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Maintenance
Battery Service
New Battery Preparation
1. Remove the battery from the carton.
2. Place the battery in a well ventilated area on a level non-
concrete surface.
3. Remove the battery cell caps. Fill the cells as required
with electrolyte (supplied with battery) to the proper
level. Filling the battery with electrolyte will bring the
battery to 80% charged state.
4. With the cell caps removed, connect the battery charger
to the battery terminals; RED to positive (+) and BLACK
to negative (-) terminal.
IMPORTANT: Never place anything in the battery other than
the specified electrolyte.
5. Slow charge the battery at 1 amp for 2 hours to bring
the battery to full charge.
6. After charging, check the level of electrolyte and add as
needed to bring to the proper fluid level.
7. Reinstall the cell caps.
8. Install the battery into the power unit.
9. Connect the positive (+) cable (red) first, from the wiring
harness to the positive terminal (+) on the battery using
the bolt and nut provided in the hardware bag. Connect
the negative (-) cable (black) last, to the negative termi-
nal (-) on the battery using the bolt and nut. Apply a
small amount of grease over the terminals to prevent
corrosion.
Battery Service
1. Remove the battery.
2. Place the battery in a well ventilated area on a level sur-
face.
3. Using distilled water, refill the cells as required to cover
the cell plates.
4. With the cell caps removed, connect the battery charger
to the battery terminals. Red to positive (+) terminal
and black to negative (-) terminal.
5. Slow charge the battery at 1 amp for 10 hours.
6. If the battery will not accept a charge or is partially
charged after 10 hours of charging at 1 amp, replace
with a new battery.
Battery Storage
If the Walk Behind is to be stored out of season on its rear
bumper, it is recommended the battery be removed, charged
and stored.
1. Remove the battery.
2. Perform battery service.
3. Bring the battery to full charge, if required.
4. Store the battery in an area away from the Walk Behind
on a wood surface. DO NOT STORE BATTERY ON A
CONCRETE SURFACE.
Battery Testing
There are two types of battery tests: Unloaded and Loaded.
The unloaded test is the procedure that will be discussed. It’s
the simplest and most commonly used. An unloaded test is
made on a battery without discharging current. To perform
unloaded testing, check charge condition using either a
hydrometer or voltmeter.
1. Using a voltmeter, voltage readings appear instantly to
show the state of charge. Remember to hook the posi-
tive lead to the battery’s positive terminal, and the nega-
tive lead to the negative terminal.
2. A hydrometer measures the specific gravity of each cell.
The specific gravity tells the degree of charge; generally,
a specific gravity of about 1.265 to 1.280 indicates full
charge. A reading of 1.230 to 1.260 indicates the battery
should be charged. The chart below shows the charge
level as measured by syringe float hydrometer, digital
voltmeter and five ball hydrometer.
WARNING
DO NOT over fill battery with electrolyte. Shield the positive
terminal with terminal cover located on battery harness. This
prevents metal from touching the positive terminal, which could
cause sparks. The electrolyte (acid) produces a highly explosive
gas. Keep all sparks, flame and fire away from area when
charging battery or when handling electrolyte or battery.
Electrolyte (acid) is a highly corrosive liquid. Wear eye protection.
Wash affected areas immediately after having eye or skin contact
with electrolyte (acid). Battery acid is corrosive. Rinse empty acid
containers with water and mutilate before discarding. If acid is
spilled on battery, bench, or clothing, etc., Flush with clear water
and neutralize with baking soda. Never attempt to charge battery
while installed on the walk behind. Never use “BOOST” chargers
on the battery.
! !
Methods of Checking Battery Condition
State of Charge Syringe Hydrometer Digital Voltmeter Five Ball Hydrometer
100% Charged w/ Sulfate Stop 1.280 12.80v Five Balls Floating
100% Charged 1.265 12.60v Four Balls Floating
75% Charged 1.210 12.40v Three Balls Floating
50% Charged 1.160 12.10v Two Balls Floating
25% Charged 1.120 11.90v One Ball Floating
0% Charged Less than 1.100 Less than 11.80v Zero Balls Floating
Maintenance (Continued)