WARNING
- The electrolyte contains sulfuric acid. It can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with skin or eyes. Wear protective clothing and goggles.
- - If electrolyte comes into contact with skin or clothing, wash it off immediately with water.
- - If the electrolyte gets into your eyes, rinse them with running water for at least 15 minutes; see a doctor immediately.
- The battery gives off hydrogen gas. If ignited, the hydrogen can explode, shatter the battery case and spray you with acid. Do not create sparks, make open flames or smoke near the battery.
- Overcharging causes the temperature of the electrolyte to rise. This can cause it to splash out of the vents. Charge the battery according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Note:
- To obtain reliable results, the temperature of the electrolyte must be between 21 and 38°C before testing.
- After reconnecting the battery, the ECM memory must be reset.
Equipment required for testing:
- Battery tester including:
- A voltmeter with a measurement range of 0-18 V, an ammeter with a measurement range of 0-100 A and 0-500 A and a carbon rheostat with a power of 0-300 W.
- 12 V battery charger:
- Charging with a large current of 50 A and with a small current of 5 A.
Test procedure
1. Check for damage. If the hull is cracked"or the terminals are loose, replace the battery.
2. Check indicator (state of charge): Blue or green is normal. If the indicator is red, peel back the film, unscrew the plugs and add distilled water; then wrap the stoppers and lower the film. If the indicator is transparent, go to step 3.
3. Check the battery capacity by connecting a tester and applying a load of three times the rated capacity in amp-hours.
When a load is applied for exactly 15 seconds, the battery voltage reading should be above 9.6 V.
- If the reading is above 9.6 V, the battery is good. Clean the terminals and housing and reinstall.
- If the reading is between 6.5 and 9.6 V, connect the charger and recharge the battery for 3 minutes with an initial current of 40 A.
Warning! The current will drop as the voltage increases; do not increase the current to compensate, otherwise the battery may be damaged.
- Watch the battery voltage for all three minutes; the maximum reading must be below 15.5 V.
- If the reading is below 15.5 V, the battery is OK. Clean the terminals and housing and reinstall.
- If the reading exceeds 15.5 V when charged with a large amount of current for three minutes, the battery is not OK, replace it.
- If the reading drops below 6.5 V, charge the battery with a small amount of current by connecting the battery and charge with a current of 5 A for no more than 24 hours (or until the indicator shows a full charge or the specific gravity of the electrolyte is at least 1.270). Then check the capacity again.
- If the reading is above 9.6 V, the battery is good. Clean the terminals and housing and reinstall.
- If the voltage still drops below 6.5 V, the battery is not good; replace it.