© Scania Industrial & Marine Engines
43
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
15. Every 200 hours:
CHECKING THE ELECTROLYTE
LEVEL IN BATTERIES
1.
Unscrew the plugs and check the electrolyte level in all cells.
2.
Top up with distilled water until the level is 10-15 mm above the plates.
16. Every 200 hours:
CHECKING THE CHARGE STATE
OF THE BATTERIES
- Check the specific gravity using a hydrometer (battery electrolyte
tester).
In a fully charged battery it should be:
1.280 at +20 °C
1.294 at 0°
1.308 at -20 °C
- If the specific gravity is below 1.20, the battery must be charged.
A discharged battery freezes at -5 °C.
- Trickle charging is recommended during the winter if the engine is not
used.
Avoid boost charging. This will damage the battery in the long term.
17. Every 200 hours:
CLEANING BATTERIES
1.
Clean batteries, cables and cable terminals.
2.
Check that all cable terminals are well tightened.
3.
Grease posts and cable terminals using petroleum jelly.
Wear gloves and eye protection
when charging and
handling batteries.
Batteries contain a highly
corrosive acid.
Do not connect the cables to the
wrong terminals.
This could cause serious
damage to the electrical system.
If the terminals are
shortcircuited, sparks
will be generated.
Do not let open flame or sparks
come near the batteries.
When batteries are charged,
they emit highly flammable
fumes that can explode.