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Battery charging

Battery charging

Important

An auxiliary starting system must not be used as this could damage the electronics of the car.

To start the car when the battery is discharged, use a booster battery or another car and jumper cables.



1. Measure the specific gravity (density) of the battery electrolyte. In a fully charged battery it should be 1.28. A specific gravity of 1.21 corresponds to a charge level of 50%.


Normally, the battery can be charged with a conventional battery charger. Check the electrolyte level before charging and top up with distilled water as necessary.

2. For boost-charging, the battery's negative terminal must be disconnected and the water refill plugs should be removed.


When booster-charging the battery the charging current should not exceed 40 A.

Max. charging time 1.5 h.

Important

Do not boost-charge a battery if the voltage is below 12V or if the battery is more than 2 years old.


3. If the battery has been run flat because a lamp or other consumer was left on, a weak starting charge will be required to initiate the chemical process in the battery. In such cases, start with a charge current of about 3 A (it must not exceed 5 A) for 24 hours or until the charge current has fallen to its lowest steady value.


The battery begins to give off gas at 14.4V.

In the above case, a battery charger with a pulsating charging current should be used if possible.