Electrolyte Freezing Points - Suzuki SV650/S Service Manual

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Freezing: It shouldn't bother you – unless a battery is

inadequately charged.

discharge process, remember that electrolyte acid becomes

water as discharge occurs. Now, it takes Arctic temperatures

to freeze acid. But water... as we all know, freezing starts

at 32°F. A sign of this is mossing – little red lines on the

plates. Freezing can also crack the case and buckle the

plates, which means the battery is permanently damaged.

A fully-charged battery can be stored at sub-

freezing temperatures with no damage.

chart at right shows, it takes -75°F to freeze electrolyte in

a charged battery. But at just a couple degrees below

freezing – at +27°F – a discharged battery's electrolyte

turns to ice. That's a difference of more than 100°F

between the low temperatures a charged and discharged

battery can stand.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Monthly maintenance and testing are a must.

Most important: make sure battery is charged and fluid level is correct.

Disconnect cables or pull battery for storage.

Keep fully charged to prevent sulfation and freezing.

Looking one more time at the

At temperatures such as these, incidentally, the self-

discharge rate of a battery is so low that a recharge

usually isn't needed for months. But to stay on the safe

Electrolyte Freezing Points

Specific Gravity

of Electrolyte

Freezing Point