Subaru Legacy 2003 Service Manual page 1839

STARTING/CHARGING SYSTEMS
D: MEASUREMENT
WARNING:
• Do not bring an open flame close to the bat-
tery at this time.
CAUTION:
• Prior to charging, corroded terminals should
be cleaned with a brush and common baking
soda solution.
• Be careful since the battery electrolyte over-
flows while charging the battery.
• Observe the instructions when handling bat-
tery charger.
• Before charging the battery on vehicle, dis-
connect battery ground terminal. Failure to fol-
low this rule may damage alternator's diodes or
other electrical units.
1. JUDGMENT OF BATTERY IN CHARGED
CONDITION
1) Specific gravity of electrolyte is held at a specific
value in a range from 1.250 to 1.290 for more than
one hour.
2) Voltage per battery cell is held at a specific value
in a range from 2.5 to 2.8 volts for more than one
hour.
2. CHECK HYDROMETER FOR STATE OF
CHARGE
Hydrometer
State of charge
indicator
Green dot Above 65%
Dark dot Below 65%
Clear dot Low electrolyte
*: Check electrical system before replacement.
3. NORMAL CHARGING
Charge the battery at current value specified by
manufacturer or at approx. 1/10 of battery's am-
pere-hour rating.
BATTERY
Required action
Load test
Charge battery
Replace battery*
(If cranking complaint)
SC(H4DOSTC)-18
4. QUICK CHARGING
Quick charging is a method in which the battery is
charged in a short period of time with a relatively
large current by using a quick charger.
Since a large current flow raises electrolyte temper-
ature, the battery is subject to damage if large cur-
rent is used for prolonged time. For this reason, the
quick charging must be carried out within a current
range that will not increase the electrolyte temper-
ature above 40°C (104°F).
It should be also remembered that the quick charg-
ing is a temporary means to bring battery voltage
up to a fair value and, as a rule, a battery should be
charged slowly with a low current.
CAUTION:
• Observe the items in 3. NORMAL CHARGING.
• Never use more than 10 amperes when
charging the battery because that will shorten
battery life.
MEMO: