Service manual

Course # 1 Manual

Rev. 1/02 page # 16

Service & Parts Education

CHARGING BATTERIES

TECHNICIANS NOTE: New batteries MUST be fully charged prior to initial use of the wheel-

chair. There have been occasions where new batteries have failed out of the box. Save

yourself a service call, and charge the batteries the night before your delivery or before the

customer is scheduled to pick up the chair.

The range per battery charge (using recommended batteries) should be approximately 5 to 9

hours of typical operation. Extensive use on inclines may substantially reduce per charge mile-

age. A good rule of thumb, is for every hour of actual drive time, you should equal that amount

of time or exceed it when recharging.

Description and Use of Battery Chargers

The charger automatically reduces the charge from an initially high rate to a zero reading at a

fully charged condition. If left unattended, the charger should automatically shut-off when full

charge is obtained. There still are some older chargers out in service, that were not Fully

Automatics chargers. They usually can be identified by having an egg timer style switch on

the front of the charger or simply by saying that is only an Automatic Charger. These chargers

will shut off automatically, but still maintain a trickle charge that could possibly overcharge the

batteries.

TECHNICIANS NOTE: Be aware that if your Customer had lead acid batteries and is switch-

ing to gel batteries, the charger must be a dual mode charger (make sure the switch is in the

correct position on the front or back of the charger).

There are some basic concepts which will help you understand this automatic process.

They are: The amount of electrical current drawn within a given time to charge a battery is

called the “charge rate”. If, due to usage, the charge stored in the battery is low, the charge rate

is high, as indicated by the green light on the charger. Initially, the green light will stay illuminated

for a short period of time followed by a longer period of off time. As a charge builds up, the

charge rate is reduced, and the green light will stay illuminated for a longer period of time fol-

lowed by a shorter off time.

TECHNICIANS NOTE: Allow eight (8) hours for normal charging. Larger batteries (greater than

55 ampere-hours) or severely discharged batteries may require up to sixteen (16) hours to be

properly charged and equalized. If charger operates for sixteen (16) hours and is unable to fully

charge the batteries, an internal timer turns the charger off and begins to fast blink the green light.

Perform a load test on the batteries, and determine if replacements are needed.

It is advantageous to recharge frequently rather than only when neces-

sary. In fact, a battery’s life is extended if the charge level is maintained

well above a low condition.