PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-576
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 576
NOVEMBER 2000
PS 576
NOV 00
PS 576
2
NOV 00
Lead Acid Batteries . . .
BATTERY
CRANKING
POWER
ENGINE
RESISTANCE
TO STARTING
100%
49%
65%
30%
70°
0°
32°
–20°
Specific gravity less
than 1.100? Turn in
battery
Normal
1
2
/
3
times
If you add water, run engine 20
minutes to mix electrolyte
2
1
/
2
times
3
1
/
2
times
f you don’t know the condition of
your vehicle’s batteries, you could
find yourself stranded in the cold this
winter.
A weak battery has little chance of
surviving winter because even a good
battery suffers in the cold. Note that.
..
A fully-charged battery loses a third
of its cranking power at 32
o
F, com-
pared to its cranking power at 70
o
F.
Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to
run the specific gravity test on a “new”
battery from supply, too. It could save
you from being stranded—and very
cold.
At 0
o
F, it has less than half
its power.
At –20
o
F, it has only
30 percent of its power.
Here’s how to
determine if your
batteries are strong
enough for the cold.
Make sure you’ve got
a copy of TM 9-6140-200-14,
the battery bible.
chance to mix the water and electro-
lyte. If you don’t let ’em mix, you’ll
be testing water only. This mixing also
helps keep water from freezing, which
prevents cracked battery cases.
Eyeball Chap 3 of the battery pub
for testing procedures. That means us-
ing the optical battery/antifreeze tester
in the Common shop sets.
Using the info in Para 3-6 of the
TM, test the battery’s specific gravity.
If any cell’s specific gravity is less than
1.100, turn in the battery. It’ll freeze in
cold weather. If there is a difference in
specific gravity between any of the
If you’ve just added distilled water
to a battery, start the vehicle’s engine
and let it run for at least 20 minutes.
That gives the charging system a
cells of more than 0.025, turn in the
battery, too.
❄
❄
❄
❄
❄
yum!
no
mre
s
tonight!
PS 576
NOV 00
PS 576
2
NOV 00
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