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BATTERY SERVICE MANUALThirteenth EditionPublished By: B attery Council International Headquarters: 401 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611-4267 Phone: (312) 644-6610 Fax: (312) 527-6640 info@batterycouncil.org www.batterycouncil.org 2010 Battery Council International. All Rights Reserved.iiForewordThe Battery Council International presents this revised Thirteenth Edition of the Battery Service Manual with the hope that it will be useful in addressing your battery problems and questions. The information contained in this manual represents the input of some of the most capable technical representatives in the battery industry today. We are deeply indebted to numerous members of BCI, in particular those on the Technical Committee, for the many hours they devoted to making this publication current with the latest technology in the battery industry. A special debt of gratitude is extended to the following individuals and their companies, for the extra effort they put forth in the update of this manual: Especially to Mr. Robert Flicker, East Penn Manufacturing Company for recognizing the need to update the manual and for his guidance and leadership in seeing the project through to completion. We would also like to thank the Bitrode Corporation for their help and support in completing this project. Gordon Beckley, Trojan Battery Company David Boden, Ph.D., Hammond Group, Inc. George H. Brilmyer, Ph.D., Atraverda Limited Robert Flicker and Scott McCaskey, East Penn Manufacturing Company Mike Fraley, Crown Battery Manufacturing John Gagge and Dana Kowalski, EnerSys Robert Gruenstern, Maggie Teliska, Ph.D. and Jeffrey Zagrodnik, Johnson Controls, Inc. Jim Hubbman and Ron Schaefer, formerly with Bitrode Corporation Richard Johnson and John Miller, Exide Technologies James Klang, Midtronics, Inc. Rich Rymond, Ford Motor Company Joe Semens, Interstate Battery Systems of America George Zguris, Hollingsworth & Vose Company BCI recognizes that many other individuals provided time, energy and expertise to make this update possible. Their endeavors are also sincerely appreciated.Table of ContentsChapter1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16PageCom mon Battery Terms ............................................1 Safety Precautions .................................................4 How a Battery Works ..............................................6 Battery Construction ..............................................12 Manufacturing Processes ..........................................18 Starting Batteri es .................................................21 Golf Car, Deep Cycl e Marine and Other Cycli ng Batteri es..........26 Battery Ratings....................................................30 Receiving New Battery Shipments ..................................31 Battery Stock Maintena nce ........................................32 New Battery Installation ...........................................34 Servicing Battery in the Vehicl e ...................................39 Charging Methods .................................................41 Ca uses of Battery Failure ..........................................44 Automotive Charging Systems.....................................49 VRLA Batteri es ....................................................52 Index ..............................................................59ivChapter 1 COMMON BATTERY TERMSACTIVE MATERIAL The porous structure of lead compounds that produce and store electrical energy within a lead-acid battery. The active material in the positive plates is lead dioxide and that in the negative is metallic sponge lead. When an electrical circuit is created, these materials react with sulfuric acid during charging and discharging according to the following chemical reaction: PbO2 + Pb + 2H2SO4 = 2PbSO4 + 2H2O. AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) A type of non-woven separator material comprised almost entirely of glass microfibers that absorbs and retains the electrolyte leaving no free electrolyte in the cell to spill. VRLA batteries made with this material are often referred to as AGM batteries. AMPERE (Amp, A) The unit of measure of the electron flow rate, or current, through a circuit. AMPERE-HOUR (Amp-Hr, Ah) A unit of measure for a battery's electrical storage capacity, obtained by multiplying the current in amperes by the time in hours of discharge. (Example: A battery that delivers 5 amperes for 20 hours delivers 5 amperes X 20 hours = 100 Amp-Hr of capacity.) BOOST CHARGE The process of ensuring that the cells and plates within a battery are charged sufficiently for the battery to perform its desired function. Boost charging is typically done for a short duration at a high current. CAPACITY The capacity of a battery is specified as the number of Amp-Hrs that the battery will deliver at a specific discharge rate and temperature. The capacity of a battery is not a constant value and is seen to decrease with increasing discharge rate. The capacity of a battery is affected by a number of factors such as: active material weight, density of the active material, adhesion of the active material to the grid, number, design and dimensions of plates, plate spacing, design of separators, specific gravity and quantity of available electrolyte, grid alloys, final limiting voltage, discharge rate, temperature, internal and external resistance, age, and life history of the battery. CONTAINER AND COVER The reservoir and lid containing the battery parts and electrolyte made from impact and acid resistant material such as polypropylene. CELL The basic electrochemical current-producing unit in a battery, consisting of a set of positive plates, negative plates, electrolyte, separators, and casing. In a lead-acid battery the cell has an open-circuit voltage of approximately 2 volts. There are six cells in a 12-volt lead-acid battery. CIRCUIT An electrical circuit is the path followed by a flow of electrons. A closed circuit is a complete path. An open circuit has a broken, or disconnected, path. CIRCUIT (Series) A circuit that has only one path for the flow of current. Batteries arranged in series are connected with negative of the first to positive of the second, negative of the second to positive of the third, etc. If two 12-volt batteries of 50 ampere-hours capacity each are connected in series, the circuit voltage is equal to the sum of the two battery voltages, or 24 volts, and the ampere-hour capacity of the combination is 50 ampere-hours. (See Figure 13-2 for a diagram of a series connection of batteries.) CIRCUIT (Parallel) A circuit that provides more than one path for the flow of current. A parallel arrangement of batteries (usually of like voltages and capacities) has all positive terminals connected to a conductor and all negative terminals connected to another conductor. If two 12-volt batteries of 50 ampere-hour capacity each are connected in parallel, the circuit voltage is 12 volts, and the ampere-hour capacity of the combination is 100 ampere-hours. (See Figure 13-1 for a diagram of a parallel connection of batteries.) COLD CRANK RATING The cold crank rating refers to number of amperes a lead-acid battery at 0F (-17.8C) can deliver for 30 seconds and while maintaining at least 7.2 volts (1.2 volts per cell). This is commonly referred to as CCA (Cold Cranking Amps). CONDUCTANCE The ability to transmit current in a circuit or battery. CORROSION The chemical or electrochemical reaction between a material, usually a metal, and its environment that produces a deterioration of the material and its properties. The positive lead grids in a battery gradually corrode in service often leading to battery failure. Battery terminals are subject to corrosion if they are not properly maintained. CURRENT The rate of flow of electricity, or the movement of electrons along a conductor. It is comparable to the flow of a stream of water. The unit of measure for current is the ampere. CURRENT (ALTERNATING) (AC) A current that varies periodically in magnitude and direction. A battery does not deliver alternating current (AC). CURRENT (DIRECT) (DC) An electrical current flowing in an electrical circuit in one direction only. A secondary battery delivers direct current (DC) and must be recharged with direct current in the opposite direction of the discharge. CYCLE In a battery, one discharge plus one recharge equals one cycle. DISCHARGING When a battery is delivering current, it is said to be discharging. ELECTROLYTE In a lead-acid battery, the electrolyte is sulfuric acid diluted with water. It is a conductor that supplies water and sulfate for the electrochemical reaction: PbO2 + Pb + 2H2SO4 = 2PbSO4 + 2H2O. ELECTRONIC TESTER An electronic device that assesses the condition of a battery through an ohmic measurement such1as resistance or conductance, typically without drawing large current loads. ELEMENT A set of positive and negative plates assembled with separators. EQUALIZATION CHARGE The process of ensuring that the cells and plates within a battery are all at full charge and that the electrolyte is uniform and free of stratification. This is normally done by charging the battery under controlled conditions (charge current, time & upper voltage limits are usually specified). FORMATION In battery manufacturing, formation is the process of charging the battery for the first time. Electrochemically, formation changes the lead oxide paste on the positive grids into lead dioxide and the lead oxide paste on the negative grids into metallic sponge lead. GEL Electrolyte that has been immobilized by the addition of a chemical agent, normally fine silica, to prevent spillage. Batteries made with gelled electrolyte are often referred to as Gel batteries. Gel batteries are one typical type of VRLA battery. GRID A lead alloy framework that supports the active material of a battery plate and conducts current. GROUND The reference potential of a circuit. In automotive use, the result of attaching one battery cable to the body or frame of a vehicle that is used as a path for completing a circuit in lieu of a direct wire from a component. Today, over 99% of automotive and LTV applications, use the negative terminal of the battery as the ground. HYDROMETER A device used to measure the strength (i.e., the concentration of sulfuric acid in the electrolyte) of the electrolyte through specific gravity of the electrolyte. INTERCELL CONNECTORS Lead structures that connect adjoining cells in series, positive of one cell to the negative of the next, within a battery. LOAD TESTER An instrument that draws current (discharges) from a battery using an electrical load while measuring voltage. It determines the battery's ability to perform under actual discharge conditions. LOW WATER LOSS BATTERY A battery that does not require periodic water addition under normal driving conditions; also referred to as a maintenance-free battery. MAINTENANCE FREE A battery that normally requires no service watering during its lifetime of use. NEGATIVE Designating, or pertaining to, electrical potential. The negative battery terminal is the point from which electrons flow during discharge. OHM A unit for measuring electrical resistance or impedance within an electrical circuit. OHM'S LAW Expresses the relationship between volts (V) and amperes (A) in an electrical circuit with resistance (R). It can be expressed as follows: V = IRVolts (V) = Amperes (I) x Ohms (R). If any two of the three values are known, the third value can be calculated using the above equation. OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE The voltage of a battery when it is not delivering or receiving power. PLATES Thin, flat structures comprised of a grid and active material. The grid supports the active material and conducts electrons out of the cell. Plates are either positive or negative, depending on the active material they hold. POSITIVE Designating, or pertaining to, a kind of electrical potential; opposite of negative. A point or terminal on a battery having higher relative electrical potential. The positive battery terminal is the point to which electrons flow during discharge. PRIMARY BATTERY A battery that can store and deliver electrical energy but cannot be recharged. A lead-acid battery is NOT a primary battery. RESERVE CAPACITY RATING The time in minutes that a new, fully charged battery will deliver 25 amperes at 27C (80F) and maintain a terminal voltage equal to, or higher than, 1.75 volts per cell. This rating represents the time the battery will continue to operate essential accessories if the alternator or generator of a vehicle fails. RESISTANCE The opposition to the free flow of current in a circuit or battery. It is commonly measured in Ohms. SECONDARY BATTERY A battery that can store and deliver electrical energy and can be recharged by passing direct current through it in a direction opposite to that of discharge. A lead-acid battery is a secondary battery. SEPARATOR A porous divider between the positive and negative plates in a cell that allows the flow of ionic current to pass through it, but not electronic current. Separators are made from numerous materials such as: polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, rubber, glass fiber, cellulose, etc. (See Chapter 4 for a more in depth explanation of separators.) SHORT CIRCUIT An unintended current-bypass in an electric device or wiring. Outside the battery a short circuit is established when a conductive path is established between the two terminals of a battery. Inside a battery, a cell short circuit is the result of contact between the positive and negative plates and will cause a cell to discharge and render the battery useless. SPECIFIC GRAVITY (Sp. Gr. or SG) Specific Gravity is a measure of the electrolyte concentration in a battery. This measurement is based on the density of the electrolyte compared to the density of water and is typically determined by the use of a hydrometer (see Hydrometer). By definition, the specific gravity of water is 1.00 and the specific gravity of the sulfuric acid electrolyte in a typical fully charged battery is 1.265-1.285. Specific gravity measurements are typically used to determine if the battery is fully charged or if the battery has a bad cell. STATE OF CHARGE The amount of deliverable low-rate electrical energy stored in a battery at a given time expressed as a percentage of the energy when fully charged and measured under the same discharge conditions. If the battery is fully charged the State of Charge is said to be 100%.2STRATIFICATION The unequal concentration of electrolyte due to density gradients from the bottom to the top of a cell. This condition is encountered most often in batteries recharged from a deep discharge at constant voltage without a great deal of gassing. Continued deep cycling of a stratified battery will result in softening of the bottoms of the positive plates. Equalization charging is a way to avoid acid stratification. SULFATION The generation or conversion of the lead sulfate discharge in the plates to a state that resists normal recharge. Sulfation often develops when a battery is stored or cycled in a partially discharged state at warm temperatures. TERMINALS The electrical structures on the battery to which the external circuit is connected. Typically, batteries have either top-terminals (posts) or side-terminals. Some batteries have both types of terminals (dual-terminal). VENTS Mechanisms that allow gasses to escape from the battery while retaining the electrolyte within the case. Flame arresting vents typically contain porous disks that reduce the probability of an internal explosion as a result of an external spark. Vents come in both permanently fixed and removable designs. VOLT The unit of measure for electrical potential or voltage.VOLTMETER An electronic device used to measure voltage, normally in a digital format. VOLTAGE DROP The net difference in the electrical potential (voltage) when measured across a resistance or impedance (ohms). Its relationship to current is described in Ohm's law. VRLA Valve Regulated Lead Acid battery. AGM and Gel are the two types of VRLA batteries. These batteries have no free liquid electrolyte and in the cell operate on the oxygen recombination cycle, which is designed to minimize water loss. VRLA batteries feature vents that are one-way burp-valves. These low-pressure burp-valves prohibit air ingress to the cell while permitting gases to vent from the cell if necessary. The pressure maintained in the battery, though only very slight (