Battery — Checking the condition and precautions (Mitsubishi Colt 2)

Precautions when handling the battery

The battery produces flammable and explosive gas.

• Avoid sparking when battery terminals come into contact with tools.
• Avoid open flames; do not smoke near the battery.
• Do not charge the battery indoors. The garage or suitable room must be well ventilated when charging the battery.

The battery contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.

• Be careful not to let battery acid come into contact with your eyes, skin or clothing.
• Wear safety glasses when working near the battery.
• Keep children away from the battery.

First aid measures

• If acid gets into your eyes, rinse your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention immediately. If possible, continue to irrigate your eyes with a damp sponge or cloth on the way to the doctor.
• If acid gets on your skin, rinse the area thoroughly with water. If you still feel a burning sensation, we recommend that you consult a doctor.
• If acid gets on your clothes, there is a risk that the acid will penetrate your body. Remove these clothes immediately. If the acid has already seeped onto your skin, proceed as described in the previous case.
• If acid gets into the stomach, you need to drink a large amount of water or milk. Then take magnesium with milk, a raw egg or salad oil. Then immediately consult a doctor.

Safety rules when working with batteries

• No maintenance work or battery charging is permitted while the engine is running. Make sure all power consumers are switched off.
• As for the grounded cable, disconnect its clamps first and connect them last.

1. Check: does the battery have rusty or loose butt joints, cracks and loose fastening brackets.

• a. If the battery has rust deposits, wipe them with warm water with dissolved soda. Make sure that the solution does not penetrate the battery. Lubricate the battery terminals to prevent further corrosion.
• b. If there are any loose fasteners, tighten them without using too much force.

Caution: Make sure that the tools do not cause short circuits.

• c. Tighten the retaining clip only enough to hold the battery securely. Tightening it too tightly may damage the battery case.

2. The acid level should be between the upper and lower filling limits.

3. Check the acid level as shown in the figure above. If the acid level is low, add distilled water.

• a. When checking the acid level, you should look into each of the 6 cells, not just one or two.
• b. Use only distilled water to fill the battery. Do not fill too high - acid may splash out when the battery is strongly charged and cause rust or other damage.
• c. After filling, make sure the caps are tightly screwed on.

Precautions when charging the battery

The battery releases gas during charging.



Before charging, please pay attention to the following:

1. Remove the battery from the vehicle and, if the intermediate charge is 6A or more but maximum 15A, remove the plugs or vent cap. For normal charging less than 5A, there is no need to remove the plugs or vent cap.

2. Make sure that the charger plug is pulled out when connecting the charging cable to the battery or disconnecting the cable from the battery.

3. If charging is carried out while the battery is in the car, be sure to disconnect the ground cable clamp before charging.