Battery Charging; Safety Precautions - Buell 2003XB9S Service Manual

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BATTERY CHARGING

Safety Precautions

Never charge a battery without first reviewing the in-
structions for the charger being used. In addition to the
manufacturer's instructions, follow these general safety
precautions:
Always wear proper eye, face and hand protection.
Always charge batteries in a well-ventilated area.
Turn the charger "OFF" before connecting the leads
to the battery to avoid dangerous sparks.
Never try to charge a visibly damaged or frozen bat-
tery.
Connect the charger leads to the battery; red posi-
tive (+) lead to the positive (+) terminal and black
negative (–) lead to the negative (–) terminal. If the
battery is still in the vehicle, connect the negative
lead to the chassis ground. Be sure that the ignition
and all electrical accessories are turned off.
Make sure that the charger leads to the battery are
not broken, frayed or loose.
If the battery becomes hot, or if violent gassing or
spewing of electrolyte occurs, reduce the charging
rate or turn off the charger temporarily.
Always turn the charger "OFF" before removing
charger leads from the battery to avoid dangerous
sparks.
Charging Battery
Charge the battery if any of the following conditions exist:
Vehicle lights appear dim.
Electric starter sounds weak.
Battery has not been used for an extended period of
time.
1 1
WARNING WARNING
Charge the battery in a well ventilated area. Explosive
hydrogen gas escapes from the battery during charging.
Keep open flames, electrical sparks and smoking materi-
als away from the battery at all times. Inadequate safety
precautions could result in death or serious injury.
CAUTION
If the battery releases an excessive amount of gas during
charging, decrease the charging rate. If the battery gets
hotter than 110˚F. (43˚C) during charging, discontinue
charging and allow the battery to cool. Overheating may
result in plate distortion, internal shorting, dryout or
other damage.
7-36 2003 Buell XB9S: Electrical
1. Perform a voltmeter test to determine the state of charge.
See BATTERY TESTING. If battery needs to be charged,
proceed to step 2.
CAUTION
Always remove the battery from the motorcycle before
charging. Accidental electrolyte leakage will damage
motorcycle parts.
2. Remove the battery from the motorcycle. See
NECTION AND REMOVAL. Place the battery on a level
surface.
1 1
WARNING WARNING
Always unplug or turn OFF the battery charger before
connecting the charger clamps to the battery. Connect-
ing clamps with the charger ON could cause a spark
resulting in a battery explosion which could result in
death or serious injury.
CAUTION
Do not reverse the charger connections described in the
following steps or the charging system of the motorcycle
could be damaged.
3. Connect the red battery charger lead to the positive (+)
terminal of the battery.
4. Connect the black battery charger lead to negative (-)
terminal of the battery.
NOTE
If the battery is still in the vehicle, connect the negative lead
to the chassis ground. Be sure that the ignition and all electri-
cal accessories are turned off.
5. Step away from the battery and turn on the charger. See
the charging instructions in
1 1
WARNING WARNING
Always unplug or turn OFF the battery charger before
disconnecting the charger clamps from the battery. Dis-
connecting clamps with the charger ON could cause a
spark resulting in a battery explosion which could result
in death or serious injury.
6. After the battery is fully charged, disconnect the black
battery charger lead to the negative (–) terminal of the
battery.
7. Disconnect the red battery charger lead to the positive
(+) terminal of the battery.
8. Mark the charging date on the battery.
9. Perform a load test to determine the condition of the bat-
tery. See BATTERY TESTING.
DISCON-
Table 7-15.