do i need to put water in my car battery?

Question

My 2002 cars battery has gone flat twice in a few months, the last time is was totaly flat, someone told me i need to put water into it is this true and why?
also my car radio wont come on now scince the battery went flat,, it just says SAFE on the digital display, do i need my radio code? ( i dont have it!)

Answer 1

Yes, to use your radio again, you need the security code. It should be in the booklet on a card, the book that came with the car when you bought it. If you don't have that, you will probably need to talk to the dealer about it.

Now, do you need to add water? It depends. Is the battery a maintenance free type, with a sealed unit? If so there is no place to add water. If has the filler caps, carefully remove them and check the level of the fluid. If it's low, carefully add distilled water until it's at the proper level. I stress carefully, because a battery contains acid, and you don't want to get that on you or your clothes, or even your car finish.

Answer 2

Most batteries don't even last 5 years. Is this the battery that came with the car? Most likely you will need to change it out. Adding water usually only add a little bit of life to it and not for a long time. If you are going to add water, do not add tap water. You can purchase distilled water at a grocery store. Most auto parts stores do not carry it. As far as the radio goes, is the radio a factory radio or is it a replacement like sony or something. Sometimes there is a very small hole on the radio that you can put a pin into to reset the radio.If it does, put the pin in it and push the button for about 2 seconds. If not go back to the manufacturer and get the code. I hope this info helps you. :)

Answer 3

Please do not turn the engine on. That will create a dangerous situation, if not from the sulphuric acid, there is a danger from the fan running. If your hand accidentally comes into contact with the fan, you will get seriously hurt. If your battery has separate cells, each cell will have what looks like an indented plus sign (+) on each cap. Or, you may have a battery that has two rectangular caps on it. Each of these caps covers several cells on each side of the battery. These are the batteries that you can check the fluid for. But if you have a battery that is maintenance-free, there are no caps on the top, and you can't check the fluid in it. If you have one that has caps, you will need a large flathead screwdriver to open each cell. It your battery has two large caps, use a flathead screwdriver to pry open each cap from the bottom of the cap, and gently pull it off the battery. Be sure to cover the area around the battery with an old rag or towel you don't need any more, to protect the area around the battery from sulphuric acid spilling from the caps and ruining the metal/paint. Put the caps somewhere on a a flat area, with the top side down, as the acid will drip if the top side is up. When you look inside each cell, the fluid should be completely covering the plates inside the battery. The level should be up to where it will look like an "X". If you see the fluid is low, use a funnel and slowly pour DISTILLED WATER into that cell until it reaches the point where it looks like an "X" inside the cell. Be sure to put the caps back on the battery securely when you're finished.Do not overfill the cells. If they're overfilled, sulphuric acid with come out of the small vent holes on the top of the caps and damage the area around the battery when you're driving.

Answer 4

Batteries work because they have a solution in them which is acid and water. As the battery is being charged(every moment that the engine is running) the solution boils when it is totally full. Water is the liquid that evaporates so it would slowly dissappear. It is easy to see if you have a plastic battery casing where you can see into the cells, you can see which ones were low of solution. If it is a "black" cased battery, then you have to prise of the cap with a screwdriver and look down the holes. (If you do not have a removeable cap then you have a non serviceable battery.) If you see the"ribs"or cell plates there is not enough water in there so you need to add a bit more to cover those plates for them to generate and store power. You do not fill the battery to the rim with water, just enough to cover the ribs.
Original battery in a 2002 car? Sounds like replacement time(battery service life is about 5 years)

Car radio needs resetting since the power died in the car and that would erase the radio's memory. A radio shop can do that for you, they will just jump into your car and in a few seconds, the tunes will be playing.

Answer 5

Most car batteries in today's cars don't require you to add water.
A quick way you can tell is to look at the top of the battery and if its pretty much flat on the top other than the terminals then no. If the top of the battery has caps which can be screwed off then yes, word of caution batteries contain acid which is corrosive. If you splash it on your clothes it will eat holes in you clothing, For god sakes don't get any in our eyes.
It sounds like you either leaving something on or the battery is going bad and need a new one.
As for the radio go to or call the dealer.

Answer 6

Check your owner's manual about adding water, because that usually is something that should be done. Read the manual to see how to do that, and if you can't put water in it, you need to get a new battery.

SAFE probably means that it's requiring a code, and that happens when the battery either dies or gets replaced (basically, when the radio senses a loss of power from the battery, it resets and won't turn back on without the code).

Answer 7

no

it is a maintenance free battery. it is difficult to find batteries now a days that you have to put water in. the old 6V car batteries are the only ones that I sell with watter caps on them to add water.

most tractor/18 wheeler batteries are maintenance batteries, but I haven't sold a maintenance battery for a car in seven years ( a long life for a battery).

as for your radio; very few radios have the "safe mode" and it usually happens when the battery itself shorts and affects the head unit in an adverse way. any decent car audio shop will be able to fix it.

if your battery shorted, you might not have enough cold cranking amps in the battery. it may also be the wrong size for your car. double check all of this stuff before you decide to get a new battery, or charge the current one.

Answer 8

If you have a sealed battery, one without screw
off caps on each cell, there is nothing that can be
done. If your battery has six little caps along the
top of the case, then open the caps and see if you
can see any fluid. Be CAREFUL, the battery acid
can cause severe burning. If needed, add a little
distilled water until there is fluid showing in the
fill hole. Pour slowly. Do not splash. You may have
to put the battery on a charger after wards.

Answer 9

It depends some battery's you need to put water in them and some you do not need to. Open hood and look at battery on top of it to see if it needs water.

Also is there corrosion on the post, are the cables tight and in good shape. One more thing it could be a bad alternator.

Answer 10

You don't put water in maintenance free battery and most all battery's are unless the battery is in a heavy duty truck. As far as the radio goes.I have no clue.