Chevrolet CHEVY VAN G10 SERIES Service Manual page 214

Fig. 4 b —E lectrolyte at Low Level
The liquid level in the cells should never be allowed to drop
below the top o f the plates, as the p o rtio n o f the plates
exposed to air m ay be perm anently dam aged w ith a resulting
loss in perform ance.
WATER USAGE
Excessive usage o f w ater indicates the B attery is being
overcharged. The m ost com m on causes o f overcharge are high
B attery operating tem peratures, to o high a voltage regulator
setting or p o o r regulator ground wire connection. N orm al
B attery w ater usage is approxim ately one to tw o ounces per
m o n th per b attery .
CLEANING
T he external cond ition o f th e B attery should be checked
periodically for damage or for the presence o f dirt and
corrosion. B attery should be k ep t clean. An accum ulation o f
acid film and dirt may perm it curren t to flow betw een the
term inals, w hich will slowly discharge th e B attery. F or best
results w hen cleaning the to p o f B atteries, wash first w ith a
diluted am m onia or a soda solution to neutralize any acid
present, th en flush w ith clean w ater. Care m ust be taken to
keep vent plugs tight, so th a t th e neutralizing solution does
n o t enter th e cells.
CAR RIER AN D HOLD-DOWN
The carrier and hold-dow n should be clean and free from
corrosion before installing the B attery. The carrier should be
in a sound m echanical co ndition so th a t it will support the
B attery securely and keep it level.
T o prevent th e B attery from shaking in its carrier, the
hold-dow n bolts should be tight (60-80 in. lbs.) However, the
bolts should n o t be tightened to the p o in t w here the B attery
case or cover will be placed under a severe strain.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
When Batteries are being charged, an explosive gas m ixture
form s in each cell. Part o f this gas escapes through the holes in
the vent plugs and may form an explosive atm osphere around
the B attery itself if ventilation is poor. This explosive gas m ay
rem ain in or around the B attery for several hours after it has
been charged. Sparks or flames can ignite this gas causing an
internal explosion w hich may shatter the B attery.
The follow ing precautions should be observed to prevent an
explosion:
TERMINAL
1. Do n o t sm oke near Batteries being charged or w hich have
been very recently charged.
2. Do n o t break live circuits at the term inals o f Batteries
because a spark usually occurs at the p o in t where a live
circuit is broken. Care m ust always be taken when
connecting or disconnecting booster leads or cable
clamps on fast chargers. Poor connections are a com m on
cause o f electrical arcs w hich cause explosions.
CHARGING PROCEDURES
Before charging a b attery , the electrolyte level must be
checked and adjusted if needed.
B attery charging consists o f applying a charge rate in
am peres for a period o f tim e in hours. T hus, a 10-ampere
charge rate for seven hours w ould be a 70 am pere-hour (A.H .)
charging in p u t to the b attery .
Charging rates in the three to 50 am pere range are generally
satisfactory. No particular charge rate or tim e can be specified
for a b attery due to the following factors:
1. The size, or electrical capacity in am pere-hours (A .H .), of
the battery.
Exam ple: A com pletely discharged 70 A.H. b attery
requires alm ost twice the recharging as a 40 A.H. b attery.
2. T em perature o f th e b attery electrolyte
Exam ple: A bout tw o hours longer will be needed to
charge a 0°F . b attery th an an 80°F . b attery .
3. B attery state-of-charge at the start o f the charging period.
Exam ple: A
twice as m uch charge in am pere-hours as a one-half
charged b attery .
4. B attery age an d condition.
Exam ple: A b attery th a t has been subjected to severe
service will require up to 50% m ore am pere-hour charging
in p u t than a relatively new b attery .
The follow ing basic rule applies to any b attery charging
situation:
" A ny b attery m ay be charged at any rate in am peres for as
long as spewing o f electrolyte due to violent gassing does n ot
occur, and for as long as electrolyte tem perature does n ot
ENG INE E LEC TR IC A L 6Y-3
com pletely discharged b attery
Fig. 5b—V ie w Inside V en t Well
C H E V Y V A N SH O P M A N U A L
requires