Toro 08743 - Page 223

Inspecting,Maintaining,andTestingtheBattery(continued)
B.Checkthebatteryterminalsforcorrosion.Usethewirebrushtoclean
corrosionfromtheposts.
IMPORTANT
Beforecleaningthebattery,tapeorblocktheventholesofthe
llercapsandensurethatthecapsaresecure.
C.Checkforthesignsofwetnessorleakageonthetopofthebatterywhich
mightindicatealooseormissingllercap,overcharging,looseterminal
post,oroverlling.Also,checkthebatterycasefordirtandoil.Cleanthe
batterywithasolutionofbakingsoda(sodiumbicarbonate)andwater,
thenrinseitwithcleanwater.
D.Checkthatthecoversealisnotbrokenaway.Replacethebatteryifthe
sealisbrokenorleaking.
IMPORTANT
Makesuretheareaaroundthebatterycapsiscleanbefore
openingthecaps.
E.Checktheelectrolytelevelineachcell.Ifthelevelisbelowthetopsof
theplatesinanycell,llallthecellswithdistilledwaterbetweenthe
minimumandmaximumlllines.Chargeat15to25Afor15minutesto
allowsufcientmixingoftheelectrolyte.
2.Performthehydrometertestofthebattery-electrolyte.
IMPORTANT
Makesuretheareaaroundthebatterycapsiscleanbeforeopening
thecaps.
A.Useahydrometertomeasurethespecicgravityofeachcell.Pullthe
electrolyteinandoutofthehydrometerbarrelbeforetakingareading
towarm-upthehydrometer.Atthesametime,takethetemperatureof
thecell.
B.Temperaturecorrecteachcellreading.Foreach6°C(10°F)above27°C
(80°F)add0.004tothespecicgravityreading.Foreach6°C(10°F)
below27°C(80°F)subtract0.004fromthespecicgravityreading;refer
toT emperatureCorrectingSpecicGravity(page6–32).
C.Ifthedifferencebetweenthehighestandlowestcellspecicgravityis
0.050ormoreorthelowestcellspecicgravityislessthan1.225,charge
thebattery.
D.ChargeattherateandtimegiveninBatteryChargeRate(page6–34)
oruntilallcellsspecicgravityis1.225orgreaterwiththedifference
inspecicgravitybetweenthehighestandlowestcellbeinglessthan
0.050.Ifyoucannotmeetthesechargingconditions,replacethebattery.
3.Doahigh-dischargetestwithanadjustableloadtester.Thisisaveryreliable
meansoftestingabatteryasitsimulatesthebatterycold-crankingcapacity.
Acommercialbatteryloadtesterisrequiredtodothistest.
SandPro
®
3040and5040
Page6–33
ElectricalSystem:ServiceandRepairs
20251SLRevA