deep cycle marine battery

[mr marbles]

I was out fishing the other day and noticed my trolling motor was losing power prematurely, i find out my battery has no water in it, i was wondering if this battrey is now shot or can i add water to it and slow charge it back up with a smart charger? any info would be appreciated.

[eurolarva]

By adding water now you will get a little more power out of it however the damage has been done. Hopefully you can milk it for the rest of the season then buy a fresh battery next spring.

[BobT]

Consider this a good learning experience. Wet cell batteries generate heat when in use and especially while recharging and along with this comes evaporation. For this reason one should check the battery fluid level periodically. You don't want to let it get below the level of the plates so they become exposed as this contaminates them. The best water to use is distilled but I have had good luck using filtered and softened well water although I'm sure it still introduces contamination that distilled water would not.

Bob