Electrical System Maintenance; Check Battery Charge; Recommended Jump Starting Procedure - Toro 23518 Operator's Manual

Electrical System
Maintenance

Check Battery Charge

Service Interval: Monthly
WARNING
CALIFORNIA
Proposition 65 Warning
Battery posts, terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.
Allowing batteries to stand for an extended period of time
without recharging them will result in reduced performance
and service life. To preserve optimum battery performance
and life, recharge batteries in storage when the open circuit
voltage drops to 12.4 volts.
Note: To prevent damage due to freezing, battery should be
fully charged before putting away for winter storage.
Check the voltage of the battery with a digital voltmeter.
Locate the voltage reading of the battery in the table and
charge the battery for the recommended time interval to
bring the charge up to a full charge of 12.6 volts or greater.
Important: Make sure the negative battery cable is
disconnected and the battery charger used for charging
the battery has an output of 16 volts and 7 amps or
less to avoid damaging the battery (see the chart in
2 Servicing the Battery (page 12) for recommended
charger settings).
Recommended Jump Starting
Procedure
1. Check the weak battery for terminal corrosion (white,
green, or blue "snow"), it must be cleaned off prior
to jump starting. Clean and tighten connections as
necessary.
CAUTION
Corrosion or loose connections can cause
unwanted electrical voltage spikes at anytime
during the jump starting procedure.
Do not attempt to jump start with loose or
corroded battery terminals or damage to the
engine may occur.
DANGER
Jump starting a weak battery that is cracked,
frozen, has low electrolyte level, or an
open/shorted battery cell, can cause an
explosion resulting in serious personal injury.
Do not jump start a weak battery if these
conditions exist.
2. Make sure the booster is a good and fully charged
lead acid battery at 12.6 volts or greater. Use properly
sized jumper cables (4 to 6 AWG) with short lengths
to reduce voltage drop between systems. Make sure
the cables are color coded or labeled for the correct
polarity.
CAUTION
Connecting the jumper cables incorrectly
(wrong polarity) can immediately damage the
electrical system.
Be certain of battery terminal polarity and
jumper cable polarity when hooking up
batteries.
Note: The following instructions are adapted from
the SAE J1494 Rev. Dec. 2001 – Battery Booster
Cables – Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice (SAE
– Society of Automotive Engineers).
WARNING
Batteries contain acid and produce explosive
gases.
• Shield the eyes and face from the batteries
at all times.
• Do not lean over the batteries.
Note: Be sure the vent caps are tight and level. Place
a damp cloth, if available, over any vent caps on both
batteries. Be sure the vehicles do not touch and that
both electrical systems are off and at the same rated
system voltage. These instructions are for negative
ground systems only.
3. Connect the positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the discharged battery that is wired to the
starter or solenoid as shown in Figure 15.
27