B
MAINTENANCE
Read all of SAFETY and this section before attempting any procedure. Pay particular attention to Notices, Cautions, Warnings and Dangers.
43
Owner’s Manual
Battery Charging
The battery charger is designed to fully charge the battery set. If the batteries are severely deep cycled, some automatic
battery chargers contain an electronic module that may not activate and the battery charger will not function. Automatic
chargers will determine the correct duration of charge to the battery set and will shut off when the battery set is fully
charged. Always refer to the instructions of the specific charger being used.
Before charging, the following should be observed:
Do not overfill batteries. The charging cycle will expel electrolyte and result in component damage.
•
The electrolyte level in all cells must be at the recommended level and cover the plates.
•
The charging must take place in an area that is well ventilated and capable of removing the hydrogen gas that is
generated by the charging process. A
minimum
of five air exchanges per hour is recommended.
•
The charging connector components must be in good condition and free from dirt or debris.
•
The charger connector must be fully inserted into the vehicle receptacle.
•
The charger connector/cord set must be protected from damage and is located in an area to prevent injury that may
result from personnel running over or tripping over the cord set.
•
The charger is automatically turned off during the connect/disconnect cycle and therefore no electrical arc is gener-
ated at the DC plug/receptacle contacts.
BATTERY TROUBLESHOOTING
In general, troubleshooting will be done for two distinct reasons:
•
A battery that performs poorly and is outside of the manufacturers specification should be identified in order to
replace it under the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty. Different manufacturers have different requirements. Con-
sult the battery manufacturer or the manufacturer’s representative for specific requirements.
•
Determine why a particular vehicle does not perform adequately. Performance problems may result in a vehicle that
runs slowly or in a vehicle that is unable to operate for the time required.
A new battery must
mature
before it will develop its maximum
capacity. Maturing may take up to 100 charge/discharge cycles.
After the maturing phase, as the battery ages, its capacity dimin-
ishes. The only way to determine the capacity of a battery is to
perform a load test using a discharge machine following manufac-
turer’s recommendations.
A cost effective way to identify a poorly performing battery is to
use a hydrometer to identify a battery in a set with a lower than
normal specific gravity. Once the problematic cell or cells are
identified, the suspect battery can be removed and replaced. At
this point there is nothing that can be done to salvage the battery;
however, the individual battery should be replaced with a good
battery of the same brand, type and approximate age.
HYDROMETER
A hydrometer is used to test the state of charge of a battery cell.
This is performed by measuring the density of the electrolyte,
which is accomplished by measuring the specific gravity of the
electrolyte. The greater the concentration of sulfuric acid, the
more dense the electrolyte becomes. The higher the density, the
higher the state of charge.
Float
Bulb
Cylinder
Thermometer
Add to Float
Reading
Subtract
from Float
Reading
Weight
Hydrometer
Summary of Contents for 640690-G
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