Wal Mart is selling (exide, I believe) automotive batteries under their "Ever-Start" brand. The batteries are labelled 'Maintanence Free' which represents to the Consumer that water never need be added to the battery to restore the battery electrolyte levels.
This further is a fradulent misrepresentation of this standard battery in attempt to pass it off as a superior battery which uses chemical recombination to eliminate or greatly reduce water loss. There is such battery technolgy, it is much more expensive than the standard lead - acid batteries sold by Wal Mart.
These Wal Mart batteries are NOT maintanence free.
The Wal Mart batteries have CONCEALED and removable water/electrolyte fill caps. The fill caps are concealed under a printed color label and invisible to the Consumer. The larger cap covering the top of the battery, which appears to be the cap which is normally removable for checking electrolyte levels is welded to the top of the battery case, giving the appearance that the battery is maintanence free.
The Consumer, seeing the advertising "Maintanence Free" and not seeing the concealed fill caps, is led to believe water never need be added to said battery.
In both my vehicles, one using a Wal Mart Ever Start battery, the battery was dangerously low on water. I had to add 1/2 QUART of water to said battery to restore the electrolyte level.
The effect of this fraudulent misrepresentation and deliberate concealment of the fill caps is to sell more batteries. An automotive battery operating with insufficient water/electrolyte as do Wal MArts will be permanently damaged, requiring replacement.
Good for battery sales, bad for Consumers.
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