Dodge Sprinter 2006 Manual page 867

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pla t e). In su la t or s or pla t e sepa r a t or s m a de of a n on -
con du ct ive m a t er ia l a r e in ser t ed bet ween t h e posit ive
a n d n ega t ive pla t es t o pr even t t h em fr om con t a ct in g
or sh or t in g a ga in st on e a n ot h er. Th ese dissim ila r
m et a l pla t es a r e su bm er ged in a su lfu r ic a cid a n d
wa t er solu t ion ca lled a n elect r olyt e.
Th e fa c to ry -in s ta lle d lo w -m a in te n a n c e ba t-
te ry h a s re m o v a ble ba tte ry c e ll c a p s . Wa t er ca n
be a dded t o t h is ba t t er y. Th e ch em ica l com posit ion of
t h e m et a l coa t ed pla t es wit h in t h e low-m a in t en a n ce
ba t t er y r edu ces ba t t er y ga ssin g a n d wa t er loss, a t
n or m a l ch a r ge a n d disch a r ge r a t es. Th er efor e, t h e
ba t t er y sh ou ld n ot r equ ir e a ddit ion a l wa t er in n or-
m a l ser vice. Ra pid loss of elect r olyt e ca n be ca u sed
by a n over ch a r gin g con dit ion . Be cer t a in t o dia gn ose
t h e ch a r gin g syst em befor e r et u r n in g t h e veh icle t o
ser vice.
OPERA TION
Th e ba t t er y is design ed t o st or e elect r ica l en er gy in
a ch em ica l for m . Wh en a n elect r ica l loa d is a pplied t o
t h e t er m in a ls of t h e ba t t er y, a n elect r och em ica l r ea c-
t ion occu r s. Th is r ea ct ion ca u ses t h e ba t t er y t o dis-
ch a r ge elect r ica l cu r r en t fr om it s t er m in a ls. As t h e
ba t t er y disch a r ges, a gr a du a l ch em ica l ch a n ge t a kes
pla ce wit h in ea ch cell. Th e su lfu r ic a cid in t h e elec-
t r olyt e com bin es wit h t h e pla t e m a t er ia ls, ca u sin g
bot h pla t es t o slowly ch a n ge t o lea d su lfa t e. At t h e
sa m e t im e, oxygen fr om t h e posit ive pla t e m a t er ia l
com bin es wit h h ydr ogen fr om t h e su lfu r ic a cid, ca u s-
in g t h e elect r olyt e t o becom e m a in ly wa t er. Th e
ch em ica l ch a n ges wit h in t h e ba t t er y a r e ca u sed by
t h e m ovem en t of excess or fr ee elect r on s bet ween t h e
posit ive a n d n ega t ive pla t e gr ou ps. Th is m ovem en t of
elect r on s pr odu ces a
t h r ou gh t h e loa d device a t t a ch ed t o t h e ba t t er y t er-
m in a ls.
As t h e pla t e m a t er ia ls becom e m or e sim ila r ch em -
ica lly, a n d t h e elect r olyt e becom es less a cid, t h e volt -
a ge pot en t ia l of ea ch cell is r edu ced. H owever, by
ch a r gin g t h e ba t t er y wit h a volt a ge h igh er t h a n t h a t
of t h e ba t t er y it self, t h e ba t t er y disch a r gin g pr ocess
is r ever sed. Ch a r gin g t h e ba t t er y gr a du a lly ch a n ges
t h e su lfa t ed lea d pla t es ba ck in t o spon ge lea d a n d
lea d dioxide, a n d t h e wa t er ba ck in t o su lfu r ic a cid.
Th is a ct ion r est or es t h e differ en ce in t h e elect r on
ch a r ges deposit ed on t h e pla t es, a n d t h e volt a ge
pot en t ia l of t h e ba t t er y cells. F or a ba t t er y t o r em a in
u sefu l, it m u st be a ble t o pr odu ce h igh -a m per a ge cu r-
r en t over a n ext en ded per iod. A ba t t er y m u st a lso be
a ble t o a ccept a ch a r ge, so t h a t it s volt a ge pot en t ia l
m a y be r est or ed.
Th e ba t t er y is ven t ed t o r elea se excess h ydr ogen
ga s t h a t is cr ea t ed wh en t h e ba t t er y is bein g ch a r ged
or disch a r ged. H owever, even wit h t h ese ven t s,
h ydr ogen ga s ca n collect in or a r ou n d t h e ba t t er y. If
h ydr ogen ga s is exposed t o fla m e or spa r ks, it m a y
ign it e. If t h e elect r olyt e level is low, t h e ba t t er y m a y
flow of elect r ica l cu r r en t
a r c in t er n a lly a n d explode. If t h e ba t t er y is equ ipped
wit h r em ova ble cell ca ps, a dd dist illed wa t er wh en -
ever t h e elect r olyt e level is below t h e t op of t h e
pla t es. If t h e ba t t er y cell ca ps ca n n ot be r em oved, t h e
ba t t er y m u st be r epla ced if t h e elect r olyt e level
becom es low.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - BA TTERY
Th e ba t t er y m u st be com plet ely ch a r ged a n d t h e
t er m in a ls sh ou ld be pr oper ly clea n ed a n d in spect ed
befor e dia gn ost ic pr ocedu r es a r e per for m ed. Refer t o
Ba t t er y Syst em Clea n in g for t h e pr oper clea n in g pr o-
cedu r es, a n d Ba t t er y Syst em In spect ion for t h e
pr oper ba t t er y in spect ion pr ocedu r es. Refer t o St a n -
da r d P r ocedu r es for t h e pr oper ba t t er y ch a r gin g pr o-
cedu r es.
MICRO 420 BA TTERY TESTER
Th e Micr o 420 a u t om ot ive
design ed t o h elp t h e dea ler sh ip t ech n icia n s dia gn ose
t h e ca u se of a defect ive ba t t er y. F ollow t h e in st r u c-
t ion m a n u a l su pplied wit h t h e t est er t o pr oper ly
dia gn ose a veh icle. If t h e in st r u ct ion m a n u a l is n ot
a va ila ble r efer t o t h e st a n da r d pr ocedu r e in t h is sec-
t ion , wh ich in clu des t h e dir ect ion s for u sin g t h e
Micr o 420 ba t t er y t est er.
WARNING: IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF
FREEZING, LEAKING OR LOOSE POSTS, DO NOT
TEST, ASSIST-BOOST, OR CHARGE. THE BATTERY
MAY ARC INTERNALLY AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL
INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.
WARNING: EXPLOSIVE HYDROGEN GAS FORMS IN
AND AROUND THE BATTERY. DO NOT SMOKE,
USE FLAME, OR CREATE SPARKS NEAR THE BAT-
TERY. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAM-
AGE MAY RESULT.
WARNING: THE BATTERY CONTAINS SULFURIC
ACID, WHICH IS POISONOUS AND CAUSTIC. AVOID
CONTACT WITH THE SKIN, EYES, OR CLOTHING.
IN THE EVENT OF CONTACT, FLUSH WITH WATER
AND CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY. KEEP OUT
OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
A ba t t er y t h a t will n ot a ccept a ch a r ge is fa u lt y,
a n d m u st be r epla ced. F u r t h er
r equ ir ed. A fu lly-ch a r ged ba t t er y m u st be t est ed t o
det er m in e it s cr a n kin g ca pa cit y. A ba t t er y t h a t is fu l-
ly-ch a r ged, bu t does n ot pa ss t h e Micr o 420 or loa d
t est , is fa u lt y a n d m u st be r epla ced.
NOTE: Completely discharged batteries may take
several hours to accept a charge. Refer to Standard
Procedures for the proper battery charging proce-
dures.
BA TTERY SYSTEM 8F - 7
ba t t er y t est er
t est in g is n ot
is