PS Magazine - FEBRUARY 1981
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 339
FEBRUARY 1981
a,
b
and
C
are all corRect.
Overfilling youR batte± with wAter
weakens tHe eleCtRolyte wHeN some of
r
tHe acid is lost. THen tHe battery Can't
be fully cHaRged. THe electRoLte gets
weaker every time you run it over.
Final²y, it gets so weak, it's ruined.
Weak electroLte freezes easier tHen
strong electrolyte. So, depending on
tHe temperature aNd on How mucH
P±'
²
.³
o
-´
·
you³ve weakened tHe electrolYte, youR
T :
overfi´ing can lead to a frozeµ batte¶.
Use onlY Batte± Fi´er, Sy·In
G
e, ¸S¸
6140-00±80. -7 25
to
.
±
rd
·.
K•
Cl
,.
,
water
;
your battery. Fill onlY to about
¥
inch above tHe tops of tHe pl¹tes.
C
Baking soda
i
an
"acid
neutralizerº» ¼t³s tHe same stuff
(bicar½onate of soda) tHat some
people use foR an upset stomacH-
because i¾ "neutralizes¿ stomacH acid.
BaKÀng soda does tHe same tHing wHen
you use it to clean tHe outside of your
batteÁ» Plain water won't do tHe jobÃ
Äou mix a halfÅpound of ½aking soda
witH a gallon of water. Use a fibeR
brusH (not a wire brusHÃ) to scrub Your
½atte± witH tHe baking soda/Æater
mix. Be careful not to get bakÀng soda
insÀde your ½atte±Çit'll ruin tHe acid
inside. Èfter scrÉbbÀng, flusH off your
batteÊË witH a bucket of water oR a low
pres sure stream from a Hose. Wipe tHe
battery dry. Baking soda comes under
¸S¸
6810±00±264²6618 (1
lb)
¸S¸
6810-00³290-55´4 (100
lb).
OW!
WAT'S tH± Las² ³IME l Ge´ µ P¶Zz·
w¸¹h ºV»RY¼½!N<-¾¿nD
ÀÁ OÂÃoÄ mÃÅKÆÇÈkÉÊ
ËÌÍÎ.
r
_± ²
²
Ì
È little of tHe acid in tHe
eÍectroLte escÎpes from your battE±
during normal cHarging. ¼t's vented
tHrougH tHe filler caps as a ÏÐne mist.
ÑHis acid attacks metal parts on and
near your batte±. Òorrosion is tHat
wHÀte powDerY, or fluffY stuÓ you see
on tHe top of your batte±, on tHe
clamps and posts and on otHer nearby
metal parts»
-
Ì
È wire brusH takes most of tHe
corrosion off batte± Holddowns, tHe
½attery box and otHer nearby metal
parts tHat're attacked ½y acid. To do a
good job, take tHe batteries out. ¼f you
can, take out all of tHe corroded metal
parts so you can clean 'em a´ over. Äou
may need to use a blow torcH to burn
off old paint or coatingÔbut keep tHe
flame away from your batteries. ÕHey
can expÖodeà WHen you've cleaned
down to bare metal, wasH tHe parts
witH ½aking soda and water, Rinse 'em
in fresH water and d× 'em»
@c
ØiRt and coRrosion will cause
your ½attery to discHargeÇgo dead.
ÕHis
Ï
½ecause dirt and corrosion Hold
moisture. Ùlectricity travels tHrougH
moisture. ÕHis moisture
Ï
like a wire
connecting
tHe
positive
µ +)
and
negative (ÚÛpostsÜof your batteÊË. Ýot
it? Þeep Your battery clean.
You can't
see it
lIke
thIs ¶··
¸ ¹· but
thisºs
goIng oN
all of the
» ¼ime on
a DIRty,
coRRoDeD
batteRy
@a
and Ìare botH rÀgHt. Äou can
use eitHer epoxy, ¸S¸
8010-00-959±
4661½
or bituminous coating, ¸S¸
8030±00-290¾5141¿
(¸o, you don't use
grease
on
tHese
parts.
Ýreaseß
ÝÈÈÇis used on onL tHe batte±
posts and clamps.) Ùpoxy makes a
Hardà
slick
coating.
Bituminous
coating is black, tar± stuff» Ordina±
blacK paint wi´ protect tHe metal, but
it won't last as long as tHose HeavÀer
coatings» WHatever you use,you'rejust
wasting your time if the metal is not
clean and d±. È coatÀng over corroá
sion won't stop tHe corrosÀon from
at tHe metal.
CleaN, DRy
À
befoRe coa¼ing
Back to Top Back to Top
