13
Systems
In general, the higher the minute rating, the greater the
battery’s ability to run the yacht’s electrical accessories with
the engines off or in the event an alternator or belt fails.
Battery Age- Normally located on the top or side of the
battery is a label showing the month and year the battery
was shipped from the factory. The letter corresponds with
the month, starting with “A” for January, “B” for February,
and so on.
The number represents the year with “9” standing for
2009, 0 for 2010, and so on. A9 would be January, 2009.
CO would be March, 2010 and G1 would be July, 2011.
Battery age is a factor used to determine replacement
needs.
BATTERY MAINTENANCE
Maintenance Free Type
The Group 31 “maintenance free” engine cranking
batteries are not all together maintenance free. Unlike
regular batteries there are no water fi ll caps to remove
on this style battery but several other items need to be
monitored periodically.
1. Check both positive and negative terminal hardware
for tightness. Loose connections are known to discharge
a battery very quickly.
2. Make sure all terminals are clean. If not a battery cleaner
tool (available at car parts stores) or old toothbrush should
be used to clean both the positive and negative terminals.
Use a small amount of baking soda and water. Remove
any residue from the terminal area with a disposable damp
cloth.
Install corrosion protection to the posts before reinstalling
the terminals. Refer to the illustration.
3. After all preventative maintenance is completed slide
the red boot back over the positive terminal. This will
prevent any object from arcing across the positive terminal
to ground possibly causing a fi re.
House- (Fill Cap Type)
The single house “deep cycle” house battery located in the
blue and white battery box needs periodic maintenance for
optimum performance. Remove the cover by turning the
2 white knobs in a counterclockwise direction. Since this
type of battery features fi ll caps each cell’s water level can
be monitored and distilled water can be added as needed.
Follow these maintenance steps for the house battery.
1. The fi rst item to be checked is the open-cell voltage. Use
a dedicated battery tester or a voltmeter. With the battery
fully charged with no circuits energized the voltage across
the terminals should be 12.5 to 12.6 volts.
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