Technical
“ Everything Secure
Batteries that are not held securely in position will suffer excessive vibration, which can dislodge active material from the grid or break the straps, grids and inter-cell welds. This could lead to an internal short and possible explosion. On the other hand, excessive tightening of hold-down clamps can cause the battery container to crack, resulting in leakage of electrolyte. Cable connections need to be clean and
tightened. Many battery problems are caused by dirty and/or loose connections. Clean cable terminals before connecting them to the battery and remember to connect the negative or earth cable to the battery last. Make certain there is good contact between the terminals and the battery posts. Using force when fitting connections to
the battery can damage the battery internally or the poles. Tighten all cable connections to 7-9 N·m (95-105 in·lbs). Do not overtighten terminals. Doing so can result in post breakage, post meltdown, or fire.
To prevent corrosion of cables and posts
of batteries, apply a thin coating of high temperature non-oxide grease or anti- corrosive battery post spray to the connections.
Testing of Batteries
Before any testing is done, charge the battery pack so that the water and electrolyte mixes. Record all test results on a test sheet, including the battery make, type and date code, the total amp-hours of the vehicle, as well as the vehicle model (type) and serial number. The following tests are available for testing deep cycle batteries:
130 I PC APRIL/MAY 2014
Batteries that are not held securely in position will suffer excessive vibration, which can dislodge active material from the grid or break the straps, grids and inter-c
cell welds Badly damaged post and poorly maintained cable
- Allow the batteries to cool down and inspect the electrolyte level in each battery cell and top up if necessary
On-C Charge Voltage Test
This test is a quick-reference test to see if there are any obviously faulty batteries in the pack. After the charging cycle was completed, unplug and immediately re-plug the DC Cord of the charger. Just before the charging cycle is completed again (the light on the charger reaches solid green during the fast-blinking mode), take the on-charge voltage reading of each individual battery and of the full set. Batteries that meet the following criteria could be suspicious:
- For 6 Volt Batteries - Any battery that shows less than 7 Volt, and is more than 0.50 Volt below any of the others
- For 8 Volt Batteries - Any battery that shows less than 9.5 Volt, and is more than 0.75 Volt below any of the others
- For 12 Volt Batteries - Any battery that shows less than 14 Volt, and is more than 1.0 Volt below any of the others
Hydrometer Test
This test is a quick-reference test to see if the battery pack and the individual cells are fully charged and can give an indication of any obviously faulty batteries in the pack. Be aware that the vent caps of the batteries have to be opened: there will be a danger of coming into contact with the acidic electrolyte.
- Before proceeding with this test, take a temperature reading of the centre cell of the centre battery
- With a hydrometer, test each battery cell in order and record the readings to 3 decimal places
- Correct all readings to 27°C (80°F):
- For every 6°C (10°F) the electrolyte temperature is above 27°C (80°F): add 0.004 to the measured reading.
- For every 6°C (10°F) the electrolyte temperature is below 27°C (80°F): subtract 0.004 from the measured reading.
- Any cell that shows a difference of more than 0.050 below any of the others could give an indication of a faulty cell or battery.
- If all the cells of the batteries are below 1.250 then the battery set is not fully charged. A fully charged battery set should read between 1.275 and 1.280.
Discharge Test
This test places the battery under a load and discharges the pack at a constant rate to a pre-determined voltage. The time it takes to reach this voltage will indicate whether there is a problem with the battery pack. Consult the vehicle OEM’s instructions on this time for the specific batteries in the pack. Ensure that the on-board charger is
disconnected from the mains supply, or the off-board charger is unplugged from the vehicle. Carry out a discharge test, if the discharger is still discharging after the time indicated by the OEM, there are no faulty batteries. Stop the test, disconnect the discharger and fully charge the battery pack. If the discharger completes the discharge below these times, switch the discharger on again and measure the individual battery voltages. Record the voltage readings for each battery and replace batteries as indicated by the test, compared to the instructions of the vehicles OEM. (As an example: For T105 batteries, if the set discharges <60 minutes, replace any battery which measures >4.5 Volt.) After replacing any faulty battery, fully
charge the battery pack before using the vehicle.
Cadex Spectro Battery Test
Using a Cadex Spectro Battery Rapid-tester greatly reduces the time taken to test a
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