Dad's got an '07 that I'm borrowing for a couple of days while my car is getting worked on.

His battery states "Maintenance Free - Do Not Lift or Pry Caps" - then proceeds to have two completely normal battery caps much as you'd find on any other battery where distilled water could/should be added.

I have experience with the GM "maintenance free" batteries that had the little green "eye" that told you that they were fully charged. Those were sealed and couldn't be opened, though.

Is dad's battery really "maintenance free," or should I add some distilled water for him? Wife's '06 Caravan battery (an Advance Auto job that's been in since we bought it used in '09) needed water the other day, which got me thinking about dad's, which he's owned since new and which I can guarantee has never had water added. It is the factory MOPAR battery.

 

Don't have a Mopar battery myself but I'm going to follow the classic rule of "If it ain't broke don't fix it" on this one. Does it struggle upon startup at all? If not, don't add water!

 

Well if its the original battery that he has had since 2007, that battery is about at the end of its life anyways. If you want to help him out, just change the battery.

$100 bucks is better than having him stranded on the side of the road.

 

You can add water if you want, just make sure its distilled water. Just be aware that even though it looks like it has caps sometimes that are epoxied on and don't come off nice.

The "maintaince free" sticker is just a sales thing. Nobody want to buy a battery if they think they have to "maintain" it. Put two identical batteries side by side and most people will choose the one with the maintenance free sticker. Obviously you are the exception.

If their defense most batteries are good for the "life" of the battery. If you want to add some distilled water and try to extend its life you won't hurt anything.