Battery System - Service Information: Other Dodge Nitro I

MICRO 420 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TESTER

The Micro 420 automotive battery system tester is designed to help diagnose the cause of a defective battery. See USING MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER for directions on using the Micro 420 battery tester.

BATTERY CONNECTION PROCEDURE

Note. This reconnection procedure is to be performed anytime the battery has been disconnected.

1. Connect the battery negative cable to the battery post and tighten the clamp nut.
2. Install the rear compartment floor trim panel.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP)

If the vehicle is equipped with ESP, once the battery is reconnected, the Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) in the clockspring needs to be calibrated. The SAS requires calibration anytime the battery or an ABS (ESP) component has been disconnected for any length of time. If the SAS is not calibrated following battery reconnection, the ESP/BAS indicator lamp is illuminated following five ignition cycles indicating the need for calibration.

To calibrate, perform the following

1. Start the engine.
2. Center the steering wheel.
3. Turn the steering wheel all the way to the left until the internal stop in the steering gear is met, then turn the wheel all the way to the right until the opposite internal stop in the steering gear is met.
4. Center the steering wheel.
5. Stop the engine.

The following information details the recommended cleaning procedures for the battery and related components. In addition to the maintenance schedules found in this service information and the Owner's Manual, it is recommended that these procedures be performed any time the battery or related components must be removed for vehicle service.

Scheme 14

Scheme 15

Scheme 16

1. Clean the battery cable terminal clamps (2) of all corrosion. Remove any corrosion using a wire brush (1) or a post and terminal cleaning tool, and a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and warm water cleaning solution.
2. Clean the battery tray and battery holddown hardware of all corrosion. Remove any corrosion using a wire brush and a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and warm water cleaning solution. Paint any exposed bare metal.
3. If the removed battery is to be reinstalled, clean the outside of the battery case (3) and the top cover with a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and warm water cleaning solution using a stiff bristle parts cleaning brush (1) to remove any acid film. Rinse the battery with clean water. Ensure that the cleaning solution does not enter the battery cells through the vent holes. If the battery is being replaced, see «SPECIFICATIONS»(ref-306137-S19220757772008120900000) for the factory-installed battery specifications. Confirm that the replacement battery is the correct size and has the correct ratings for the vehicle.
4. Clean the battery thermal guard with a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and warm water cleaning solution using a stiff bristle parts cleaning brush to remove any acid film.
5. Clean any corrosion from the battery terminal posts with a wire brush or a post and terminal cleaner, and a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and warm water cleaning solution.

The following information details the recommended inspection procedures for the battery and related components. In addition to the maintenance schedules found in this service information and the owner's manual, it is recommended that these procedures be performed any time the battery or related components must be removed for vehicle service.

1. Inspect the battery cable terminal clamps for damage. Replace any battery cable that has a damaged or deformed terminal clamp.
2. Inspect the battery tray and battery holddown hardware for damage. Replace any damaged parts.
3. Slide the thermal guard off of the battery case (if equipped). Inspect the battery case for cracks or other damage that could result in electrolyte leaks. Also, check the battery terminal posts for looseness. Batteries with damaged cases or loose terminal posts must be replaced.
4. Inspect the battery thermal guard for tears, cracks, deformation or other damage (if equipped). Replace any battery thermal guard that has been damaged.
5. Inspect the battery built-in test indicator sight glass (if equipped) for an indication of the battery condition. If the battery is discharged, charge as required. Refer to «STANDARD PROCEDURE»(ref-306137-S20620793812008120900000) for detailed instructions.

The battery Group Size number, the Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) rating, and the Reserve Capacity (RC) rating or Ampere-Hours (AH) rating can be found on the original equipment battery label. Be certain that a replacement battery has the correct Group Size number, as well as CCA, and RC or AH ratings that equal or exceed the original equipment specification for the vehicle being serviced. Battery sizes and ratings are discussed in more detail below.

1. Group Size - The outside dimensions and terminal placement of the battery conform to standards established by the Battery Council International (BCI). Each battery is assigned a BCI Group Size number to help identify a correctly-sized replacement.
2. Cold Cranking Amperage - The Cold Cranking Amperage (CCA) rating specifies how much current (in amperes) the battery can deliver for thirty seconds at -18° C (0° F). Terminal voltage must not fall below 7.2 volts during or after the thirty second discharge period. The CCA required is generally higher as engine displacement increases, depending also upon the starter current draw requirements.
3. Reserve Capacity - The Reserve Capacity (RC) rating specifies the time (in minutes) it takes for battery terminal voltage to fall below 10.5 volts, at a discharge rate of 25 amperes. RC is determined with the battery fully-charged at 26.7° C (80° F). This rating estimates how long the battery might last after a charging system failure, under minimum electrical load.
4. Ampere-Hours - The Ampere-Hours (AH) rating specifies the current (in amperes) that a battery can deliver steadily for twenty hours, with the voltage in the battery not falling below 10.5 volts. This rating is also sometimes identified as the twenty-hour discharge rating.
5. Load Test Amperage - The Load Test Amperage rating specifies the current (in amperes) that a battery should be tested at with the battery load test equipment. This value should always be 50 percent of the CCA. For example: if the CCA for this battery is 700 amps, the Load Test Amperage is 50 percent of that or 350 amps.

MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER

The Micro 420 automotive battery tester is designed to help diagnose the cause of an inoperative battery. See USING MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER for instructions on the use of the Micro 420 battery tester.

A battery that will not accept a charge is inoperative, and must be replaced. Further testing is not required. A fully-charged battery must be load tested to determine its cranking capacity. A battery that is fully-charged, but does not pass the load test, is inoperative and must be replaced.

Note. Completely discharged batteries may take several hours to accept a charge. Refer to STANDARD PROCEDURE for the proper battery charging procedures.

CONVENTIONAL BATTERY CHARGING

Battery charging is the means by which the battery can be restored to its full voltage potential. A battery is fully-charged when

1. Micro 420 battery tester indicates battery is OK.
2. Open-circuit voltage of the battery is 12.65 volts or above.
3. Battery passes Load Test multiple times.

After the battery has been charged to an open-circuit voltage reading of 12.4 volts or greater, retest the battery with the Micro 420 tester or perform a load test to determine the battery cranking capacity. See USING MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER for the proper battery test procedures. If the battery passes a load test, return the battery to service. If the battery fails a load test, it is faulty and must be replaced.

Clean and inspect the battery hold downs, tray, terminals, posts, and top before completing battery service. See CLEANING for the proper battery system cleaning procedures. . See INSPECTION for the proper battery system inspection procedures.

CHARGING A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED CONVENTIONAL BATTERY

The following procedure should be used to recharge a completely discharged battery. Unless this procedure is properly followed, a good battery may be needlessly replaced.

Scheme 17

1. Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt. If the reading is below ten volts, the battery charging current will be low. It could take some time before the battery accepts a current greater than a few milliamperes. Such low current may not be detectable on the ammeters built into many battery chargers.
2. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable. Connect the battery charger leads. Some battery chargers are equipped with polarity-sensing circuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger and the battery from being damaged if they are improperly connected. If the battery state-of-charge is too low for the polarity-sensing circuitry to detect, the battery charger will not operate. This makes it appear that the battery will not accept charging current. See the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the battery charger for details on how to bypass the polarity-sensing circuitry.
3. Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage and current they provide. The amount of time required for a battery to accept measurable charging current at various voltages is shown in the «CONVENTIONAL BATTERY CHARGE RATE TABLE»(ref-306137-S00405379612008120900000) . If the charging current is still not measurable at the end of the charging time, the battery is faulty and must be replaced. If the charging current is measurable during the charging time, the battery may be good and the charging should be completed in the normal manner.

CONVENTIONAL BATTERY CHARGE RATE TABLE

CHARGING TIME REQUIRED

The time required to charge a battery will vary, depending upon the following factors

1. Battery Capacity - A completely discharged heavy-duty battery requires twice the charging time of a small capacity battery.
2. Temperature - A longer time will be needed to charge a battery at -18° C (0° F) than at 27° C (80° F). When a fast battery charger is connected to a cold battery, the current accepted by the battery will be very low at first. As the battery warms, it will accept a higher charging current rate (amperage).
3. Charger Capacity - A battery charger that supplies only five amperes will require a longer charging time. A battery charger that supplies twenty amperes or more will require a shorter charging time.
4. State-Of-Charge - A completely discharged battery requires more charging time than a partially discharged battery. Electrolyte is nearly pure water in a completely discharged battery. At first, the charging current (amperage) will be low. As the battery charges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte will gradually rise.

The Conventional Battery Charging Time Table gives an indication of the time required to charge a typical battery at room temperature based upon the battery state-of-charge and the charger capacity.

CONVENTIONAL BATTERY CHARGING TIME TABLE

BATTERY CABLE

The battery cables are large gauge, stranded copper wires sheathed within a heavy plastic or synthetic rubber insulating jacket. The wire used in the battery cables combines excellent flexibility and reliability with high electrical current carrying capacity. The battery cables feature a clamping type female battery terminal made of stamped sheet metal that is die cast onto one end of the battery cable wire. A pinch-bolt and nut are installed at the open end of the female battery terminal clamp. Large eyelet type terminals are crimped onto the opposite end of the battery cable wire and then soldered. The battery positive cable wires feature a larger female battery terminal clamp to allow connection to the larger battery positive terminal post. The battery negative cable wires have a smaller female battery terminal clamp.

Both the battery positive and negative cables are available for service replacement only as a unit with the battery wire harness, which may include portions of the wiring circuits for the generator and other components on some vehicles.

The battery cables connect the battery terminal posts to the vehicle electrical system. These cables also provide a path back to the battery for electrical current generated by the charging system for restoring the voltage potential of the battery. The female battery terminal clamps on the ends of the battery cable wires provide a strong and reliable connection of the battery cable to the battery terminal posts. The terminal pinch bolts allow the female terminal clamps to be tightened around the male terminal posts on the top of the battery. The eyelet terminals secured to the opposite ends of the battery cable wires from the female battery terminal clamps provide secure and reliable connection of the battery cables to the vehicle electrical system.

One wire has an eyelet terminal that connects the battery positive cable to the B(+) terminal stud of the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM), and the other wire has an eyelet terminal that connects the battery positive cable to the B(+) terminal stud of the engine starter motor solenoid. The battery negative cable terminal clamp has one wire as an eyelet terminal that connects the battery negative cable to the vehicle powertrain through a ground connection, typically on the engine cylinder block.

BATTERY CABLES

A voltage drop test will determine if there is excessive resistance in the battery cable terminal connections or the battery cable. If excessive resistance is found in the battery cable connections, the connection point should be disassembled, cleaned of all corrosion or foreign material, then reassembled. Following reassembly, check the voltage drop for the battery cable connection and the battery cable again to confirm repair.

When performing the voltage drop test, it is important to remember that the voltage drop is giving an indication of the resistance between the two points at which the voltmeter probes are attached. EXAMPLE: When testing the resistance of the battery positive cable, touch the voltmeter leads to the battery positive cable terminal clamp and to the battery positive cable eyelet terminal at the starter solenoid B(+) terminal stud. If you probe the battery positive terminal post and the battery positive cable eyelet terminal at the starter solenoid B(+) terminal stud, you are reading the combined voltage drop in the battery positive cable terminal clamp-to-terminal post connection and the battery positive cable.

Note. Left hand drive gasoline engine shown in illustration, right hand drive and diesel similar.

1. Position the battery cables in the engine compartment.
2. One at a time, install the battery cable retaining pushpins (6), fasteners and routing clips until the cables are installed exactly where they were in the vehicle.
3. Install the negative battery cable (8) to the mounting stud (2) on the engine block. Install the negative battery cable retaining nut (1).
4. Connect the positive battery cable (7) to the B+ terminal of the starter motor (3). Install the retaining nut (4) and tighten it to 13 N.m (115 in. lbs.).
5. Connect the positive battery cable (2) to the B+ terminal of the generator (5). Install the retaining nut (1) and tighten it to 14 N.m (125 in. lbs.).
6. Position the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) positive cable (2) onto the mounting stud (3) and install the retaining nut (1). Tighten the nut to 9 - 11 N.m (80 - 100 in. lbs.). Close the TIPM cover (4).
7. Connect the battery cable assembly routing clips to the inner fender.
8. Position the negative battery cable (6) onto the mounting stud (7). Install the mounting stud onto the inner fender and tighten to 12 N.m (9 ft. lbs.)
9. Connect the battery positive cable (1). Tighten the cable clamp nut to 5 N.m (45 in. lbs.)
10. Connect the battery negative cable (2). Tighten the cable clamp nut to 5 N.m (45 in. lbs.)

Scheme 18

Note. Left hand drive gasoline engine shown in illustration, right hand drive and diesel similar.

The battery is placed and secured in a plastic battery tray (2). The battery tray is located in the left front side of the vehicle and is secured to the inner fender (3) with three nuts (1).

Scheme 19

Note. Left hand drive gasoline engine shown in illustration, right hand drive and diesel similar.

Scheme 20

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Scheme 22

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.
2. Remove the battery, see «REMOVAL»(ref-306137-S32852281892008120900000) .
3. On gasoline engine equipped vehicles, disconnect the purge solenoid vacuum hose and electrical connector (1). Using an appropriate flat bladed tool, remove the solenoid (4) from the battery tray (3) by disengaging the solenoid mounting clip and lifting it up off the battery tray mounting tab.
4. Open the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) cover (4).
5. Remove the TIPM positive cable retaining nut (1) and remove the cable (2) from the mounting stud (3).
6. Using an appropriate flat bladed tool, depress the four mounting clips to disengage and remove the TIPM housing (1) from the TIPM bracket mounting tabs (3).
7. Disconnect each of the seven TIPM wire harness connectors from the TIPM housing (2).
8. Remove the TIPM from the vehicle.
9. Remove the TIPM bracket retaining screws (1) and slide the bracket (2) rearward to disengage the mounting tabs (3). Remove the TIPM bracket from the battery tray (4).
10. Remove the three nuts (1) securing the battery tray (2) to the left inner fender (3).
11. Lift the battery tray out of the engine compartment and remove from the vehicle.

THERMAL GUARD

On gasoline engine equipped vehicles, a flexible thermal guard (1) wraps around the battery case (2) to enclose the sides of the battery. The thermal guard (1) consists of a plastic cloth outer skin with a polyester based insulator fiber.