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Old 05-22-2008, 02:43 PM   #1
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Posted this on MCOA Forum, which has a file with a picture of the "hidden" fill openings...

Several members have lost batteries and one had a battery explode after 5 years of no maintenance!

Won't hurt for you to double check based on the following as several owners have already avoided the loss of a starting battery. If they have a large Interstate Workaholic label the fill slots are under the lower inch and half of the label. Lift it and you will see pry slots for two rectangular slots each having three caps on the underside. Good luck!

The Post:

Have recently met 5 more MCC owners who did not know their Workaholic
chassis batteries required distilled water. There is a very good
picture in these files (Chassis Batteries) that shows how Interstate
placed the filler strips and caps under the bottom portion of the
Workaholic label.

I caught mine in time and put a half gallon of distilled water in after
two years of ingnorance. A good friend and a neighbor both lost one of
their starting batteries (2002 Endeaver and 2005 Diplomat) as they
could not see a way to fill them and thought they were maintenance
free. This has been going on for a few years so a word to the wise
would be to look at the MCOA Chassis Battery file and then inspect your
chassis batteries.

Good Luck and Happy Travels,

jimlawman
2006 Camelot
Las Cruces, NM
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Old 05-22-2008, 02:43 PM   #2
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 14
Posted this on MCOA Forum, which has a file with a picture of the "hidden" fill openings...

Several members have lost batteries and one had a battery explode after 5 years of no maintenance!

Won't hurt for you to double check based on the following as several owners have already avoided the loss of a starting battery. If they have a large Interstate Workaholic label the fill slots are under the lower inch and half of the label. Lift it and you will see pry slots for two rectangular slots each having three caps on the underside. Good luck!

The Post:

Have recently met 5 more MCC owners who did not know their Workaholic
chassis batteries required distilled water. There is a very good
picture in these files (Chassis Batteries) that shows how Interstate
placed the filler strips and caps under the bottom portion of the
Workaholic label.

I caught mine in time and put a half gallon of distilled water in after
two years of ingnorance. A good friend and a neighbor both lost one of
their starting batteries (2002 Endeaver and 2005 Diplomat) as they
could not see a way to fill them and thought they were maintenance
free. This has been going on for a few years so a word to the wise
would be to look at the MCOA Chassis Battery file and then inspect your
chassis batteries.

Good Luck and Happy Travels,

jimlawman
2006 Camelot
Las Cruces, NM
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Old 05-22-2008, 07:18 PM   #3
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Jim,
Your post just saved my two chassis batteries.

Thank you!!!

CC
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Old 05-22-2008, 08:47 PM   #4
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Hey Sacs...
This is just a reminder...to show me which ones these are and to make sure I am checking them...
Great info, J-Lawman...Thanks!!

MM



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Old 05-25-2008, 05:17 AM   #5
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They did a good job of hiding the caps with the label. You actually have to tear the label to allow the caps to come off. There are slots on either side of the caps that allow the caps to be pried off. Very difficult to move some of the caps, the cables lay on top of them. Fortunately, I was not low on water. Good catch Jim, I should have posted this a year ago. Great info for the board.

mark
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Old 05-25-2008, 07:20 AM   #6
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Thanks for the post Jim,
What is the model number of your batteries?
Mine is 31 LHD CCA 750 CH 940.
I noticed two round indented (caps?) with no pry holes on either side of the sticker at the ends of the batteries. I've torn the sticker but found no rectangular filler caps. Maybe I tore it in the wrong place. I didn't take it all of the way off.
Do these batteries sound like the ones that you have? I can't see any writing on the top that says anything about being "Mantainence Free" although I thought they are.
Thanks again,
AKBrick
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Old 05-25-2008, 07:34 AM   #7
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AK...
Those are the batteries that we have and Sacs told me he has checked them before...but I am not going to mess with them today to see where the "fill caps" are... maybe Sacs will see this and post - but may not happen till after all the racing is over with today!

MM



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Old 05-25-2008, 07:42 AM   #8
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Thanks M.M.,
I forgot about the Indy 500!
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Old 05-25-2008, 07:50 AM   #9
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WHAT??? How could you even forget about the Indy 500 and what about the CocaCola 600?

(PS-this is not "Off-topic" as the cars have batteries in them also )


MM



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Old 05-25-2008, 07:57 AM   #10
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You tell him MM....forget the Indy...sheesh...and the Nascar race.... maybe today is the day Jeff will put Chevy back where they belong in front.

I'll check my batteries after the races..oh wait..make that after the NBA game. Good advice Jimlawman...thanks for that.
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Old 05-25-2008, 08:07 AM   #11
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Drat, less than 100 miles from Charlotte and no kitchen pass for the Coca Cola 600. Not that much into NASCAR but that would be a great one to attend.
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Old 05-25-2008, 08:27 AM   #12
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These are typical maintenance free batteries like all others used in automotive apps. I think they are "designed" to last 3-5 yrs depending on usage. The reservoir at the top of these batts has a deeper pool and the space between the plates and the bottom of the batt is deeper to accomodate more sluffing of oxides from the plates during recharge. The most common failure mode is shorting of the plates at the bottom with oxide material. This is why one cell goes dead and renders the batt useless.
My batts are 5yrs old time to peel the label off and check the water but I won't be surprised if the batt fails soon anyway due to plate shorting. Another consideration is that the plates erode normally during the charging/discharging process so eventually they'll be "used up"!
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Old 05-25-2008, 12:18 PM   #13
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Could someone give me an url for the pix of the batts mentioned earlier?
Thanks
Ron
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Old 05-25-2008, 03:22 PM   #14
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Ditto on the URL. I googled "MCOA Chassis Battery" and then tried "MCOA" with no good results.
Thanks
DICK
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