Precautionary measures
Do not disconnect the battery while the engine is running.
Do not short circuit the battery, i.e. do not connect positive (+) and negative (-) poles. If a short circuit occurs, the battery will heat up and may burst.
Do not expose the battery to naked flames. The electrolyte is corrosive. Avoid contact with eyes, clothing or skin. Wash it off with plenty of water if necessary.
Do not unscrew the plugs of the battery with a central gas outlet when charging (ventilation), which have modern battery models.
Let the battery thaw if it is frozen. A fully charged battery freezes at about -65'C, a half-discharged battery freezes at -30°C, and a fully discharged one freezes already at a temperature of about -12'C. Examine the case of the thawed battery and make sure it has not burst. If necessary, replace the battery with a new one.
When charging the battery with a conventional charger, as well as with a quick charger, the battery must be removed or, at a minimum, the power wires must be disconnected from it.
When charging with a portable charger (with low current) then the battery can not be dismantled. The wires are also not disconnected. However, in this case, you should strictly follow the instructions of the manufacturer of the charger.
The temperature of the electrolyte in the battery when it is connected to the charger must be at least +10°C.
Charger
15. Remove the battery.
16. Check the electrolyte level in the cells before charging. Top up with distilled water if necessary.
17. Charge the battery only in a well-ventilated area or outdoors. When charging without removing the battery from the engine compartment, leave the car hood open.
18. Make sure that the battery ventilation hose is not pinched anywhere, and the outlet pipe is not clogged.
If the charger can adjust the charging current, then the charging current when using a conventional charger should be about 10% of the battery capacity. This means that for a battery with a capacity of 50 A / h, the charging current should be about 5 A. The battery charging time in this case will be approximately 10 hours.
19. Connect the positive pole of the battery to the positive and the negative to the negative pole of the charger. The charger itself must be turned off when connected
20. Plug the charger into a wall outlet. If necessary, turn on the charger.
21. Check the temperature of the battery by touch, with the palm of your hand, if the battery is charged with direct current. The temperature of the electrolyte during charging should not exceed +55°C. If necessary, interrupt charging or reduce the charging current.
22. Turn off (if it is needed) charger after charging is complete and unplug it from the mains.
23. Disconnect the charger wires from the battery.
24. Check battery charge.
25. Replace the battery (see relevant chapter).
Charging a battery without a central vent hose
26. Unscrew the plugs of the battery cells before charging or use a narrow screwdriver to remove the corresponding cover above them.
Put plugs or a lid on the holes. In this way, splashing of the electrolyte caused by gases formed during charging is prevented.
27. Charge the battery until intensive gas generation stops in all cells, and also until the increase in electrolyte density and voltage stop. These indicators are compared by three measurements performed in a row with an interval of 1 hour.
28. Let the battery sit for about 20 minutes after charging is complete.
Charging a discharged and sulfated battery
A battery that has not been used for a long time, for example, standing on an unused car, gradually discharges and, in addition, can become covered with deposits of sulfate salts.
The battery is considered highly discharged if the open circuit voltage is less than 11.6 V.
Electrolyte (mixture of water and sulfuric acid) A heavily discharged battery consists primarily of water.
Attention! At negative air temperatures, such a battery may freeze, and its case may burst.
A heavily discharged battery is covered with deposits of sulfate salts. This means that the plate surfaces harden and the electrolyte acquires a whitish tint.
If a discharged battery is charged immediately after discharging, salt deposits and plate hardening will continue, and the ability to accept charging current will be limited.
A heavily discharged and sulfated battery should be charged with a small current. The charging current in this case should not exceed 5% of the battery capacity. The charging current, for example, for a battery with a capacity of 60 A / h should be 3 A. The charging current voltage should not exceed 14.4 V.
Attention! A heavily discharged battery should not be charged with a quick charger.
Using the auxiliary battery
Boost charging or emergency engine starting using a booster battery should be an exception as the battery is exposed to a very high current in a short period of time. With boost charging, the charging current is 20% or more of the battery capacity. Batteries that have been stored for a long time and are heavily discharged should not be charged using a rapid charger, as they are then charged with a so-called surface charge.
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