Columbia ParCar Expediter EX21-24A, Service Manual

Page: 81 / 94

Section 9
–
Battery and Battery Charge
r
Electrolyte Temperature (Step
2)
Minimum Discharge Time
(Step 5)
40-49
o
F (4-9
o
C) 40 Minutes
50-59
o
F (10-15
o
C) 45 Minutes
60-64
o
F (16-17
o
C) 50 Minutes
65-69
o
F (18-20
o
C) 54 Minutes
70-74
o
F (21-23
o
C) 57 Minutes
75-79
o
F (24-25
o
C) 60 Minutes
80-84
o
F (26-29
o
C) 62 Minutes
85-89
o
F (30-32
o
C) 64 Minutes
90-99
o
F (33-37
o
C) 66 Minutes
100-109
o
F (38-43
o
C) 68 Minutes
110-119
o
F (44-48
o
C) 70 Minutes
120-129
o
F (49-54
o
C) 72 Minutes
130-150
o
F (55-66
o
C 74 Minutes
Table 4
STORING BATTERIES
▪
Batteries can remain in vehicle.
▪
Batteries should be fully charged.
▪
Clean battery tops and connections.
▪
Fully charged batteries should be stored in as cold of an
environment as possible. Batteries “self discharge” when
not in use. The colder the temperature, the slower batteries
self discharge.
Batteries in low state of charge (low specific gravity
readings) will freeze at higher temperatures than those
fully charged.
Check specific gravity periodically, and recharge batteries as
necessary. Batteries stored in temperatures above 80ºF (26ºC),
will discharge faster and require recharge every few weeks.
Batteries stored at or below 0ºF (-12ºC) may not require
recharge for periods up to 4 months. When recharging, bring
batteries to 1.250-1.270 specific gravity to prevent freezing.
See Table 5.
State of
Charge
Specific
Gravity
F
o
Freezing point C
o
Risk of
Sulfation
100% 1.260 -70 -57 Low
75% 1.230 -39 -38 Low
50% 1.200 -16 -26 Low
25% 1.170 -2 -19 Moderate
Discharged 1.110 +17 -8 High
Table 5
As ice forms in a freezing battery, the electrolyte expands and
can crack the case, ruining the battery. If a battery is allowed to
stand or is operated in a discharged condition for a long period
of time, lead sulfate may develop on the plates, which is dense,
hard and crystalline, and which cannot be electrochemically
converted to normal active material again. Lead sulfate formed
on the plates during discharge is relatively insoluble as long as
the specific gravity of electrolyte is kept above 1.125 specific
gravity, but if allowed to drop below this value, the lead sulfate
becomes increasingly soluble and may migrate into the pores
of the separators and deposit as a white crystalline mass.
Subsequent charging may convert these deposits into stringy
metallic lead which may short the positive and negative plates
through the areas affected. These small shorts may cause a
condition of low cell voltage when battery is allowed to stand
idle in less than 25% charged condition.
EXCESSIVELY DISCHARGED BATTERIES
NOTICE: The Delta-Q Automatic Battery Charger will not
charge a dead battery. Each battery will need to be
brought up to an acceptable state of charge, and
establish that it does not have an internal fault or bad
cell. If a battery has remained too long in a discharged
state, it may be internally damaged and not capable of
accepting a charge. It must be replaced.
If the Delta-Q Battery Charger does not reach the full charging
mode, identified by a steady LED in the upper region of the Bar
Graph display (18/15/12...), or the RED Fault Light is lit, it may
indicate that the minimum voltage is not present to allow the
charger to control the charging of the complete set of batteries.
If the electrolyte specific gravity is low (less than 1.140 SG), or
the individual battery voltage is less than 10.50 volts for 6 cells,
it will need to be recharged with an ordinary automotive style
trickle charger at a rate of 3 to 6 amps for several hours each.
Follow specific charger instructions. It is not necessary to
disconnect the battery cables, as the alligator style clips can be
connected to each positive and negative battery post.
Always disconnect the AC power first when moving the
positive/negative alligator clips to prevent a spark from
igniting the gas emitted from the batteries.
Be sure to charge all of the batteries in the set. Each battery
may require 2-3 hours of charging to bring it back to
serviceable condition. Measure the Specific Gravity (SG) of
each cell after this charging procedure is completed, to verify
that the battery is OK for use. Replace any batteries that can
not be re-charged (no change or improvement in SG). After all
batteries have been individually charged, and with the
temporary automotive charger removed, try operating the
Delta-Q Charger again to verify operation. Allow the Delta-Q
Charger to complete a full charge cycle for proper equalization
of batteries. If the 6 Flash Fault persists; an internal fault may
be present and the charger will need to be replaced by a