Attention! To avoid contamination of the electrolyte, clean the surface of the cap only when the plugs are tightly screwed on.
Make sure that the corks are always tightly screwed into the necks of the jars. At least once every 2 weeks, check the cleanliness of the gas outlet holes in the plugs (if they are fulfilled) or in the side walls of the lid. Clogging of these holes will cause the gas pressure inside the battery to build up, which may damage the battery.
To prevent oxidation of the battery terminals and wire lugs, clean the terminals and lugs regularly (manufacturer's requirement - every 30 thousand km), lubricate them with petroleum jelly or grease. Watch tightness of connection of tips of wires and conclusions.
Note. Commercially available conductive copper greases are best used to protect leads and lugs from oxidation instead of petroleum jelly or conventional greases.
Periodically check the reliability of the battery fastening on the car, if necessary, tighten it to avoid cracks on the monoblock.
Note. To reduce vibration transmitted to the battery monobloc, place the battery on an acid-resistant rubber mat.
If the battery is serviced, then periodically (manufacturer's requirement - every 15 thousand km) check the electrolyte level in the battery cells.
Note. For batteries with a cover common to all cells, equipped with a capacitor cavity, it is allowed to check the electrolyte level once every 2 months.
The electrolyte level in all cells should be 5–10 mm higher than the upper edge of the separators, which corresponds to the location of the level between the marks «MIN» And «MAX» on the wall of a translucent battery case from other manufacturers.
Note. It is convenient to check the electrolyte level above the upper edge of the separators with a glass tube with a diameter of 4–5 mm. Lower it into the element until it stops in the separator and, closing the free end of the tube with your finger, remove it from the element.
To restore the electrolyte level, add only distilled water. If it is determined that sloshing is the cause of the low level, then add electrolyte of the same density as that left in the battery cell. If the level is above normal, pump out the electrolyte with a rubber bulb with an ebonite tip.
Warning! It is strictly forbidden to add concentrated acid to the battery!
If during operation there were problems with starting the engine, check the density of the electrolyte of the battery or the voltage at its terminals in an unloaded state. To check the electrolyte density, use a hydrometer or electrolyte density float indicator, which can be purchased at an auto shop. The density of the electrolyte, corresponding to the degree of charge of the battery, is given in Table. 4.3. The voltage at the battery terminals can be measured with any DC voltmeter with a measurement limit of 20 V (a similar voltmeter is included with all commercially available autotesters or multimeters).
Table 4.3. Parameters for checking the state of charge of the battery
