Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TOPIC:
IDENT NO:
SUPERSEDES:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Electronic Controls
17-2964
New
September 15, 2006
Battery Maintenance
MODELS AFFECTED:
All Engines
WARNING
Comply with the battery manufacturer's
recommendations for procedures concerning
proper battery use and maintenance. Improper
maintenance or misuse can cause severe personal
injury or death.
WARNING
Batteries contain sulfuric acid and generate
explosive mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen
gases. Keep any device that may cause sparks or
flames away from the battery to prevent explosion.
Batteries can explode causing severe personal
injury or death.
WARNING
Always wear protective glasses or goggles and
protective clothing when working with batteries.
You must follow the battery manufacturers
i n s t r u c t i o n s o n s a f e t y, m a i n t e n a n c e a n d
installation procedures. Failure to follow the
battery manufacturers instructions can cause
severe personal injury or death.
WAUKESHA ENGINE
DRESSER, INC.
WAUKESHA, WI 53188-4999
SPECIFIC
GRAVITY
100 %
.280
12.50
75 %
.240
12.30
50 %
.200
12.10
25 %
.170
Discharged
.140
VOLTAGE
4D
8D
1000A
1300A
1200A
1560A
320 min.
435 min.
Page 1 of 2
Is low.
Is adjusted frequently.
Is 75% or greater.
Is between 25% and 75%.
State Of Charge
Specific Gravity
Of Cells
Replace battery.
THEN
Replace battery.
Replace battery (internally short-circuited).
Verify battery charger is operating correctly and settings
are correct, recharge battery (see NOTE 1).
NOTE 1:Batteries which have low but uniform specific gravities in each cell and which clearly require an extended
recharge may have become deeply discharged. This may be nothing more than a battery charger problem,
but the system should be checked out before the battery is returned to service.
NOTE 2:Recharging Batteries which are at less than 75% state of charge need recharging before proceeding with
any further tests. Observe that the battery does accept a charging current, even though it may be small in
amperes, when the charger is switched on. The battery must be fully charged for several hours before testing.
If batteries have been receiving a charge current within the previous few hours, the open-circuit voltage may
read misleadingly high. The surface charge must be removed before testing. To remove surface charge, the
battery must experience a load of 20 amps for 3 plus minutes.
NOTE 3:High-Rate Load TestIf the state-of-charge is 75% or higher, the battery should be given a high-rate load
test. Typically, the high-rate load tester will discharge a battery through an adjustable carbon-pile resistance
and indicate the terminal voltage as the discharge proceeds. After 15 seconds the battery voltage will not
drop below a specified value (typically 9.6 V) if the battery is in good condition and if the current is set at
about 50% of the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) (see Table 2). The minimum acceptable voltage reading will
vary as battery temperature decreases. Read and follow the manufacturers instructions for the tester.
NOTE 4:OverchargingBatteries which have suffered as a result of considerable overcharging may show extremely
low electrolyte levels, black deposits on the underside of the vent plugs or black tide-marks on the inside
walls of the container from about one inch below the cover. If these signs are present, the battery charger
setting must be checked and reset according to the manufacturer's instructions before a battery is returned
to service, batteries in which electrolyte levels have to be adjusted frequently are clearly receiving too much
charging current.
Page 2 of 2
WAUKESHA ENGINE
DRESSER, INC.
WAUKESHA, WI 53188-4999