Snorkel AB60J Repair Parts Manual page 1066

Battery Care and Maintenance
The following information about battery care and
maintenance was supplied by Interstate Batteries and
is reprinted here with their permission.
1. New batteries need to be cycled several times
before reaching full capacity (20-50 cycles, de-
pending on type). Usage should be limited during
this period.
2. Always recharge batteries fully, immediately after
use. Batteries perform best when they are fully
charged. More capacity and longer life will result
from this practice.
3. The deeper the discharge, the fewer number
of cycles a lead-acid battery will deliver. Deep
discharges deteriorate the battery quicker than
lighter shallow cycles.
4. Battery cables should be intact and connectors
kept tight at all times. Systematic inspection is
recommended.
5. Vent caps should be kept in place and tight during
vehicle operation and battery charging.
6. Batteries should be kept clean – free of dirt and
corrosion – at all times. Always keep the top of
batteries clean. A film on top of the battery can
cause the current to migrate between the posts,
accelerating self discharge.
7. Never let the electrolyte level of a lead-acid bat-
tery fall below the plates. Lack of maintaining the
electrolyte in a lead-acid battery causes damage
to the exposed portion of the plate which reduces
capacity.
8. Always check electrolyte level before charging.
Do not add water to individual cells unless plates
are exposed. Batteries should be watered after
charging unless the plates are exposed before
charging. If exposed before charging, the plates
should be covered by approximately 1/8" of water.
Check water level after charging. Water should be
kept 1/4" below the bottom of the fill tube in the
cell cover.
9. Water used to replenish batteries should be dis-
tilled or treated to not exceed 200 T.D.S. (total
dissolved solids... parts per million). Particular
care should be taken to avoid metallic solids (iron).
10. A fully charged battery will give you the best and
longest service. Be sure the batteries are fully
charged before testing or using. A fully charged
battery, without a drain or load, after the surface
charge has dissipated, is 6.35 volts for a 6 volt
battery.
AB60J – 0181971
11. Batteries should not be discharged below 20% of
capacity (approximately 1.8 volts per cell under
normal operating load; 1.98 volts open circuit;
1.145 specific gravity). Proper battery sizing will
help avoid excessive discharge.
12. Battery chargers should be sized to fully charge
batteries in an eight hour period. Chargers should
be kept in proper operating condition.
13. Do not use a mismatched charger of any type; i.e.,
a 12 volt charger on a 24 volt pack or a 24 volt
charger on a 12 volt pack. An undersized charger
will never get the job done, no matter how long
it tries. An oversized charger will cause excess
gassing and heat that could possibly result in a
battery meltdown and/or explosion.
14. Never charge a lead-acid battery with a sealed
(gel cell) battery charger. The lead-acid battery
needs higher voltage to finish its charge. Without
it the battery will never come back to 100% and
sulfation can occur.
15. Always allow batteries to cool off after charging.
The cooling time is very important because heat
is generated during the recharge and discharge
cycles. Without the cooling time the heat grows,
accelerating grid corrosion which is one of the
major causes of battery failure. Charging practice
should enable batteries to cool before use.
16. Deep cycle batteries need to be equalized peri-
odically. Equalizing is an extended, low current
charge performed after the normal charge cycle.
It helps keep cells in balance. Actively used bat-
teries should be equalized once per week. Man-
ually timed chargers should have the charge time
extended approximately 3 hours. Automatically
controlled chargers should be unplugged and
reconnected after completing a charge cycle.
17. In situations where multiple batteries are con-
nected in series, parallel or series-parallel, a
replacement battery's should be of the same size,
age and usage level as the companion batteries.
Do not put a new battery in a pack that has 50 or
more cycles. Either replace all the batteries with
new batteries or install a good used battery's in
place of the bad. New batteries should be given
a full charge before use.
18. Periodic battery testing is an important preventa-
tive maintenance procedure. Hydrometer read-
ings of each cell (fully charged) give an indication
of balance and true charge level. Imbalance could
mean the need for equalizing and is often a sign
of improper charging or a bad cell. Voltage checks
(open circuit, charged and discharged) can locate
a bad cell or weak battery. Load testing will pick
out a bad cell when other methods fail. The point
Maintenance – 13