Contents: Checking and maintenance ⤓ Charger ⤓
Warning: When checking and servicing the battery, the following safety precautions must be observed. The battery always contains hydrogen, which is very flammable, so keep lighted cigarettes and other open flames away from the battery. The electrolyte in the battery is diluted sulfuric acid, which is very dangerous if it comes into contact with the skin or eyes. It also burns through clothing and paintwork. When disconnecting cables from the battery, always disconnect the negative cable first and reconnect it last.
Checking and maintenance
1. Battery maintenance is an important procedure that will help you avoid the troubles associated with a dead battery. This procedure requires several tools.
2. When checking/servicing the battery, always turn off the engine and all electrical appliances.
3. The standard battery for the vehicles described here is a sealed battery (sometimes called maintenance-free). There are no removable caps on the battery cells, and there is no need to check the electrolyte level or add water. However, if your vehicle has a regular battery that requires maintenance, the following procedure can be used.
4. Remove the caps and check the electrolyte level in each battery cell. The level should be above the plates. Usually, a split ring indicator is installed in each cell to indicate the normal level. If the level is below the normal level, add only distilled water, then replace the caps.
Caution: If the cells are overfilled, the electrolyte may spill out during periods of high charging current, causing corrosion and damage to adjacent cells.
5. Periodically, you should check the external condition of the battery. Check for cracks in the case.
6. Check the tightness of the battery cable terminal bolts to ensure good electrical contact. Check the entire length of the cables to ensure that the insulation is not damaged or the conductors are unraveled.
7. If corrosion is present (in the form of a white, loose coating), disconnect the wires from the terminals, clean them with a battery brush and reinstall them. Corrosion can be reduced by applying a layer of Vaseline or terminal grease.
8. Make sure the battery holder is in good condition and the clamp is tight. If the battery is removed from the vehicle (removal and installation procedures are described in Chapter 5), make sure there are no foreign objects under the battery when installing. Do not overtighten the nuts when installing the clamp.
9. Corrosion on the holder, battery case and surrounding parts can be removed with a solution of baking soda and water. Apply the solution with a small brush, let it react, then rinse with water.
10. All metal parts of the car damaged by corrosion must be coated with zinc primer and painted.
Charger
11. Remove the caps (if any) from all battery cells and cover the openings with a clean cloth to prevent electrolyte from spilling out. Disconnect the wire from the negative terminal of the battery and connect the charger wires to the battery (positive to positive, negative to negative), then plug the charger into the network. If there is a voltage selector on the charger, it should be set to 12 V.
12. If you use a charger with a current greater than 2A, check the battery temperature regularly during charging. If you use a charger with a low current, you can leave the battery to charge overnight after checking it regularly for the first two hours.
13. If the battery has removable caps, measure the specific gravity with a hydrometer every hour during the last few hours of charging. The battery is considered charged if the electrolyte is boiling and its density has not increased during the last two hours. The density of the electrolyte in different cells should be approximately the same. If this is not the case, the battery may have a faulty cell(s).
14. Some sealed top batteries have built-in hydrometers that indicate the state of charge by the color displayed in the hydrometer window. Typically, a bright color means the battery is charged, while a dark color means additional charging is needed. Check the meaning of the color indication with the manufacturer's instructions.
15. If the battery has a sealed top and does not have a built-in hydrometer, you can connect a voltmeter to the battery terminals to monitor the charge. For a fully charged battery, the voltmeter should show 12.6 V or higher.