Suzuki 2000 Grand Vitara SQ625 Service Manual page 696

CARE OF BATTERY
WARNING:
_ Never expose battery to open flame or electric spark be-
cause of battery generate gas which is flammable and ex-
plosive.
_ Do not allow battery fluid to contact eyes, skin, fabrics, or
painted surfaces as fluid is a corrosive acid. Flush any
contacted area with water immediately and thoroughly.
_ Batteries should always be kept out of reach of children.
1) The battery is a very reliable component, but needs periodical
attentions.
_ Keep the battery carrier clean
_ Prevent rust formation on the terminal posts
_ Keep the electrolyte up to the upper level uniformly in all cells.
When keeping battery on vehicle over a long period of time, fol-
low instructions given below.
_ Weekly, start the engine and run it until it reaches normal oper-
ating temperature with engine speed of 2000 to 3000 rpm.
Make sure all electric switches are off before storing the ve-
hicle.
_ Recharge the battery twice a month to prevent it from dis-
charging excessively. This is especially important when ambi-
ent temperature is low.
The battery discharges even when it is not used, while ve-
hicles are being stored. Battery electrolyte can freeze and bat-
tery case can crack at cold ambient condition if battery is not
properly charged.
2) Keep the battery cable connections clean.
The cable connections, particularly at the positive (+) terminal
post, tend to become corroded. The product of corrosion, or rust,
on the mating faces of conductors resists the flow of current.
Clean the terminals and fittings periodically to ensure good met-
al-to-metal contact, and grease the connections after each
cleaning to protect them against rusting.
3) Be always in the know as to the state of charge of the battery.
The simplest way to tell the state of charge is to carry out a
hydrometer test. The hydrometer is an instrument for measuring
the specific gravity (S.G.) of the battery electrolyte. The S.G. of
the electrolyte is indicative of the state of charge. Refer to
"DIAGNOSIS" of BATTERY in this section.
CHARGING SYSTEM 6H-3