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Today I want to tell you about a very simple, but at the same time, very handy homemade product.

I'll start in order ... We all drive cars, and we all know that a car has a battery.
In order for the battery to serve faithfully for many years, it is necessary to perform several actions:
1. Monitor the health of the car's electrical equipment.
2. Avoid "deep discharge" of the battery.
3. Monitor the electrolyte level in the battery.

To fulfill the first condition, you just need to measure from time to time the voltage supplied to the battery terminals from the generator. (At idle with the "stove" and dipped headlights on, it must be at least fourteen volts!)

You can forget about the second condition, if after starting the engine, it works for more than half an hour each time. (This is approximately the time required for the battery to compensate from the generator for the capacity spent on starting the engine). If you drive mainly in "short dashes" around the city, then, from start to start, your battery is confidently moving towards the so-called "deep discharge" - a sharp avalanche discharge of the battery to critically low values. The battery does not always experience a "deep discharge". And for sure, it will never pass without consequences - even if the battery is restored, some of the capacity will be lost! Therefore, even if your battery at first glance seems to be "fully charged", and "smartly" turns the starter, it is still necessary to remove it about once every six months and charge it on a stationary charger.

But the third condition is very easy to observe ... You just need to unscrew the plugs from the battery from time to time and, looking inside, make sure that the liquid level is higher than the package of plates in each "jar" ... (This, of course, does not apply to more expensive , "maintenance-free" batteries, in which there are no plugs, and in which the vapors are condensed by a special design and sent back to the battery).

And with this, at first glance, a very, very simple action, we often have problems ...
For the simple reason that the battery plugs have a specific groove, through which, at first glance, you can unscrew the plug with "anything" ...

In fact, this "anything" is just not at hand ... You can, for example, use a coin ... But there is acid! And after use, it is advisable not to put the coin in your pocket ... Ehh ... It's a pity for the coin ...)))

Many people try to do this with a screwdriver ... More often than not, this cannot be done even with a very wide screwdriver, since the plastic of the plugs is very soft, and the groove is cross-shaped (which further weakens the plug). Usually, a screwdriver turns, deforming the plastic ...

Below I will describe the manufacture of a very simple and very convenient key that will allow you to unscrew the plugs from the battery, eliminating contact of hands with acids, and without tearing the slots of the plugs.

For this we need:

1. Washer М8 enlarged.
2. Stopper from a plastic bottle.

Once, in search of this very "anything" (which I wrote about above))), I noticed that the enlarged M8 washer fits very tightly into the groove of the battery plugs, and it is it that is most convenient to use.

As you know, according to GOST, flat washers are divided into ordinary and enlarged ones (in which the outer diameter is equal to three inner ones)

So, on its basis, I decided to make a key.

To make a comfortable "handle", I decided to use a regular plastic bottle cork:

Place the washer in the plug "on the edge":

And fix it by completely filling the cork with hot glue:

Everything!!! That's the whole homemade product !!!
After hardening, we get a very convenient key.

Now, without touching the battery case with our hands, on the surface of which there may be acid, we insert our key into the groove of the plug and unscrew it:

At the same time, our key fits into the groove so accurately that it is fixed in it tightly enough so that the cork remains on it after turning it out.

Author Andryushka asked a question in the section Service, Maintenance, Tuning

do i need to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery? and got the best answer

Answer from Yergey Dmitrochenkov [newbie]
If the battery is new, it holds well, and you just recharge it in cold weather (1 hour, 30 + 30 minutes ...) - not necessary. If the battery is old, in any case, unscrew the plugs and check the density and level of the electrolyte.

Answer from StranniK[guru]
Yopt

Answer from Micah[guru]
yes it is necessary if you do not unscrew the plugs, it can explode

Answer from Vage Pogosyan[newbie]
yes, I'm cutting myself now

Answer from Ministry of Internal Affairs[guru]
Be sure not to explode

Answer from Kostik[newbie]
sure.. . and remove the brands))

Answer from Pavel z.[guru]
necessarily, hydrogen is released in case of poor contact between the banks, it breaks so much that it will not seem a little. and the electrolyte expands the battery can (suffocate) simply.

Answer from Alexander[guru]
Where did you find the battery with screw plugs in the modern times))

Answer from Igor Veselov[expert]
make a mistake, comrades, don't. in my production with our winters and diesel generators and trucks and cars are charged from the starting! You just need to set the voltage correctly!

Answer from Andrey Andrey[guru]
During charging, hydrogen is released, therefore, it is necessary to unscrew the plugs and smoke can only be at a respectful distance,

Answer from Zh[guru]
If you don't need a modern charger, modern s / s limit the current at the end of charging (when hydrogen is mainly released)

Answer from Sergej Piter[newbie]
Of course you need to. But here it depends on Akum. If there are holes in the lid, on the one hand it is one, then you can not open it. And it is absolutely necessary.

Answer from Їkla[guru]
if it is not possible to do this, then set a smaller ampere when charging and nothing terrible will happen, the only thing will increase the charging time, otherwise I look at you with an explosion, there are holes on the old battery jams and the battery breathes through them, and the new ones also have where from boiling, electrolyte will pour out.

Answer from Ўriy Ivanov[expert]
and on my battery the plugs are sealed. only on the side there is a flap which I remove when charging

As you know, inside any car battery there is a special liquid that. It contributes to the accumulation of charge, and in general, the principle of the battery would not have manifested itself without it. However, the electrolyte has a lot of properties, for example, when it is discharged, it is elementary, and it also begins to boil when charging. And if it boils, then pressure is created? Therefore, it seems like, is it logical to unscrew the plugs when charging or not? Let's think ...

The question is not straightforward, and of course it is asked by people only with so-called serviced batteries, which have these plugs on top of the batteries. After all, there are also non-serviced options where there may not be such traffic jams - that is, a kind of closed sealed space.

Again, there are various plugs:

• Those that are protruding are easy to "pick up" by hand and unscrew, because they rise above the surface.

• Which are made on the same plane with the surface, it is no longer so easy to turn them out, although everything is relative.

You know, I was a little surprised when several of my readers asked me this question - "how can you turn them out at all, you can't use a screwdriver?" Therefore, I decided to devote this point to this article.

How to unscrew the plugs on the battery?

As a rule, there are problems with the "covers", which are made under the same plane with the surface of the battery, here is a photo.

Of course, the caps have slots that hint at a Phillips screwdriver, but often the plugs stick so that the screwdriver crumples the edges and does not turn it out. Therefore, we turn on the logic - we need to take a wide and flat object that will just go into the slot. This can be done with a regular coin, for example, "5 rubles". We insert into the slot and unscrew it, for clarity, here is the video.

What else I would like to note - work must be carried out in protective gloves, nevertheless, electrolyte, if it gets on your hands, will be unpleasant to say the least. As you can see, a very simple way. Use it.

Why does this question arise at all?

Everything is also simple - when the battery is charged, when the battery is already fully "fed", this happens in all six "banks". Accordingly, if you charge such a battery, the seething will only intensify with every hour - the caps are not unscrewed, and therefore pressure is created inside that can damage the plastic case!

However: - the housings, as usual, are designed for such pressure and can even withstand many hours; you are unlikely to recharge for more than a few hours - this can only harm the batteries.

When should you unscrew and when not?

Sometimes it is still better to unscrew the "covers", sometimes you can leave them, there are several options for the development of events, so in order:

• The battery is new, it is lower than the full charge, say 12.4V (it should be 12.7V), you just want to recharge at a small current, say a couple of hours - in this case, you don't need to unscrew the plugs, I would even say that you don't unscrew it correctly. Indeed, inside the electrolyte vapor, which can simply escape into the environment, and provoke an explosion (if there is a spark or fire nearby), and recharging for a couple of hours will not do anything bad if you conduct it correctly (current and voltage).

• The battery is fresh but completely discharged. Then it is better to unscrew, after all, it is advisable for you to check the density of the electrolyte. After that, you need to charge for a long time at a low current, again, it is advisable to observe the appearance of bubbles.
• The battery is old, it boils quickly. Be sure to unscrew the plugs! It is important! I boil old batteries pretty quickly, this is not the ability to hold a charge - it means that the battery is already "almost dead". If you do not unscrew the plugs and charge the battery for a long time, then it can really break.

For many drivers, the question of whether it is necessary to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery is not relevant, but for those who will do this for the first time, it will be useful and interesting to read the article. The service life of the starter battery depends on how correctly this process is organized and performed. You can completely "ditch" it or reduce it, moreover, the battery life is much longer. To prevent this from happening, nothing at all is required, compliance with the rules for performing such a procedure.

Whether it is necessary to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery will become clear after reading this article.

In addition, we will also remind readers about what voltage or current should be used to feed a dead battery, how best to perform this operation, directly on the car, or it must be removed. The questions, at first glance, do not seem at all difficult or insoluble, but at the same time they are very important.

A little about the types of batteries

The most widely used today are lead-acid batteries. Their cans are filled with electrolyte based on sulfuric acid, battery acid and distilled water. They differ in relatively low cost and lack of memory effects. We offer for use products that have been developed and introduced into production quite recently, these are devices based on AGM technologies, and gel batteries.

New products are not yet used so often, so we will focus on the long-known and widely used lead-acid batteries. They are of several types. The most widespread are devices from the low-maintenance category, as well. But occasionally you can find serviced batteries. Their distinguishing feature is the cost, which is slightly higher than the rest.

The advantages of this type of battery include only the fact that it is possible to replace unusable cans. For such a procedure, they are filled with mastic, which, under the influence of high temperature, can begin to melt. As a result of this effect, the insulating properties of the mastic begin to be lost, and because of this, self-discharge currents increase. More often, the electrolyte level should be monitored, approximately 5-7 thousand kilometers, and distilled water topping up is required.

The next type involves a number of low-maintenance batteries. The name itself already suggests that they require very little attention for inspection, control and maintenance. The choice of such products is quite large, you can pick up both expensive and not very rechargeable batteries. The plastic housing is highly durable. Water is added after about 20-30 thousand kilometers.

It is impossible not to say about this type of products, which are referred to as maintenance-free batteries. When operating such devices, it is practically not necessary to add distilled water, so little it evaporates. However, it should be noted the need for careful control over the condition of electrical equipment and especially.

About charging

When acid batteries are used, lead sulfates are formed on the cathode plates, and at the same time energy is released in the form of electric currents. Due to electrochemical reactions, a significant release of water occurs, which reduces the density of the filled electrolyte. If, instead of consuming voltage, it is applied to the battery terminals, then the reverse process will begin, lead will begin to recover, and at the same time the concentration of the electrolyte will increase.

To charge the battery, you need to pass the charging current from an external source so that it is opposite to its discharge current. As a result, the lead sulfate on the positive electrode begins to appear as lead dioxide. On negative electrodes, lead sulphates become spongy. These processes occur with a significant increase in sulfuric acid, and the water in the solution decreases.

When the complete restoration of the active masses at both electrodes has ended, the electrolyte has the same density as before the start of the discharge and stops increasing further. In cans, only water electrolysis processes begin to take place. Gas bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen begin to evolve from the electrolyte. On the one hand, this indicates the end of the charging process, and on the other, the formation of an explosive mixture begins, which is called "explosive".

If the process is allowed to flow, an excess of the permissible gas pressure in the cans may occur and rupture them. Therefore, it is imperative to unscrew the plugs from the cans when charging the battery with a stationary charger. Disconnect the charger terminals from the battery only after disconnecting it from the mains, otherwise a spark may occur, and an explosion will follow. Do not smoke or use open flames near charged devices.

The process of restoring the battery capacity is not difficult. But it requires constant monitoring, strict observance of all the rules for performing such work. We hope that it became clear to you whether you need to unscrew the plugs when charging the battery. It is best to perform this operation outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

Sometimes battery maintenance or diagnostics requires access to the electrolyte, but if access is not available, many motorists want to remove the battery cover.

Batteries are subdivided into batteries with access to electrolyte and without access to electrolyte. In order to unscrew the battery plugs with access to the electrolyte, you need a ruble coin or a wide screwdriver. If the battery has a single plate-like cover, you will need a screwdriver (cover panel, remove with a screwdriver). But there are batteries that do not have access to electrolyte, so motorists often turn to specialists with advice to help remove the cover from the Wart or Bosch battery.

How to remove the battery cover Varta, Bosch, Atlas, Delkor, Bost, Banner

If you need to remove the cover from these batteries, then after removing the cover, the battery can be thrown away. Those. Varta, Bosch, Atlas, Delkor, Bost, Banner batteries will not work because the cover is not removable. Technologically, the lug is soldered at the factory and does not imply dismantling from the battery.

If you want to remove the panel from the lid, then you need to know that there is no access to the electrolyte - this is a labyrinth system for vapor condensation. But there is one exception - if you find that the electrolyte level is below the required level (for example, it was determined by weighing,) then a medical syringe and an awl will help you. It is necessary to carefully make a hole, trying not to damage the labyrinth system, add electrolyte with a syringe, and then bake the hole.