E&J GF0600059REVB06 manual VII Batteries, Guidelines to extending battery life

VII Batteries

Batteries are of critical importance, require attention and maintenance, and will require periodic replacement. As batteries age, their ability to hold a charge decreases. Old batteries discharge much more quickly than new batteries under the same driving conditions. This results in a decrease in the distance the wheelchair can travel before batteries need to be charged. This decrease is often misin- terpreted as a problem with the wheelchair system, when in fact the batteries have simply reached the end of their useful lives and should be replaced. Properly maintained batteries can be expected to last approximately 9 to 18 months. The purpose of proper maintenance is to extend that life as much as possible, and to minimize the incidence of unsatisfactory wheelchair performance.

Batteries are not supplied with your Metro Power III wheelchair. The Metro Power III uses two 12 volt deep cycle batteries, group size U1. For best performance, batteries with the highest possible amp/hour rating should be used.

sCaution: Use only deep cycle batteries on your wheelchair. Do not use automotive batteries.

Warning: Batteries generate sulfuric acid, which can burn eyes, skin, clothes, etc. Use caution! Always wear safety glasses when working with batteries. If contact oc- curs, flush immediately with water and get medical attention.

Guidelines to extending battery life

•Give the batteries a full charge before using them for the first time.

•Limit use of new batteries for the first ten charge/discharge cycles—avoid deeply discharging the batteries. New batteries are not capable of their rated output until they have been discharged a number of times.

•Recharge batteries after every discharge. Discharging batteries deeply before recharging them will shorten battery life. Leaving partially discharged batteries idle for several days is not recommend- ed; charge them as soon as possible after discharging.

•Charge batteries fully each time before using. Allow the charger to finish its charge cycle once started. This will help prevent deeply discharging the batteries. Unlike some rechargeable bat- teries, the batteries used on wheelchairs do not exhibit a significant “memory effect”—they will recharge to their full capacity, even if only partially discharged before each charge.

•If you must store your wheelchair for a long period of time, charge the batteries weekly.

•Perform regular maintenance on the batteries. See maintenance schedule in Section VIII, MAINTENANCE, for recommended regularity.

Metro Power III Owner’s Manual GF0600059RevB06, November 2006 21