To maintain the battery in working condition, it is necessary:
- check regularly for secure battery mounting;
- make sure the battery cover is clean and dry and the battery terminals and wire clamps are clean and tight. To keep the battery terminals and wire terminals in good working order, use a special lubricant;
- promptly wash off any drops of electrolyte that have fallen on the battery with a solution of baking soda;
- when the vehicle is not in use for a long period of time, disconnect the battery from the vehicle's electrical system and regularly (once every six months) recharge it.
The electrolyte level in a battery with an opaque casing should be 15-20 mm higher than the upper edges of the plates.
To check the electrolyte level...
...use a screwdriver with a blade at least 10 mm wide to unscrew the plugs.
If you don't have such a screwdriver, you can unscrew the plugs with a coin.
When the electrolyte level drops, add only distilled water to the holes.
Determining the state of charge of a battery by the density of the electrolyte | Table 1 | |||||
Climate region (average monthly air temperature in January,°C) | Time of year | Fully charged battery | Battery discharged | |||
by 25% | by 50% | |||||
Very cold | Winter | 1,30 | 1,26 | 1,22 | ||
(from -50 to -30) | Summer | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | ||
Cold (from -30 to -15) | Round year | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | ||
Moderate (from -15 to -8) | Round year | 1,28 | 1,24 | 1,20 | ||
Warm humid (from 0 to +4) | Round year | 1,23 | 1,19 | 1,15 | ||
Hot (from +4 to +15) | Round year | 1,23 | 1,19 | 1,15 | ||
Temperature correction to hydrometer readings Table 2 when measuring the density of the electrolyte | ||||||
Electrolyte temperature,°C | Correction, g/cm³ | |||||
From -40 to -26 | -0,04 | |||||
From -25 to -11 | -0,03 | |||||
From -10 to +4 | -0,02 | |||||
From +5 to +19 | -0,01 | |||||
From +20 to +30 | 0,00 | |||||
From +31 to +45 | +0,01 | |||||
Adding electrolyte or acid increases the density of the electrolyte in the battery and causes the active mass of the electrodes to melt, which leads to battery failure. Electrolyte can be added only if you are completely sure that its level has dropped due to splashing out of the battery. If the electrolyte level is higher than the maximum for any reason, remove the excess electrolyte using a bulb with an ebonite tip or a hydrometer.
We measure the density of the electrolyte with a hydrometer.
The degree of charge of the battery is determined according to Table 1 depending on the density of the electrolyte. When determining the battery charge level, it is necessary to take into account the climate zone in which the vehicle is used and the time of year in which it is used. The electrolyte density values in Table 1 are given for the case where the electrolyte temperature is 25°C. If the electrolyte temperature is different when checking the density, the obtained density value requires correction. To do this, you need to use the data in Table 2. From Table 2 it follows that at an electrolyte temperature above 30°C, the correction should be added to the density value obtained as a result of the measurement, and at a temperature below 20°C, it should be subtracted. If the battery discharge level exceeds 25% in winter and -50% in summer, the battery must be recharged with a charger. When charging, unscrew the battery plugs.
Disconnect the wire terminals from the battery terminals only after the engine has stopped. we always remove the negative wire from the battery terminals first and connect it last.
To clean the wire terminal and the negative terminal of the battery...
...we use a 10 mm wrench to loosen the wire terminal.
We remove the wire terminal from the battery terminal.
Using a metal brush, clean the wire terminal and battery post from oxides.
Similarly, we clean the wire terminal and the positive terminal of the battery.