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62 - Form No. 56043161 - Clean Track

L24

If your machine shipped without an onboard battery charger, do the following:

1. Disconnect the batteries from the machine and push the connector from the charger into the Battery Pack

Connector (17).

2. Follow the instructions on the battery charger.

Service Note: Makesureyouplugthebatterychargerintotheconnectorwiththehandleattachedtoit.

Important:

Make sure you have an appropriate charger for use on Gel cell batteries. Use only “voltage-regulated” or “voltage-

limited” chargers. Standard constant current or taper current chargers must not be used. A temperature-sensing

chargerisrecommended,asmanualadjustmentsareneveraccurateandwilldamageanyVRLAbattery.

Wet Cell Battery Maintenance

Correct maintenance of electric vehicle batteries can greatly extend their life. Well-maintained batteries may last up to

threeyears,butfailureafteroneyeariscommonifmaintenancehasbeenpoor.

There are three simple rules for good battery maintenance:

• Maintain Correct 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,lleachcelltothe

bottomofthellertube.Donotoverll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 one hour. Machine operators should open the battery compartment cover for charging to avoid a concentrated

buildupofhydrogengas.Operatorsshouldfollowtheinstructionsprovidedwiththeirspecicbatterychargerto

determinehowlongthebatteriesshouldbecharged.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lledorovercharged.

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cells”inthebatterysystem-thatis,oneormorecellsthatareputting

out less voltage than the other cells.

Note:Alwayschargebatteriesbeforetesting.

Therearetwowaystondadeadcell:

1. Useahydrometertocheckthespecicgravity(or“stateofcharge”)oftheuidineachcell.Adeadcellisonethat

reads 50 points (or more) lower than the other cells. The chart below shows the approximate “percent of charge” of

anelectricvehiclebatteryatvariouselectrolytespecicgravityvalues,correctedto80°F(26.7°C).

Clarke Clean Track® L24 56317170 User Manual

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