Buick LeSabre 1965 Service Manual page 578

1 0 - 8 BATTERY TESTING
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
any sparks near a battery with
jumper cables or fast charger
cables, since this can also set off
an explosion of the gases.
a. Maintain Electrolyte Level
Add distilled water as required to
maintain the electrolyte level at
the split ring at bottom of filler
well. See Figure 10-2. CAUTION:
Do not overfill, as electrolyte
may be sprayed out by gassing or
may overflow due to heat expan-
sion during charging.
If distilled water is not available,
it is better to add clean, mineral-
free tap water than to allow the
electrolyte level to remain below
the top of the plates.
In freezing weather the water
should be added just before using
the car or otherwise charging the
battery so that the water will be
mixed with the acid before it is
allowed to s t a n d in freezing
temperatures.
If it is found necessary to add
water to the battery more fre-
quently than about every 1,000
miles and the quantity of water
added per cell is great, check
setting of voltage regulator and
adjust, if necessary (par. 10-21).
Abnormal water loss is an indi-
cation that the battery is being
overcharged.
b. Inspect Battery, Mounting
and Cables
Check outside of b a t t e r y for
damage or signs of serious abuse
Figure 10-2—Battery Filler Well
such as broken case or broken
covers. Check inside of battery
by removing the vent caps and
inspecting for signs of abuse such
as electrolyte level too low, or
bad or unusual odors. If battery
shows signs of serious damage or
abuse, it should be replaced.
Check the battery hold down bolts
to make certain that battery is
securely held in place. Excessive
tightening may distort or crack
the battery case.
If the top of battery is dirty or the
hold down strap is corroded, clean
thoroughly with a brush dipped in
ammonia or soda solution. Care
must be used to prevent any solu-
tion from getting into battery
cells. After the foaming of solu-
tion stops, flush off with clean
water and dry thoroughly. If hold
down strap is corroded it should
be painted with acid-resisting
paint after cleaning.
Check battery cables to make
certain they are tight at battery
posts, engine mounting bracket
and junction block. If a connection
is found loose it should be cleaned
before being tightened as arcing
and corrosion may have taken
place in the loose connection.
Check condition of cables and re-
place if badly corroded or frayed.
See paragraph 10-11 for instruc-
tions on cleaning and tightening
cable terminals and replacement
of cables.
1 0 - 9 LIGHT LOAD TEST
OF BATTERY
The light load battery test is an
in-the-car test designed to quick-
ly determine the serviceability of
any lead-acid battery. Nonuniform
readings, as described in c below,
are sufficient evidence for imme-
diate replacement of the battery.
This test is simpler and more
conclusive than the hydrometer
test; however, a cell voltage tes-
ter having .01 volt division is re-
quired. Before testing, visually
inspect the battery as described
in paragraph 10-8.
If battery passes visual inspec-
tion, check condition of battery
cells as follows:
1. Add water to fill all cells to
proper level.
2. Place l o a d on battery by
closing starter switch for 3 sec-
onds. It makes no difference
whether starter turns engine or
not. However, if engine starts,
turn off ignition immediately.
3. Turn headlights on low beam.
After 1 minute, with lights still
on, read individual cell voltages
of battery with voltmeter having
.01 volt divisions.
Compare readings with the fol-
lowing:
(a) Uniform Readings. If any cell
reads 1.95 volts or more, and the
difference between the highest and
lowest cell is less than .05 volt
(5 divisions), battery is good.
(b) Low Readings. If all cells
read less than 1.95 volts, battery
is too low to test properly. Fail-
ures of the meter to register on
all cells does not indicate a de-
fective b a t t e r y . Quick-charge
battery and repeat light loat test.
See paragraph 10-12, subpara-
graph b. If none of the cells come
up to 1.95 volts after the first
quick-charge, the battery should
be given a second charge. Bat-
teries which do not come up after
second quick-charge should be
replaced.
(c) Nonuniform Readings. If any
cell reads 1.95 volts or more and
there is a difference of .05 volts
(5 divisions) or more between the
highest and lowest cell, battery
should be replaced.
3. After test, close openings in
sealing compound above cell con-
nector straps. During light load
test, if any cell reads below 2