RE: I got the Answer if its the battery.

SilverSentra99 · Nov 25th, 2002, 01:18 AM

Check it out

I know somepeople might argue with me about it but you might want to check the water level in your battery, Most places will tell you its Maintenence free, but there is no such thing. Ever wonder why there are two caps on the battery where you can conveiniently place a flat tip screw driver under. Just flip them off, be careful to not get the water on you , Use Only Distilled water , or Ionized Water when you do this, use a funnel or paper cup and pour slowly. you know its low if you see the water level below the top of the slots on the walls of the 3 tubes under the two caps, it should be filled, to the top of the groove.

The battery relies on a chemical reaction between the water and acid, to charge properly, if there is no water you get a week charge, and we dont have battery meters so you need to check it once a year.

doing this on all of our cars will help us start our cars faster, get a better spark and help the wear and tear on our batteries,if you drive to long with out water your battery might not ever charge.

Everyone should check this now. especialy if your battery is OEM, and Half Empty like mine was, Mine is a 99 too.

andre · Nov 25th, 2002, 06:50 PM

I used to see people do this all the time back when I was younger in Jamaica....but I never saw anyone do it since I came here...never thought it was necessary.

mavenali · Nov 25th, 2002, 08:24 PM

an let your car sit for 24 hours first..... my dad decided he wanted to put water in the battery during my 2 day drive to florida and wouldn't ya know it.. damn thing blew up in his face...... took of 90% of eye skin and couldn't see outta the one eye for almost 2 months....be careful

Centurion · Nov 25th, 2002, 08:54 PM

True but I have an '01 Ranger and the battery is maintenance free for real because the caps don't exist--it is sealed, but I do check my "maintenance free" original Sentra battery and so far I've only had to add twice.

azkicker0027 · Nov 25th, 2002, 09:48 PM

rule of thumb, if the battery can be opened and refilled, do so, if it's sealed, then it's maintenance free, and yes, avoid opening it when hot or so.......

Yosho · Nov 25th, 2002, 10:11 PM

Nissan OEM batteries (and most batteries) are not maintenance free. A maintenance free battery will have an indicator "window" showing you if it is good or not. Usually the show 'green' for good. They are also always sealed and are not designed to be serviced.

On a regular battery, it is always important to make sure that the electrolyte (water) level inside of it is at the proper level. It should be checked regularly. Without getting into too much detail about how a battery works, it's important because the water is what allows the current to flow between the plates inside the battery. It is also important that the battery remains clean and dirt/dust free on top. The dirt/dust will allow moisture to collect easier which in turn will allow the battery power to slowly drain off.

Tap water is fine for servicing a battery... it's what service shops use (including the Nissan dealer I worked at). Distilled water is preferred if you happen to have it. They even sell "battery water" (read: distilled) at Discount and other corner parts stores.
The key is whatever you use to make sure the battery is properly maintained and clean.

mavenali - sorry to hear about your dad. It sounds like there may of been a short between the plates within the battery. This is sometimes caused when the battery is old and plates have cracked due to low water levels. I hope your dad is ok.

As mavenali pointed out, always wear eye protection/safty glasses when working on a battery. It's that 1 out of 10k times that you'll wish you had.