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Regular Maintenance
Battery Service
Checking Battery Voltage
A voltmeter can be used to determine condition of battery.
When engine is off, the voltmeter shows battery voltage,
which should be 12 volts. When engine is running, the
voltmeter shows voltage of charging circuit which normally
is 13 to 14 volts.
A dead battery or one too weak to start the engine may not
mean the battery needs to be replaced. For example, it may
mean that the alternator is not charging the battery properly.
If there is any doubt about the cause of the problem, see
your dealer. If you need to replace the battery, follow the
steps under Cleaning the Battery & Cables in the Regular
Maintenance Section.
Charging a Completely Discharged Battery
1. Be aware of all the safety precautions you should
observe during the charging operation. If you are
unfamiliar with the use of a battery charger and
hydrometer, have the battery serviced by your dealer.
2. Add distilled water sufficient to cover the plate (fill to the
proper level near the end of the charge). If the battery
is extremely cold, allow it to warm before adding water
because the water level will rise as it warms. Also, an
extremely cold battery will not accept a normal charge
until it becomes warm.
3. Always unplug or turn the charger off before attaching
or removing the clamp connections.
4. Carefully attach the clamps to the battery in proper
polarity (usually red to [+] positive and black to [-]
negative).
5. While charging, periodically measure the temperature of
the electrolyte. If the temperature exceeds 125° F (51.6°
C), or if violent gassing or spewing of electrolyte occurs,
the charging rate must be reduced or temporarily halted
to prevent battery damage.
6. Charge the battery until fully charged (until the specific
gravity of the electrolyte is 1.250 or higher and the
electrolyte temperature is at least 60° F). The best
method of making certain a battery is fully charged, but
not over charged, is to measure the specific gravity of
a cell once per hour. The battery is fully charged when
the cells are gassing freely at low charging rate and less
than 0.003 change in specific gravity occurs over a three
hour period.
WARNING
Keep open flames and sparks away from the battery;
the gasses coming from it are highly explosive.
Ventilate the battery well during charging.
Jump Starting With Auxiliary (Booster) Battery
Jump starting is not recommended. However, if it must be
done, follow these directions. Both booster and dis-charged
batteries should be treated carefully when using jumper
cables. Follow the steps below EXACTLY, being careful not
to cause sparks. Refer to Figure 46.
1. Both batteries must be of the same voltage.
2. Position the vehicle with the booster battery adjacent to
the vehicle with the discharged battery so that booster
cables can be connected easily to the batteries in both
vehicles. Make certain vehicles do not touch each other.
3. Wear safety glasses and shield eyes and face from
batteries at all times. Be sure vent caps are tight. Place
damp cloth over vent caps on both batteries.
4. Connect positive (+) cable to positive post of discharged
battery (wired to starter or solenoid).
5. Connect the other end of same cable to same post
marked positive (+) on booster battery.
6. Connect the second cable negative (-) to other post of
booster battery.
7. Make final connection on engine block of stalled vehicle
away from battery. Do not lean over batteries.
8. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery.
Wait a few minutes, then attempt to start the engine of
the vehicle with the discharged battery.
9. If the vehicle does not start after cranking for thirty
seconds, STOP PROCEDURE. More than thirty seconds
seldom starts the engine unless some mechanical
adjustment is made.
10. After starting, allow the engine to return to idle speed.
Remove the cable connection at the engine or frame.
Then remove the other end of the same cable from the
booster battery.
11. Remove the other cable by disconnecting at the
discharged battery first and then disconnect the opposite
end from the booster battery.
12. Discard the damp cloths that were placed over the
battery vent caps
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