New T-105 lost all its sulfuric acid

[Jorgen]

I winterized my trailer yesterday so removed each of my two, 2 month old T-105 batteries to keep them in my basement on a charger for the winter. On the drive home a car slammed on it's breaks in front of me so I did the same. At that moment one of my batteries tipped over, the cap came off and all the sulfuric acid dumped out. My question is how, or even can I, fix this? If I can what do I need to do?

[Rustysocket]

Neutralize the acid with lots of baking soda and water. Be careful and wear gloves and goggles. It's likely going to do some damage to the things it's contacted.

You can purchase sufuric acid and distilled water at the auto parts store to restore the acid in the battery.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Rustysocket

Neutralize the acid with lots of baking soda and water. Be careful and wear gloves and goggles. It's likely going to do some damage to the things it's contacted.

You can purchase sufuric acid and distilled water at the auto parts store to restore the acid in the battery.

X2 on neutralizer EVERYWHERE the acid might have gotten into!

If the batteries were fully charged, use acid, not distilled water to refill the batteries.

Only use distilled water to replace the fluid lost to charge/discharge cycles.


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Now for the guilt trip: Why weren't the batteries secured and in a box during transport?

[Jorgen]

I learned my lesson on securing the batteries during transport! I was hurriedly washing the acid off my truck and then realized I should focus on myself as my hands started burning. At any rate, the battery was fully charged but I'm still not clear on the concentration of sulfuric acid to add. Does it come in different strengths? Should I start by dumping out any remaining fluid and starting from it being empty? Is there a magic specific gravity I'm shooting for? I suspect I should match the other T-105 that didn't dump out but please confirm. Thanks!

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Jorgen

I learned my lesson on securing the batteries during transport! I was hurriedly washing the acid off my truck and then realized I should focus on myself as my hands started burning. At any rate, the battery was fully charged but I'm still not clear on the concentration of sulfuric acid to add. Does it come in different strengths? Should I start by dumping out any remaining fluid and starting from it being empty? Is there a magic specific gravity I'm shooting for? I suspect I should match the other T-105 that didn't dump out but please confirm. Thanks!

You can only buy 1 strength of 'battery acid'. (Sulfuric acid aka "Oil of Vitriol", "H2SO4" can be had from other sources, but you'll have to be chemist to buy it.)

Since, according to the title of your post the batteries were new, replacing just the lost acid with the commercially available stuff will be fine.

[bansai]

Originally Posted by Jorgen

I learned my lesson on securing the batteries during transport! I was hurriedly washing the acid off my truck and then realized I should focus on myself as my hands started burning. At any rate, the battery was fully charged but I'm still not clear on the concentration of sulfuric acid to add. Does it come in different strengths? Should I start by dumping out any remaining fluid and starting from it being empty? Is there a magic specific gravity I'm shooting for? I suspect I should match the other T-105 that didn't dump out but please confirm. Thanks!

I'd call the Trojan customer support line, or if the dealer you bought the battery from is local, I'm sure they'll sell you a new 'acid pack'. I've only filled a few 'empty/new' batteries myself, but it seems like the acid packs I've used were unique to the battery model. I'm not a battery expert though, so that probably explains why I wouldn't just use *any* battery acid. Probably wouldn't hurt to give them a call.

[Jorgen]

The battery store I bought my batteries from went out of business so I brought the batteries to a local golf cart shop who suggested I go to an auto parts store and buy sulfuric acid which I did for about $7. I cleaned the outside of my batteries and sanded away a small amount of corrosion on the wire ends connecting my two 6V batteries. Then I filled the batteries up with sulfuric acid and put the charger on them. A couple days later they're fully charged and working almost as good as new! From here I was told to top-off the cells with distilled water if/when they get low.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Jorgen

The battery store I bought my batteries from went out of business so I brought the batteries to a local golf cart shop who suggested I go to an auto parts store and buy sulfuric acid which I did for about $7. I cleaned the outside of my batteries and sanded away a small amount of corrosion on the wire ends connecting my two 6V batteries. Then I filled the batteries up with sulfuric acid and put the charger on them. A couple days later they're fully charged and working almost as good as new! From here I was told to top-off the cells with distilled water if/when they get low.

You are over thinking this. The batteries are "still new" and the incident did no damage to the battery since you caught it quickly. After refilling it with the acid you purchases at the auto parts store, you are back to GOOD again. Cleaning up and neutralizing any thing that the dumped acid came in contact with is where you should be aiming your attention.

[Jorgen]

I did this last November - the same day I sprained an ankle so bad it needed surgery so the batteries sat with little to no acid in them the last nearly 6 months so success wasn't a sure thing IMO.

[norty1]

How did your truck bed fare during that 6 months?

[RoyBraddy]

Glad to see someone else doing silly things. i thought I was the only one that did things like that...

Went to radio meet one year and scrounged up a whole of useful to me radio items... Loaded up on my truck bed and when I was leaving the compound four or five almost brand new looking R390 receivers came rolling off the truck into the ditch. Almost thought about just keep going but I stopped and retrieved them heavy things...

Roy Ken

[Jorgen]

Yeah, not my best moment and I was a bit distracted by my sprained ankle but I will never again travel without a battery in a container and tied down. Luckily they were in the bed of my truck which has a good sprayed on liner so after rinsing it with water for about 30 minutes right after it happened until now, 6 months later, there's no extra corrosion issues. It is a Dodge though so rust is inevitable - HA!