© December 2007
9-4
Section 9 - Batteries and Battery Charger
2007 Eagle Electric Golf Car Service Manual
pressure hose does not remove the direct. Rinse with clean
water. Take care to ensure that the baking soda mixture does
not enter the vent opening in the battery caps.
8. Make sure that the battery tops are clean and dry before put-
ting the batteries into storage.
BATTERY SERVICE (WATER)
General
The operating environment of the electric vehicle could vary widely.
Severe service operations will require that periodic maintenance
recommendations be adjusted to shorter time intervals.
Examples of severe service would include the following:
• Dusty or sandy locations such as cement plant, lumber or
fl our mills, coal dust or stone-crushing areas.
•
High temperature areas such as steel mills, foundries, etc.
•
Sudden temperature changes such as continuous indoor-out-
door movement, as in refrigeration plants, bakeries, etc.
Adding Water To Battery
US Battery, the brand that comes in the new Columbia electric
vehicle, features SpeedCap™ battery cell caps. See Figure 9-1.
To open SpeedCap™
1. Locate the two tabs on either side of the center cell of the bat-
tery.
2. Move these tabs in the directions shown in Figure 8-1.
NOTICE
Do not use SpeedCaps™ as handles to lift or move battery.
3. Check the electrolyte level on brand new batteries before put-
ting them into service, and at least weekly on batteries in ser-
vice. Water use increases as batteries age.
4. Never allow the electrolyte level to fall below the top of the
plates. If the plates are exposed, add only enough distilled
water to cover the plates before charging.
5. Do not overfi ll batteries. Do not fi ll the water level up into the
well of the fi ller tube of the cell. Electrolyte expands and can
overfl ow during charging. Water added to replace the spillage
dilutes the electrolyte and reduces its specifi c gravity. Cells
with lower specifi c gravity have lower charging capacity.
6. Make sure the electrolyte covers the plates before charging.
Figure 9-1. Opening SpeedCap™ Battery Cell Caps
Figure 9-2. Electrolyte Levels
Fill cells to the markers only after batteries are charged. See
Figure 9-2.
7. Use only distilled water. Electric vehicle batteries may use
up to 16 quarts (4 gallons) (15.2 liters) of water during their
useful lives. Non-distilled water may contain harmful minerals
that will have a cumulative adverse effect on battery perfor-
mance.
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