Porsche 944 S2 Owner's Manual page 87

Battery -
12 Volt
The battery is
tocated
under the front
hood
in the cowl
aree
A
replacement battery
should
always
have
the
same rating as lhe original
equipmenl
battery. Specifications
are printed
on
the
battery housing.
Berore wo.k is
done on lhe
electricat
sys-
tem, the battery
must
be disconnected to
plevent short ciicuiting. First
disconnect
the negalive ground
wire and then the posi_,
tive
cable. To
reconnect ba
ery,
reverse
the procedure.
This precaution musl also be
laken
betore
charging with a rapid charger,
as the
atter_
nator
may otherwise be
damaged.
Disconnecting the battery while the engine
is running
wiI
damage
the altelnator.
This
also applies
to cars equipped
with
a battery
main swilch.
Never drive
lhe
car with a
disconnected
battery
as this will
damage the
alernator.
lf the
battery
of the
944
52
is disconnected
the data for
the engine
electronics stored
in
the control unit
are erased.
When the battery
rs
re-connected,
the engine must
be
run for
approx.
10 minutes to
allow
the controt unit
to
re-acquire these data. During
this peflod.
rne engrne may
jdle
unevenly or too
fast.
WARNING
r
Do
not
lay tools or other
metal obiecls
on the
battery as they could
cause
a
l.E ""t
expose the
battery to
an
open
I
flame or
etectric
spark. Hydrogen
gas
I
generaled
by the baltery
is explosive.
l.
Do not
let battery acid come
in
contact
]
with
skrn. eyes. fabnc or
painted
sur_
I
faces-
l.
lf
you
get etectrolyte.
which
is an
acid, in
i
your
eyes
or
on
skin, immediately
rinse
with cold
water several minutes and call
/
a
doctor
lr
Spilled electrotyte must
be rinsed off
at
]
once with
a
solution
of water and baking
I
soda
to
neutralize the acid and
prevent
I damage to fabric and
metal.
Checking the
electlolyte
ftuid
tevet
The electrolyte
fluid
level
rn
your
battery
can
be checKed by unscrewrng and
opening
the
filler
vent caps
of
each cell. The
fluid
tevel
should
meet the indicator
mark in
each cell.
lf
necessary,
top off with distilled
water.
How often water rnust be added depends on
operatrng conditions
and on
the time
of
year. Generally. the
eleclrolyte
level must
be
checkeo more
often
in the summer than
tn
the
winter.
and
more otten
when
driving
long
distances.
Only
fill
up to mark, otherwise the electrotvte
will
overftow
when
the
battery
is
being
charged
and cause
damaOe.
Battery care
.
Battery
should
be securely mounted
r
Terminals
and
connections
should
be
kept clean and properly tjghtened.
Corro_
sron can
be prevented by coating
termi-
nals and connections with
petroleum
je
y
or silicone
spray
r
Vent caps must be securely tightened
to
prevent
spillage
Winte. operation
During the winter
months. battery
capacity
tends to decrease
as
temperatures drop.
Ad_
djtionally, more power
is
consumed while
starting,
and the
headlights, heater,
rear
window defogger, etc.,
are
used more
fre_
quently.
Curlail
unnecessary power
con-
sumption. particutarly in
crty tratfic
or when
lravelling short
drstances only. Lel
your
Porsche
dealer test
the
battery.S capacity
before wrnter sets jn. A
well cha;geo ba
ery
will
not only
prevent
starting problems but
will
also live
tonger.
Battery charging
Automotive baleries
tose their
etficiency
when not
in
use. The
charge avaitable
in
your battery can
be measured
with
a hydro_
meler. We recommend
that
battery
voltage
be tested by your
porsche dealer
who
has
the appropriate equipment.
lf
the car is not
driven
for
prolonged periods,
the
battery
musl
be charged at
least
every 6
weeks.
A
discharged battery allows rapid
formatton
ot
suliates, leading
to premature deterioration
of the plates.
0
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tr
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84
short circuit
across the
battery termi-
fwanr'r're
l
1r
Charge battery in
a
well ventilated
area