Owner`s manual

39
MAINTENANCE
Read all of this manual to become thoroughly familiar with this vehicle. Pay particular attention to all Notices, Cautions, Warnings, and Dangers.
To prevent battery explosion that could result in severe personal injury or death, extreme care
must be used with aerosol containers of battery terminal protectant. Insulate the metal container
to prevent the metal can from contacting battery terminals which could result in an explosion.
In winter conditions, the battery must be fully charged to
prevent the possibility of freezing. A fully charged battery will
not freeze in temperatures above -75° F (-60° C). Although
the chemical reaction is slowed in cold temperatures, the
battery must be stored fully charged, and disconnected from
any circuit that could discharge the battery. The controller
should be disconnected from the batteries by setting the
Run-Tow/Maintenance/Storage switch, located under the
passenger seat, to the ‘TOW/MAINTENANCE/STORAGE’
position. For portable chargers, disconnect the charging
plug from the vehicle receptacle. For on-board chargers,
disconnect the charging harness from the batteries. The
batteries must be cleaned and all deposits neutralized and
removed from the battery case to prevent self discharge.
The batteries should be tested or recharged at thirty day
minimum intervals.
Battery Charging
The battery charger is designed to fully charge the battery
set. If the batteries are severely deep cycled, some auto-
matic battery chargers contain an electronic module that
may not activate and the battery charger will not function.
Automatic chargers will determine the correct duration of
charge to the battery set and will shut off when the battery
set is fully charged. Always refer to the instructions of the
specific charger used.
Before charging, the following should be observed:
Do not overfill batteries. The charging cycle will expel electrolyte and result in component damage.
• The electrolyte level in all cells must be at the recommended level and cover the plates.
• The charging must take place in an area that is well ventilated and capable of removing the hydrogen gas that is
generated by the charging process. A minimum of five air exchanges per hour is recommended.
• The charging connector components must be in good condition and free from dirt or debris.
• The charger connector must be fully inserted into the vehicle receptacle.
• The charger connector/cord set is protected from damage and is located in an area to prevent injury that may
result from personnel running over or tripping over the cord set.
• The charger is automatically turned off during the connect/disconnect cycle and therefore no electrical arc is
generated at the DC plug/receptacle contacts.
In some portable chargers, there will be a rattle present in the body of the charger DC plug. This rattle is caused by
an internal magnet contained within the charger plug. The magnet is part of the interlock system that prevents the
vehicle from being driven when the charger plug is inserted in the vehicle charging receptacle.
AC Voltage
Battery charger output is directly related to the input voltage. If multiple vehicles are receiving an incomplete charge in
a normally adequate time period, low AC voltage could be the cause and the power company should be consulted.
1.100
1.120 1.160 1.200 1.240 1.280
1.140 1.180 1.220 1.260 1.300
-9
-15
-21
-26
-32
-37
-43
-48
-54
-60
-65
-71
E
L
E
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T
R
O
L
Y
T
E
T
E
M
P
E
R
A
T
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SPECIFIC GRAVITY ELECTROLYTE FREEZING POINT
O
C
+15
+5
-5
-15
-25
-35
-45
-55
-65
-75
-85
-95
O
F
NOTICE