Groundsmaster 580--D Page 8 -- 17 Electrical System (S/N 30101 & Up) (Rev. E)
Charging
To minimize possible damage to the battery and allow
the battery to be fully charged, the slow charging meth-
od is presented here. This charging method can be ac-
complished with a constant current battery charger
which is available in most shops.
CAUTION
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when
using a battery charger.
1. Determine the battery charge level from either its
open circuit voltage or specific gravity.
Battery Charge
Level
Open Circuit
Voltage
Specific
Gravity
100% 12.68 1.265
75% 12.45 1.225
50% 12.24 1.190
25% 12.06 1.155
0% 11.89 1.120
2. Determine the charging time and rate using the
manufacturer’s battery charger instructions or the
following table.
Reserve
Capacity
Battery Charge Level
(Percent of Fully Charged)
(Minutes)
75% 50% 25% 0%
80 or less 3.8 hrs
at
3amps
7.5 hrs
at
3amps
11.3 hrs
at
3amps
15 hrs
at
3amps
81 to 125 5.3 hrs
at
4amps
10.5 hrs
at
4amps
15.8 hrs
at
4amps
21 hrs
at
4amps
126 to
170
5.5 hrs
at
5amps
11 hrs
at
5amps
16.5 hrs
at
5amps
22 hrs
at
5amps
171 to
250
5.8 hrs
at
6amps
11.5 hrs
at
6amps
17.3 hrs
at
6amps
23 hrs
at
6amps
above
250
6hrs
at
10 amps
12 hrs
at
10 amps
18 hrs
at
10 amps
24 hrs
at
10 amps
CAUTION
Do not charge a frozen battery because it
can explode and cause injury. Let the bat-
tery warm to 60
o
F (15.5
o
C) before con-
necting to a charger.
Charge the battery in a well--ventilated
place to dissipate gases produced from
charging. These gases are explosive;
keep open flame and electrical spark
away from the battery. Do not smoke.
Nausea may result if the gases are in-
haled. Unplug the charger from the elec-
trical outlet before connecting or discon-
necting the charger leads from the battery
posts.
3. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, con-
nect the charger cables to the battery. Make sure a good
connection is made.
4. Charge the battery following the manufacturer’s
instructions.
5. Occasionally check the temperature of the battery
electrolyte. If the temperature exceeds 125
o
F (51.6
o
C)
or the electrolyte is violently gassing or spewing, the
charging rate must be lowered or temporarily stopped.
6. Three hours prior to the end of the charging, mea-
sure the specific gravity of a battery cell once per hour.
The battery is fully charged when the cells are gassing
freely at a low charging rate and there is less than a
0.003 change in specific gravity for three consecutive
readings.
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