Westfalia 82 86 84 Instruction Manual page 11

generator in the vicinity of lead-acid batteries and avoid skin
and cloth contact with battery acid. Wear safety gloves and
protective clothing.
 Do not smoke in the vicinity of lead-acid batteries. Avoid open
flames.

Ensure sufficient ventilation! Discharged lead-acid batteries
freeze at extremely low temperatures! Never charge a frozen
lead-acid battery!
 The efficiency of a lead-acid battery decreases with dropping
temperatures. A fully charged battery has a capacity of 40 % at
an ambient temperature of -18° C. Most batteries will be dam-
aged when over charging.

All batteries loose their charge after some time if the tempera-
ture increases. Self-discharging of maintenance-free batteries
is lower than discharging of common lead-acid batteries.
Preferably store batteries in cool temperatures to keep self-
discharging to a minimum.
 A battery that has been stored uncharged for long period of
time will "sulphurize" very easily and looses its capacity be-
cause sulphur will deposit on the plates. A fully charged and
fault-free battery has a no-load voltage of 12.7 V or more. A
defective or discharged battery has a no-load voltage of 10.5 V
or less.

Ensure the area around the battery is well ventilated before
and during the charging process. If this is not possible, it might
be necessary to take out the battery from the vehicle for charg-
ing. Always turn off all accessories in the vehicle and remove
earth cable from the frame.
Safety Notes
7