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TP-6804 1/1570 Section 5 Scheduled Maintenance
5.8 Battery
Sulfuric acid in batteries.
Can cause severe injury or death.
Wear protective goggles and
clothing. Battery acid may cause
blindness and burn skin.
WARNING
Battery electrolyte is a diluted sulfuric acid. Battery acid
can cause severe injury or death. Battery acid can cause
blindness and burn skin. Always wear splashproof safety
goggles, rubber gloves, and boots when servicing the battery.
Do not open a sealed battery or mutilate the battery case. If
battery acid splashes in the eyes or on the skin, immediately
flush the affected area for 15 minutes with large quantities of
clean water. Seek immediate medical aid in the case of eye
contact. Never addacid to abattery afterplacing the batteryin
service, as this may result in hazardous spattering of battery
acid.
Battery acid cleanup. Battery acid can cause severe
injury or death. Battery acid is electrically conductive and
corrosive. Add 500 g (1 lb.) of bicarbonate of soda (baking
soda) to a container with4L(1gal.)ofwaterandmixthe
neutralizing solution. Pour the neutralizing solution on the
spilled battery acid and continue to add the neutralizing
solution to the spilled battery acid until all evidence of a
chemical reaction (foaming) has ceased. Flush the resulting
liquid with water and dry the area.
Battery gases. Explosion can cause severe injury or
death. Battery gases can cause an explosion. Do not smoke
or permit flames or sparks to occur near a battery at any time,
particularlywhen itis charging. Do notdispose ofa batteryin a
fire. To prevent burns and sparks that could cause an
explosion, avoid touching the battery terminals with tools or
other metal objects. Remove all jewelry before servicing the
equipment. Discharge static electricity from your body before
touching batteries by first touching a grounded metal surface
away from the battery. To avoid sparks, do not disturb the
battery charger connections while the battery is charging.
Always turn the battery charger off before disconnecting the
battery connections. Ventilate the compartments containing
batteries to prevent accumulation of explosive gases.
Battery short circuits. Explosion can cause severe injury
or death. Short circuits can cause bodily injury and/or
equipment damage. Disconnect the battery before generator
set installation or maintenance. Remove all jewelry before
servicing the equipment. Use tools with insulated handles.
Remove the negative (--) lead first when disconnecting the
battery. Reconnect the negative (--) lead last when
reconnecting the battery. Never connect the negative (--)
battery cable to the positive (+) connection terminal of the
starter solenoid. Do not test the battery condition by shorting
the terminals together.
Refer to this section for general battery information and
maintenance. Also consult the battery manufacturer’s
instructions for battery maintenance.
All generator set models use a negative ground with a
12-volt engine electrical system. Consult the generator
set nameplate for the engine electrical system voltage.
Consult the generator spec sheet for battery capacity
recommendations for replacement purposes. Wiring
diagrams provide battery connection information. See
Figure 5-10 for typical battery connections.
EZ-273000-J
1
2
1. To positive (+) terminal on starter solenoid.
2. To ground (--) terminal on or near starter motor.
Figure 5-10 12-Volt Engine Electrical System Single
Starter Motor, Typical Battery
Connection
5.8.1 Cleaning the Battery
Clean the battery and cables and tighten battery
terminals using the service schedule
recommendations. To preventcorrosion, maintaintight,
dry electrical connections at the battery terminals. To
remove corrosion from battery terminals, disconnect
the cables from the battery and scrub the terminals with
a wire brush. Clean the battery and cables with a
solution of baking soda and water. After c leaning, flush
the battery and cables with clean water and wipe them
with a dry, lint-free cloth.
After reconnecting the battery cables, coat the battery
terminals with petroleum jelly, silicone grease, or other
nonconductive grease.
5.8.2 Checking Electrolyte Level
Check the electrolyte level of batteries with filler caps
monthly. Remove filler caps and verify that electrolyte
level reaches bottom of filler holes. Refill as necessary
with distilled water. DO NOT add fresh electrolyte.
Tighten all filler caps. If water is added during freezing
temperatures, run the generator set for 20--30 minutes
to mix the electrolyte and water to prevent battery
damage from freezing.