Chrysler Concorde 2004 Service Manual page 1634

8F - 10 BATTERY SYSTEM
BATTERY (Continued)
tery may be good and the charging should be
completed in the normal manner.
CHARGE RATE TABLE
Voltage
16.0 volts maximum
14.0 to 15.9 volts
13.9 volts or less
CHARGING TIME REQUIRED
The time required to charge a battery will vary,
depending upon the following factors:
• Battery Capacity - A completely discharged
heavy-duty battery requires twice the charging time
of a small capacity battery.
• Temperature - A longer time will be needed to
charge a battery at -18° C (0° F) than at 27° C (80°
F). When a fast battery charger is connected to a cold
battery, the current accepted by the battery will be
very low at first. As the battery warms, it will accept
a higher charging current rate (amperage).
• Charger Capacity - A battery charger that
supplies only five amperes will require a longer
charging time. A battery charger that supplies
twenty amperes or more will require a shorter charg-
ing time.
• State-Of-Charge - A completely discharged bat-
tery requires more charging time than a partially
discharged battery. Electrolyte is nearly pure water
in a completely discharged battery. At first, the
charging current (amperage) will be low. As the bat-
tery charges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte
will gradually rise.
The Battery Charging Time Table gives an indica-
tion of the time required to charge a typical battery
at room temperature based upon the battery state-of-
charge and the charger capacity.
BATTERY CHARGING TIME TABLE
Charging
Amperage
Open Circuit
Voltage
12.25 to 12.49
12.00 to 12.24 10 hours
10.00 to 11.99 14 hours
Below 10.00 18 hours
Hours
up to 4 hours
up to 8 hours
up to 16 hours
10
5 Amps 20 Amps
Amps
Hours Charging @ 21° C (70°
F)
6 hours 3 hours
5 hours
7 hours
9 hours
STANDARD PROCEDURE - OPEN-CIRCUIT
VOLTAGE TEST
A battery open-circuit voltage (no load) test will
show the approximate state-of-charge of a battery.
This test can be used in place of the hydrometer test
when a hydrometer is not available, or for mainte-
nance-free batteries with non-removable cell caps.
Before proceeding with this test, completely charge
the battery (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/BATTERY
SYSTEM/BATTERY - STANDARD PROCEDURE).
(1) Before measuring the open-circuit voltage, the
surface charge must be removed from the battery.
Turn on the headlamps for fifteen seconds, then
allow up to five minutes for the battery voltage to
stabilize.
(2) Disconnect and isolate both battery cables, neg-
ative cable first.
(3) Using a voltmeter connected to the battery
posts (see the instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the voltmeter), measure the open-circuit volt-
age (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5 Testing Open-Circuit Voltage - Typical
See the Open-Circuit Voltage Table. This voltage
reading will indicate the battery state-of-charge, but
will not reveal its cranking capacity. If a battery has
an open-circuit voltage reading of 12.4 volts or
greater, it may be load tested to reveal its cranking
capacity (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/BATTERY SYS-
TEM/BATTERY - STANDARD PROCEDURE).
1.5
OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE TABLE
hours
Open Circuit Voltage
2.5
11.7 volts or less
hours
12.0 volts
3.5
12.2 volts
hours
12.4 volts
4.5
12.6 volts or more
hours
LH
Charge Percentage
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%