Methods Of Preventing Over-Discharge
The following precautions must be taken to prevent over-discharging a battery.
Scheme 9
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Scheme 11
- The battery surface (particularly its top) should always be kept clean and dry.
- The terminal connections should be clean and tight.
- At every routine maintenance, check the electrolyte level. This also applies to batteries designated as "low maintenance" and "maintenance-free".
- When the vehicle is not going to be used over a long period of time, disconnect the negative battery terminal. (If the vehicle has an extended storage switch, turn it off.)
- Check the charge condition of the battery. Periodically check the specific gravity of the electrolyte. Keep a close check on charge condition to prevent over-discharge.
Checking Electrolyte Level
| WARNING | Do not allow battery fluid to come in contact with skin, eyes, fabrics, or painted surfaces. After touching a battery, do not touch or rub your eyes until you have thoroughly washed your hands. If acid contacts eyes, skin or clothing, immediately flush with water for 15 minutes and seek medical attention. |
Scheme 12
- Remove the cell plug using a suitable tool.
- Add distilled water up to the MAX level.
Sulfation
A battery will be completely discharged if it is left unattended for a long time and the specific gravity will become less than 1.100. This may result in sulfation on the cell plates.
To determine if a battery has been "sulfated", note its voltage and current when charging it. (Scheme 13), less current and higher voltage are observed in the initial stage of charging sulfated batteries.
A sulfated battery may sometimes be brought back into service by means of a long, slow charge, 12 hours or more, followed by a battery capacity test.
Scheme 13
Scheme 14
- Read hydrometer and thermometer indications at eye level.
- Use the (Scheme 15) or (Scheme 16) to correct your hydrometer reading according to electrolyte temperature.
| CAUTION | Do not "quick charge" a fully discharged battery. Keep the battery away from open flame while it is being charged. When connecting the charger, connect the leads first, then turn on the charger. Do not turn on the charger first, as this may cause a spark. If battery electrolyte temperature rises above 60°C (140°F), stop charging. Always charge battery at a temperature below 60°C (140°F). |
Scheme 15
Do not charge at more than 50 ampere rate.
Note. The ammeter reading on your battery charger will automatically decrease as the battery charges. This indicates that the voltage of the battery is increasing normally as the state of charge improves. The charging amps indicated in (Scheme 18) refer to initial charge rate.
- If, after charging, the specific gravity of any two cells varies more than .050, the battery should be replaced.
| CAUTION | When working with batteries, always wear appropriate eye protection. |
Note. To ensure a complete and thorough diagnosis, the battery, starter and alternator test segments must be done as a set from start to finish. If battery surface charge is detected while testing, the tester will prompt you to turn on the headlights to remove the surface charge. If necessary, the tester will prompt you to determine if the battery temperature is above or below 0°C (32°F). Choose the appropriate selection by pressing the up or down arrow button, then press "ENTER" to make the selection.
Scheme 16
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Scheme 18
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Scheme 20
- Turn off all loads on the vehicle electrical system. Clean or repair as necessary.
- Visually inspect the battery, battery terminals and cable ends with ignition switch in "OFF" position. NOTE: The contact surface between the battery terminals, cable ends and tester leads must be clean for a valid test. A poor connection will prevent testing and a "CHECK CONNECTION" message will appear during the test procedures. If this occurs, clean the battery post and terminals, reconnect them and restart the test.
- Connect the red tester lead clamp to the positive battery terminal, and the black to the negative terminal.
- The tester will turn on automatically. Using the arrow keys, select "IN VEHICLE" on the tester and then press the "ENTER" key.
- Locate the battery type and rating stamped or written on the top case of the battery to be tested. NOTE: The battery type and rating will have either of the following. CCA : Cold Cranking Amps (490 CCA, 550 CCA, etc.) JIS : Japanese Industrial Standard. Battery is stamped with a number such as: 80D26L: 80 (rank of output), D (physical size-depth), 26 (width in cm). The last character L (post configuration) is not input into the tester. The tester requires the rating for the battery be entered exactly as it is written or stamped on the battery. Do not attempt a CCA conversion for JIS stamped batteries. JIS must be input directly.
- Using the arrow and "ENTER" keys alternately, select the battery type and rating. NOTE: The tester lists five choices; CCA, JIS, IEC, DIN, and EN. Only use CCA or JIS.
- Press "ENTER" to begin the test. Diagnosis results are displayed on the tester. Refer to «DIAGNOSTIC RESULT ITEM CHART»(ref-183542-S04382282562005081400000) .
- Press "ENTER", then test output code is displayed. Record the test output code on the repair order.
- Toggle back to the "DIAGNOSTIC SCREEN" for test results. NOTE: If necessary, the tester will ask the user to determine if the battery has just been charged. Choose the appropriate selection by pressing the up or down arrow button and then press the "ENTER" button to make the selection. When testing a battery installed in a vehicle that has recently been driven, select "BEFORE CHANGE". If the battery has just been slow charged due to a "CHARGE & RETEST" decision by the tester, and the tester asks the user "BEFORE CHARGE/AFTER CHARGE", select "AFTER CHARGE".
