FORM NO. 56043058 Hydro-Retriever™ 3800 / 2042 / BR 1100 -
53
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DESCRIPTION OF THE BATTERY CONDITION INDICATORS
The Battery Condition Indicator
(17)
will give an indication of the state of charge of the batteries. The battery condition indicator will retain the state-of-charge even
if the key has been turned off. The state-of-charge indication is reset to full charge when the batteries have been recharged. It is also possible to choose between
two different low voltage thresholds depending on whether maintenance free or standard batteries are being used
(have qualified service engineer perform
this selection*)
. NOTE: The following percentages are based on
useable
battery capacity not total battery capacity. Therefore, 100% discharge = 80% of total
battery capacity for standard wet cell batteries or 70% of total battery capacity for maintenance free batteries.
Green Indicator
= full charge down to 50% discharge
Green & Yellow Indicator
= 50% discharge down to 75% discharge
Yellow Indicator
= 75% discharge down to 90% discharge
Yellow & Red Indicator
= 90% discharge down to 95% discharge
Red Indicator
= 95% discharge down to 99% discharge
Flashing Red Indicator
= 100% discharge - scrub system will automatically shut down
*Important Note:
See the
Main Control Board Special Program Options
manual section (located in the Electrical System) and follow the
instructions for changing the low voltage cutout threshold.
CHARGING THE BATTERIES
Charge the machine’s battery pack each time the machine is used, or when the Battery Condition Indicator
(31)
is showing red flashing indicator
lights. Note: The machine also uses a special low voltage cutout that inhibits the scrub system see in this manual section the description for the
low voltage cutout feature.
To Charge the Batteries...
1
Push the connector from the charger into the machine Battery Charger Connector port
(9)
located on the right control housing, next to the
seat.
2
Follow the instructions on the battery charger.
3
Check the fluid level in all the battery cells
after
charging the batteries. Add distilled water, if necessary, to bring the fluid level up to the
bottom of each battery cell’s filler tube.
WARNING!
Do not fill the batteries before charging. Only charge batteries in a well-ventilated area. Do not smoke while servicing the batteries.
BATTERY MAINTENANCE
Proper maintenance of electric vehicle batteries can greatly extend their life. Well-maintained batteries may last up to 3 years, but failure after
1 year is common if maintenance has been poor.
There are 3 simple rules for good battery maintenance:
•
Maintain Proper Electrolyte Level (Weekly)
- Use distilled water in batteries whenever possible. If batteries are discharged, add just
enough water to cover the plates in each cell. If batteries are fully charged, fill each cell to the bottom of the filler tube.
Do not over-fill the
batteries! Do not add acid to batteries!
•
Keep the Batteries Charged (Weekly)
- Batteries should be charged each time that a machine is used for more than 1 hour. Machine
operators should open the battery compartment cover for charging, to avoid a concentrated build-up of hydrogen gas. Operators should
follow the instructions provided with their specific battery charger, to determine how long the batteries should be charged. Even when a
machine is stored, the batteries should be charged once a month to prevent the batteries from “sulfating”. Almost all battery caps are vented,
so there’s no need to loosen or remove them for charging.
•
Keep the Batteries Clean (Monthly)
- Use a damp cloth to wipe dirt from the top of the batteries. Battery terminals must be clean and tight.
If the tops of the batteries are wet after charging, the batteries have probably been over-filled or over-charged. Note: If there is acid on the
batteries, wash the tops of the batteries with a solution of baking soda and water (2) tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of water.
BATTERY TESTING
A battery problem is usually recognized by the machine operator, as a decrease in the machine’s running time. This condition is usually caused
by one or more “dead cells” in the battery system- that is, one or more cells that is putting out less voltage than the other cells.
Note:
Always charge batteries before testing.
There are 2 ways to find a dead cell:
•
Use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity (or “state of charge”) of the fluid in each cell. A dead cell is one that reads 50 points (or more)
lower than the other cells.
•
Use a volt meter to check the voltage of each battery with the scrub and drive motors running. The battery with the dead cell will read 1 or
2 volts lower than the other batteries in the system.
If the batteries in the machine are more than 1 year old, it’s usually best to replace the whole set, rather than replacing just one battery.
revised 12/02
