OPERATION INFORMATION
Owner’s Manual
16
TROUBLESHOOTING
In general, troubleshooting will be done for two distinct reasons. First, a battery that performs
poorly and is outside of the manufacturer’s specification should be identified in order to replace it
under the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty. Different manufacturers have different
requirements. Consult the battery manufacturer or a manufacturer representative for specific
requirements.
The second reason is to determine why a particular vehicle does not perform adequately.
Performance problems may result in a vehicle that runs slowly or in a vehicle that is unable to
operate for the time required.
A new battery must mature before it will develop its maximum capacity. Maturing may take up to
100 charge/discharge cycles. After the maturing phase, the older a battery gets, the lower the
capacity. The only way
to determine the capacity of a battery is to perform a load test using a discharge machine following
manufacturer’s recommendations.
A cost-effective way to identify a poorly performing battery is to use a hydrometer to identify a
battery in a set with a lower-than-normal specific gravity. Once the particular cell or cells that are
the problem are identified, the suspect battery can be removed and replaced. At this point there is
nothing that can be done to salvage the battery; however, the individual battery should be replaced
with a good battery of the same brand, type, and approximate age.
Hydrometer
A hydrometer is used to test the state of charge of a battery cell (Ref Fig. 8). This is performed by
measuring the density of the electrolyte, which is accomplished by measuring the specific gravity
of the electrolyte. The greater the concentration of sulfuric acid, the denser the electrolyte
becomes. The higher the density, the higher the state of charge.
WARNING
To prevent battery explosion that could result in severe personal injury or
death, never insert a metal thermometer into a battery. Use a hydrometer with a built-in
thermometer
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