Owner’s Manual High Voltage Batteries 43
Battery Maintenance
Deep cycle batteries provide power for your vehicle and must be
properly maintained and recharged for maximum performance and
service life.
To maintain your batteries:
01. Clean the tops of the batteries with a solution of baking soda
and water, as necessary, to remove corrosion.
02. Check the fluid level before and after charging.
03. Using a hydrometer, check the specific gravity of the battery
fluid in each cell against the readings on the Hydrometer
Chart. Consult and ICON dealer if any low readings are found,
or if readings vary more than one point between cells.
Common mistakes made by flooded
battery owners
• Undercharging: Continually operating the battery
in a partial state of charge or storing the battery in
a discharged state results in the formation of lead
sulfate compounds on the plates. This condition
is known as sulfation. Both conditions reduce the
battery’s performance and may cause premature
battery failure. Undercharging will also cause
stratification.
• Overcharging: Continuous charging causes
accelerated corrosion of the positive plates,
excessive water consumption, and in some cases,
damaging temperatures within a lead acid battery.
• Under-watering: In flooded batteries water is lost
during the charging process. If the electrolyte level
drops below the tops of the plates, irreparable
damage may occur. Water levels should be
checked and maintained routinely.
• Over-watering: Excessive watering of a battery
results in additional dilution of the electrolyte,
resulting in reduced battery performance.
Additionally, watering the battery before charging
may result in electrolyte overflow and unnecessary
additional maintenance.
• Use only distilled water.
Hydrometer Chart
Satisfactory Uncorrected
Hydrometer Reading
Temperature
°C °C
1.24448.9 120
1.24843.3 110
1.25237.8 100
1.256
1.272
32.2 90
10.0 50
1.260
1.276
26.7 80
4.4 40
1.264
1.280
21.1 70
-1.1 30
1.26815.6 60
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