Assembly Instructions

Dry Battery Service

DANGER

Activating a battery can be dangerous. The battery should be taken to a reliable service station, battery store, or power equipment dealer where a trained technician can activate the battery safely. DO NOT attempt to activate the battery unless you are experienced in battery service work. The following activation and charging instructions are provided for use by a trained battery technician.

DANGER

Battery electrolyte is a poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid solution.

•Avoid spillage and contact with skin, eyes, and clothing - causes severe burns.

•To prevent accidents, wear safety gog- gles and rubber gloves when working with electrolyte.

•Neutralize acid spills with baking soda and water solution.

To fill (activate) battery with electrolyte (if battery has been shipped dry):

1.Remove the battery hold-down bar, disconnect the battery cables and lift the battery out of the tray.

IMPORTANT: Battery must be removed from the mower before filling with electrolyte.

IMPORTANT: Obtain and use only battery grade sulfuric acid electrolyte with a 1.265 spe- cific gravity to activate the battery. DO NOT use water or any other liquid during initial activation.

2.Remove the filler caps and carefully fill each cell until the electrolyte is just above the plates.

3.After the battery is filled with electrolyte, replace the filler caps and charge the battery. Refer to

Battery Charging.

Battery Charging

DANGER

BATTERIES PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE GASES

•Charge the battery in a well-ventilated area, so that gases produced while charg- ing can dissipate.

•Keep sparks, flames, and smoking mate- rials away from the battery at all times.

•Make sure the battery cap vents are open after the battery is filled with acid (check manifold vent on each cap).

•Make sure the battery charger is un- plugged before connecting or disconnect- ing cables to the battery.

IMPORTANT: Always disconnect the negative (-) battery terminal before charging. Failure to do so can result in damage to the ECU.

1.Charge the battery at 15 amps for 10 minutes. DO NOT exceed 20 amps maximum recom- mended charging rate. Charge until specific gravity is at least 1.250. Total charging time should not exceed one (1) hour.

2.After charging the battery, adjust the electrolyte level to the bottom of the vent wells [1/4 to 1/2 in.

(6 to 13 mm) above the plates].

IMPORTANT: DO NOT overfill the battery. Electrolyte will overflow through the vented caps onto parts of the machine and WILL result in se- vere corrosion.

3.Install battery.

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