Thermo King SLXi Spectrum, Maintenance Manual

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Electrical Maintenance 8-16
Inspect and clean the battery terminals and check the electrolyte level during scheduled maintenance inspections. The minimum
specific gravity should be 1.235. Add distilled water as necessary to maintain the proper water level.
CAUTION: When Connecting the Battery - connect the positive Battery cable first and then the negative.
CAUTION: When Disconnecting the Battery - disconnect the negative battery cable first and then the positive.
A dead or low battery can be the cause of an ammeter indicating discharge due to lack of initial excitation of the alternator.
NOTE: If the battery was discharged enough that a boost was needed, the alternator may not recharge the battery because
there may not be adequate current to excite the alternator field.
NOTE: Units with TK 486V engines use 0-gauge battery cables to ensure reliable starting in extremely cold weather.
UNIT WIRING
Inspect the unit wiring and the wire harnesses during scheduled maintenance inspections for loose, chaffed or broken wires to
protect against unit malfunctions due to open or short circuits.
12 Vdc CHARGING SYSTEM
Immediately after start-up, the ammeter may show a discharge condition on systems with brush type alternators. This is due to a
light film build-up on the alternator slip rings. The film build-up occurs primarily on units that have been sitting unused for long
periods of time. The film should disappear after a minute or two, and the ammeter should show a high charge rate that will
continue until the battery voltage is brought back up to normal. Under normal operating conditions, the ammeter will show a
slight charge condition. If the ammeter shows a discharge after start-up, check the alternator belt tension and all charging circuit
connections including the battery.
FUSE LINK
The fuse link is located in the engine compartment near the battery. The fuse link protects the electric system from a short in the
2 (2P or 2A) circuit. It also protects the electrical system should a circuit breaker fail to open. If the fuse link burns out, check for
a grounded 2 (2P or 2A) wire or a short in the glow plug or alternator circuits. Also check for any condition that would cause a
circuit breaker to open. If a circuit breaker is defective, replace it before replacing the fuse link.
SL, SLE, SLX, SLXe, SLXi NOTE: Beginning in August 2000 the fuse link is located in the positive battery cable.