General battery care and charging

by DEREK GRIFFIN.

Car batteries are called upon to give the most power when they are operating under the worst conditions. In cold weather the efficiency of the battery is reduced and this is usually the time when engines are difficult to start, the oil is cold and thick and the headlights, heater, wipers, etc., are all eating up power. More power is being taken from the battery than is getting put in by the generator. Eventually the battery can become completely flat, bringing the well-known distress.

With your - BATTERY CHARGER, and simple routine maintenance will help ensure a start first time, on those cold winter mornings.

If your battery goes flat every few days even after a full night's charging, have the vehicle charging circuit tested, and also get the battery cells tested. Batteries are normally constructed with six separate cells, and often one cell may be damaged. If Hydrometer readings on any one cell are consistently lower than on the other cells this could indicate a faulty cell. Unfortunately one damaged cell is enough to ruin a battery, and no amount of charging with the CHARGER will ever be satisfactory. You require a new battery. Often symptoms of a flat battery are experienced, but these may well be due to dirty or loose connection of the battery leads. Remove the battery leads

Periodically and carefully clean the battery posts and the inside of the connector. Liberally coat with Vaseline or one of the many special terminal protection gels available and re-fix the connector tightly. This will reduce the corrosion often noticed round neglected battery posts.

Always keep the Electrolyte level just above the level of the plates using approved Top Up water only (NEVER TAP WATER). Do not overfill, as expansion may occur during charging, causing using over-flowing of the Electrolyte. The Electrolyte is strongly acid, and once a year have the acidity level checked by an. auto electrician and brought up to strength.

Being strongly acid, great care should be taken to avoid splashes and contact with the eyes, skin or clothing. Serious burns can be caused, and should you come in contact with the liquid, thoroughly rinse the affected area with water immediately.

When a discharged battery is first connected to a battery charger, its voltage and therefore its resistance to charging is low and the charge rate should build up fairly rapidly, then as the battery becomes more and more charged its voltage will increase and the rate of charge will drop. The meter reading will never drop completely to zero as the charger has a higher voltage than the battery, and will continue to give output even though the battery is fully charged.

The only way to check the state of charge in your battery is to use a Hydrometer, which will measure the specific gravity of the Electrolyte. The Hydrometer consists of a plastic syringe which is used to suck up from a cell a quantity of Electrolyte. Inside the syringe is a weighted float usually marked FLAT-HALF- FULL on one side, and graduated numbers on the other. A fully charged battery will register 1.250 minimum. Squirt the Electrolyte back into the cell after testing, taking care not to splash. As the Electrolyte is strongly acid, be sure to always wash the Hydrometer in fresh water after use.

During charging, bubbling may be noticed in the Electrolyte. These bubbles are formed by the release of gas during the charging process. In the interest of safety, no naked lights should be used in the area of the battery, and the area should be well ventilated as the gas is inflammable.

Charge your battery regularly throughout the year but more often during the winter months. Keep the charger in a dry area when not in use to avoid moisture absorption in the transformer.