Battery Charging And Maintenance - Cushman AC TUG Owner's Manual

M
AINTENANCE

BATTERY CHARGING AND MAINTENANCE

Safety
NOTICE: Always observe the following warnings when working on or near batteries.
To prevent battery explosion that could result in severe personal injury or death, keep all smoking materials,
open flames or sparks away from the batteries.
Hydrogen gas is formed when charging batteries. Do not charge batteries without adequate ventilation. A 4%
concentration of hydrogen gas is explosive.
Be sure that the key switch is off and all electrical accessories are turned off before starting work on the vehi-
cle.
Never disconnect a circuit under load at a battery terminal.
Always wear a safety shield or approved safety goggles when adding water or charging
batteries.
Any electrolyte spills should be neutralized with a solution of 2 teaspoons (10 ml)
sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) dissolved in 1 quart (1 liters) of water and flushed with
water.
Overfilling batteries may result in electrolyte being spilled from the battery during the charge cycle. Expelled
electrolyte may cause damage to the vehicle and storage facility.
Aerosol containers of battery terminal protectant must be used with extreme care. Insulate metal container to
prevent can from contacting battery terminals which could result in an explosion.
Wrap wrenches with vinyl tape to prevent the possibility of a dropped wrench from shorting
out a battery, which could result in an explosion and severe personal injury or death.
Never charge a vehicle in a hazardous location or atmosphere. Reference NFPA 505 for defi-
nitions of hazardous and non-hazardous locations.
Battery Disposal
Lead-acid batteries are recyclable. Return whole scrap batteries to distributor, manufacturer or lead smelter for recy-
cling. For neutralized spills, place residue in acid-resistant containers with absorbent material, sand or earth and dis-
pose of in accordance with local, state and federal regulations for acid and lead compounds. Contact local and/or
state environmental officials regarding disposal information.
Battery
A battery is defined as two dissimilar metals immersed in an acid. If the acid is absent or if the metals are not dissimi-
lar, a battery has not been created. The batteries most commonly used in these vehicles are lead acid.
A battery does not store electricity, but is able to produce electricity as the result of a chemical reaction which releases
stored chemical energy in the form of electrical energy. The chemical reaction takes place faster in warm conditions
and slower in cold conditions. Temperature is important when conducting tests on a battery and test results must be
corrected to compensate for temperature differences.
As a battery ages, it still performs adequately except that its capacity is diminished. Capacity describes the time that
a battery can continue to provide its design amperes from a full charge.
A battery has a maximum life, therefore good maintenance is designed to maximize the available life and reduce the
factors that can reduce the life of the battery.
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Batteries are heavy. Use proper lifting techniques when moving them. Always lift
the battery with a commercially available battery lifting device.
Use care not to tip batteries when removing or installing them; spilled electrolytes
can cause burns and damage.
The electrolytes in a storage battery is an acid solution which can cause severe
burns to the skin and eyes. Treat all electrolyte spills to the body and eyes with
extended flushing with clean water. Contact a physician immediately.