Taylor-Dunn AMB Ambulance, Operation, T Roubleshooting And Replacement Parts Manual

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SAFETY RULES AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Safety Rules
Page 15
STORING / RETURNING TO
SERVICE
Both storing your vehicle and returning it to service
should only be performed by authorized personnel.
Storing Your Vehicle
•
Clean the batteries, then fill and charge before
putting the vehicle in storage. Do not store batteries
in a discharged condition.
•
Lube all grease fittings.
•
Clean, dry, and check all exposed electrical
connections.
•
Inflate tires to proper pressure (if applicable).
•
For extended storage, the vehicle should be elevated
so that the tires do not touch the ground.
If stored for a prolonged period, the batteries should be
charged as follows:
Returning to
Service
•
Check the
battery’s state
of charge and
charge if
required.
•
Perform ALL
maintenance checks in the periodic checklist.
•
Remove any blocks from the vehicle and/or place
the vehicle down on to the ground.
•
Test drive before putting into normal service.
Storage
Temperature
(F)
Charging Interval
(months)
Over 60 1
Between 40 and 60 2
Below 40 6
To obtain the maximum battery life:
Charge the batteries only after they reach a normal
discharge as indicated on the Battery Status Indicator
(BSI). Failure to follow this guideline could result in the
batteries entering an overcharge state, which will reduce
the life of the batteries. If you find it necessary to charge
the batteries before they are completely discharged we
recommend waiting until they are discharged a minimum
of 25% to reduce the possibility of overcharging. Refer
to Vehicle Controls in this section for information on how
to read the BSI.
Do not discharge the batteries beyond a normal
discharge as indicated on the BSI. Refer to Vehicle
Controls in this section for information on how to read
the BSI.
Check the battery electrolyte once a week. Do not charge
the batteries if the battery electrolyte is low. Charging
when the electrolyte is low will damage the batteries and
shorten their life-span. Only authorized personnel should
perform battery maintenance including maintaining the
battery electrolyte level. Refer to Section
Maintenance,
Service and Repair
for battery maintenance
information.
Do not interrupt the charging cycle. When the charger is
plugged in, allow it to turn off before disconnecting.
Interrupting the charging cycle could lead to overcharging
or discharging the batteries too deep. Both circumstances
will shorten the life of the batteries.
New Battery Break in
New batteries require a break in period of up to 40-cycles.
The batteries will not have their full capacity during this
break in period and may require longer charging times.
Lestronic II
®
Charger Operation
The Lestronic II
®
charger is a semi-automatic charging
system. The charger will turn itself ON when the AC
power cord is connected to the AC power source and
turn itself OFF when the batteries are fully charged. Refer
to the data plate on the charger for the voltage and type
power required for the charger. When plugged in, the
charger assumes that the batteries require charging and
will charger for a minimum of approximately 4-hours.
This charger should not be plugged in until the batteries
are discharged beyond 50% or the batteries may be
overcharged..
Charging Time
Average charging time is 8 to 10-hours. The time required
to fully charge your batteries will vary depending on:
•
Capacity of the batteries, higher capacity requires
longer charge time.
•
Output of the charger, higher output requires less
charge time.
•
Depth of discharge, the deeper a battery is
discharged, the longer it takes to charge.
•
Temperature, low temperatures require longer charge
time.
It is not unusual for charge times to exceed 15-hours,
especially with new batteries.
Charging time is limited to 20-hours (HBS) or 18-hours
(HB). A fault will occur if the charging time exceeds the
20-hour limit.