Friday, February 28, 2014
BATTERY INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT
Battery Inspection and Replacement:
You should be very careful when working with batteries. Always wear safety glasses. Battery acid can cause severe burns if it contacts your skin, and will damage clothing. If you accidentally spill any battery acid, the spill should be cleaned up immediately. Use a water and baking soda solution to clean the spill area. This combination helps neutralize the acid.
Inspection and Cleaning:
If the motorcycle or ATV has a battery, the battery should be inspected for cracks in the casing, broken terminals, or other signs of damage. This includes checking for sulfation or warping on the internal plates. If any of these conditions are found, the battery should be replaced. You should also ensure that the battery cable connectors make good contact with the battery terminals. If the cable connectors or terminals are corroded or loose, clean and tighten the connections. Battery cables are cleaned with a wire brush. An application of dielectric grease on the cable connectors and battery terminals helps to prevent future corrosion.
Electrolyte Testing:
The electrical condition of a battery is determined by measuring the specific gravity of the battery’s electrolyte. The specific gravity is measured with a hydrometer. The electrolyte should have a specific gravity of 1.280 to 1.320 (depending on the air temperature). As the battery becomes discharged, this reading decreases.
Refilling:
Remember that batteries are filled with an acid and distilled water electrolyte solution. The acid in the battery won’t evaporate, but the water does. When refilling batteries, add only distilled water. Distilled water should be used to prevent minerals and other impurities from contaminating the sulfuric acid and the lead plates in the battery.
Maintenance-Free Batteries:
Many motorcycles and ATVs have maintenance-free batteries. This type of battery doesn’t require fluid level checks because the battery is completely sealed. Most maintenance-free batteries are equipped with some type of other indicator that’s used to check the charged/discharged condition of the battery. If this type of battery fails to hold a charge, it’s probably defective. Before replacing a maintenance-free battery, the charging and regulating circuits should be thoroughly tested.
