Electrical System - Preliminary Checks; Vehicle Check; Cranking Voltage And Battery Condition; Specifications - Sears 161.216300 Owner's Manual

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM--
PRELIMINARY CHECKS
INTRODUCTION. Before performing any electrical
system tests, carefully read the following information.
These checks will help you to identify the more common
electrical system problems and will serve as a general
guide formaking electrical system tests.
VEHICLE CHECKS.
A,
CONSULT THE VEHICLE MANUAL OF THE
VEHICLE BEING TESTED FOR SPECIFIC VOLT-
AGE AND CURRENT SPECIFICATIONS AND TEST
PROCEDURES.
B,
C,
Check the fan belt; tension it according to the manu-
facturer's specifications.
Check the generator or alternator pulley and mount-
ing bolts. They should be tight. Make sure that the
charging and cranking system wiring and the battery
cables are in good condition and that connections
are clean and tight. Make sure that the battery is clean
and that the liquid level in each cell is above the plates
on vent-cap style batteries or that the green "eye" is
visible on maintenance-free batteries,
g. Check the "CCA" (Cold Cranking Amps) rating of the
vehicle battery, often listed on the battery. This
number should equal or exceed the specification
given by the manufacturer for the vehicle's engine.
If the battery capacity is too small, a cord engine may
crank slowly or not at all on very cold days. If speci-
fications are not available, the following method may
be used to determine the recommended battery
capacity:_
8 CYLINDER ENGINES, The cubic inch displace-
ment (CID -- not liters) equals the Cold Cranking
Amp requirement. For e _ample, a 350 cubic inch
displacement engine equals a 350 CCA minimum.
For cold climates, add 20% of the cubic inch dis-
ptacement to the CCA. Therefore, 350 x .2 (20%) =
70, 350 + 70 = 420. A 420 CCA or greater rated
battery should be uSed.
• 6 CYLINDER ENGINES. Calculate the Cubic inch
displacement per cylinder and multiply by 8. For
example a 231 cubic inch displacement 6 cylinder
engine = 38.5 cubic inch displacement per cylinder,
Then, 38,5 x 8 = 308 CCA minimum, For cold cli-
mates, add 20% of the adjusted cubic inch displace-
ment to the CCA. Therefore, 308 x .2 (20%) = 62.
308 + 62 = 370. A 370 CCA battery or greater should
be used.
• 4 CYLINDER ENGINES. Multiply the cubic inch
displacement of the engine by 2. For example, a
t51 cubic inch displacement engine x 2 = 302 CCA.
For cold climates, add 20% of the adjusted cubic
inch displacement to the CCA. Therefore, 302 x .2
20% = 60. 302 + 60 = 362. A 362 CCA or greater rated
E. Check the alternator/generator output rating as listed
on its color-coded tag or _tamped on the alternator/
generator frame. Forexample, 60A or IOOAindicates a
60 Ampere or 100 Ampere alternator/generator. This
rating should equal or exceed the manufacturer's
specification for the vehicle as equipped. An alter-
nator/generator which is elect[ically too small for the
vehicle cannot charge a battery when the vehicle is
run under heavy electrically loaded conditions (lights,
HI fan, air conditioning et¢.) The result.could be a NO
Crank/Start condition after prolonged operation
under heavy electrical load conditions,
F. Electrical specifications are generally given for an
engine which is at normal operating temperature, tf
the ehgine is cold and will start; operate the engine
at idle speed for at least 10 minutes before making any
tests or until it is fully warm (upper radiator hose is
hot). If the engine wil! not start and the cranking
system tests must be made on a cold engine, cranking
voltage may be slightly lower than specificationsstate.
CRANKING VOLTAGE AND BATTERY CONDITION
If the engine cranks slowly or not at afl, the battery,
cranking motor, and associated wiring may be at fault.
Check the cranking voltage as indicated below.
1. Connect the analyzer to the vehicle as shown in Figure
1, and 3 through !0. The AMP LEAD AND SHUNT
hookup is not necessary for this test.
2. Disable the engine from starting as explained in your
vehicte service manual, See Figure 13.
3 Function Selector- Volts
4_ Crank the engine while observing the 16 volt scale on
the analyzer,
5. Normal Result- 9.6 volts or more at 70 ° F. Voltage will
drop slightly as temperature decreases.
6. If the results are significantly out of specification
consuit your vehicle service manual for further
diagnosis.
7. If battery voltage remains abnormally high (above
approximately 10.5 volts) on a slow or no cranking
engine, the problem may be loose or corroded
connection(s) in the cranking circuit. Follow the pro-
cedure described below.