Changing The Battery; Useful Hints To Extend The Life Of Your Battery - Alfa Romeo 147 Owner's Manual

WARNING
Never attempt to charge a
frozen battery: it must
firstly be thawed, otherwise it
may burst. If freezing has occurred,
the battery should be checked be-
fore charging by specialised per-
sonnel, to make sure that the in-
ternal elements are not damaged
and that the body is not cracked,
with the risk of leaking poisonous
and corrosive acid.
IMPORTANT If the battery is kept with
a charge of below 50% it is damaged by sul-
phation, its starting capability is reduced and
it is also more subject to the possibility of
freezing (this may occur already at –10
°C). In the event of a prolonged inactivity,
refer to the paragraph "car inactivity", in the
chapter "Correct use of the car".

CHANGING THE BATTERY

When changing the battery it should be re-
placed with another original one with the
same characteristics. If it is replaced by a
battery with different characteristics, the
maintenance intervals given in the Sched-
uled Maintenance Programme in this chap-
ter are no longer valid and for maintenance
it will be necessary to follow the battery
Manufacturer's instructions.
USEFUL HINTS TO EXTEND
THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERY
To avoid rapidly draining the battery and
ensure that it continues to work correctly,
the following should be noted:
– The terminals must always be firmly
tightened.
– Within reason, avoid using electrical de-
vices for a long time when the engine is
switched off (radio, hazard warning lights,
parking lights, etc.).
– When the car is parked in a garage, en-
sure that the doors, bonnet, boot and in-
ner lids are closed properly so that the lights
do not stay on permanently.
– Before carrying out any work on the
electric system, disconnect the negative ca-
ble from the battery.
– If after buying the car, you wish to in-
stall electric accessories which require a per-
manent electric supply (alarm, voice feature,
radionavigator with satellite antitheft func-
tion etc.) or accessories that burden the elec-
tric system, contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services whose qualified personnel, in ad-
dition to suggesting the most suitable de-
vices belonging to Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo,
will evaluate the overall electric absorption,
checking whether the car's electric system
is capable of withstanding the load required,
or whether it should be integrated with a
more powerful battery. In fact, as some of
these devices continue absorbing energy
even when the ignition key is off (car sta-
tionary, engine off), they gradually drain the
battery.
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