Charging the Batteries

ENGLISH 13

Charge the batteries when the Battery Fuel Gauge (3) shows a double flashing light.

WARNING!

Use extreme caution when working with batteries. Sulfuric acid in batteries can cause severe injury if allowed to contact the skin or eyes. Explosive hydrogen gas is vented from the batteries through openings in the battery caps. This gas can be ignited by any electrical arc, spark or flame.

When Servicing Batteries...

*Remove all jewelry

*Do not smoke

*Wear safety glasses, rubber gloves and a rubber apron

*Work in a well-ventilated area

*Do not allow tools to touch more than one battery terminal at a time

Check the fluid level in each battery cell before charging. Add distilled water only until the water level is 1/4” above the plates. Push the connector from the charger into the Battery Charger Connector (16) on the machine. Follow the instructions on the battery charger.

CAUTION!

To avoid damage to floor surfaces, wipe water and acid from the top of the batteries after charging.

CHECKING THE BATTERY WATER LEVEL

Check the water level of the batteries at least once a week.

After charging the batteries, remove the vent caps and check the water level in each battery cell. Use distilled or demineralized water in a battery filling dispenser (available at most auto parts stores) to fill each cell to the level indicator (or to 10 mm over the top of the separators). DO NOT over-fill the batteries!

CAUTION!

Acid can spill onto the floor if the batteries are overfilled.

Tighten the vent caps. Wash the tops of the batteries with a solution of baking soda and water (2 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 liter of water).

BATTERY MAINTENANCE

Proper maintenance of electric vehicle batteries can greatly extend their life. Well-maintained batteries may last up to 3 years, but failure after 1 year is common if maintenance has been poor.

There are 3 simple rules for good battery maintenance:

•Maintain Proper Electrolyte Level (Weekly) - Use distilled water in batteries whenever possible. If batteries are discharged, add just enough water to cover the plates in each cell. If batteries are fully charged, fill each cell to the bottom of the filler tube. Do not over-fill the batteries! Do not add acid to batteries!

•Keep the Batteries Charged (Weekly) - Batteries should be charged each time that a machine is used for more than 1 hour. Machine operators should open the battery compartment cover for charging, to avoid a concentrated build-up of hydrogen gas. Even when a machine is stored, the batteries should be charged once a month to prevent the batteries from “sulfating”. Almost all battery caps are vented, so there’s no need to loosen or remove them for charging.

•Keep the Batteries Clean (Monthly) - Use a damp cloth to wipe dirt from the top of the batteries. Battery terminals must be clean and tight. If the tops of the batteries are wet after charging, the batteries have probably been over-filled or over-charged. Note: If there is acid on the batteries, wash the tops of the batteries with a solution of baking soda and water (2) tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of water.

BATTERY TESTING

A battery problem is usually recognized by the machine operator, as a decrease in the machine’s running time. This condition is usually caused by one (or more) “dead cell” in the battery system- that is, one (or more) cell that is putting out less voltage than the other cells.

Note: Always charge batteries before testing. There are 2 ways to find a dead cell:

•Use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity (or “state of charge”) of the fluid in each cell. A dead cell is one that reads 50 points (or more) lower than the other cells.

•Use a volt meter to check the voltage of each battery with the brush motor running. The battery with the dead cell will read 1 or 2 volts lower than the other batteries in the system.

If the batteries in the machine are more than 1 year old, it’s usually best to replace the whole set, rather than replacing just one battery.

FORM NO. 56041551 - AquaMAX™ / AX 650 - 13