Dumb question: what's the fill level on the duralast 49d battery?

[ryan roopnarine]

i'll fess up to it--previously, i had just filled any car battery to the level of the uppermost notch in the fill tube. i had a duralast 49 d just go dead on me after leaving the car parked (driven once a week at most) for about 2 months in the balmy flor-ada sun. initially, it wouldn't take a charge, but after about 24 hours on the "maintenence free" setting, it tested out good at advance auto's battery tester/BEAR carbon pile 2001. upon scrutinizing the fill holes in the daylight, free of the vehicle, i saw that the geometry of the fill tubes changes depending upon which cell in the battery (it) is. question for anyone who has ever checked their water level off-car or who is in the know about such things.....where am I supposed to fill water up to? thanks.

[BMWCCA1]

As long as the lead is covered, you should be okay. Usually there's a "step" in the fill hole that's used as an upper-limit guide. Half-way up in the cavity above the cells should work as a guide, too. It's really not all that critical.

[pingu]

If you can't find any sort of step then a rule of thumb is a quarter of an inch above the lead plates.