lead cells. You need to stop the water in between those two places.
I would now siphon off what I could and then put the batteries on a slow charge for a day or two. Use a regulated charger to keep from overcharging. You will then be good to go! Good luck!

Click to expand...

All I have is a onboard charger 10 or 12 amp I think? I just bought the boat last week so I am learining about it.

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

Don't just pour out the extra water... the acid can damage a lot of things. Best bet is take it to a local battery shop and have them drain the excess battery acid and bring the specific gravity back to spec. This should save you a new battery in the long run.

Re: Oopps..Did I screw up??

When you pull the battery caps off you will see a plastic cylider going down in each cell about an inch. You are to fill the batteries to that level.

That said, your batteries are fine, just pull some out with a dropper and throw the dropper away. You can put the acid in a mason jar.

To neutralize the acid by diluting it with water and toss in some baking soda (opposite side of the PH scale). Once done you can pour it down a drain and follow with some water.

Dont fret, the batteries are fine.

*******************

Side note.

I worked as an automotive tech in several dealerships from GM to Bentley. When charging batteries, the cells must be vented fully. On servicable batteries you are supposed to pop the caps off (sealed batteries are not actually sealed, they have built in vent)

My boat has an onboard charger and the batteries are in plastic battery boxes. Technically, the caps are to be removed but the batteries are not installed where that is easily done. Hmmmmm