Battery Charging

^ Use a charger with an end voltage of 16 V equipped with a voltmeter that is accurate to within 1 percent.
^ The ambient temperature should be 15-38° C (60-100° F). A battery that is extremely cold will not accept measurable current for several hours after starting the charger.
^ The charging area should be well ventilated.
^ Do not charge the battery (C). Replace the battery if the built in hydrometer is clear or yellow and there is a cranking problem.
^ Do not charge a battery that appears to be frozen. Replace any frozen battery.
^ Batteries showing a green dot in the hydrometer (A) do not need to be charged unless they have just been discharged (such as cranking the engine).
^ Batteries showing a black or dark dot in the hydrometer (B) can be charged. Refer to Charging Low or Completely Discharged Battery. Charging Low or Completely Discharged Battery
^ Check the battery being charged every 30 minutes to avoid overcharging the battery.
^ If during charging the battery feels hot, 52° C (125° F), or if gassing or spewing to the electrolyte through the vent holes occurs, discontinue the charging or reduce the charging rate.
^ Stop charging within one hour after the green dot appears in the hydrometer.




Charging Time Required

The time required to charge a battery will vary depending upon the following factors:
1. The size of the battery - A completely discharged, large, heavy-duty battery requires more than twice the recharging time as a completely discharged, smaller capacity battery.
2. The temperature - A longer time is needed to charge any battery at -18° C (0° F) than at 27° C (80° F). When a fast charger is connected to a cold battery, the current accepted by the battery is very low at first. As the battery warms, the battery accepts current at a higher rate.
3. The charging capacity - A charger which can supply only five amperes requires a much longer charging period than a charger that can supply 30 amperes or more.
4. The state-of-charge - A completely discharged battery requires more than twice as much charge time as a half charged battery. Because the electrolyte is nearly pure water and a poor conductor in a completely discharged battery, the battery accepts very low current at first. Later, as the charging current causes the electrolyte acid content to increase, the charging current also increases.

Charging Procedure

Tools Required
Battery Terminal Adapters

NOTE: Turn OFF the ignition when connecting or disconnecting the battery cables, the battery charger or the jumper cables. Failure to do so may damage the PCM or other electronic components.

1. Do not charge a battery with a green hydrometer dot unless it has just been discharged, such as in cranking.
2. When charging side-terminal batteries while on-vehicle, use the following procedure:
2.1. Turn OFF the charger.
2.2. Connect the charger positive lead to the positive booster cable terminal.
2.3. Connect the negative charger lead to a solid engine ground.

3. When charging side-terminal batteries out of vehicle, install the battery side terminal adapters.

Tighten
Tighten the battery side terminal adapters to 15 N.m (11 lb ft).

4. Make sure all the battery terminals are clean and tight.
5. A 4050 A charging level is recommended for a discharged battery.
6. Charge the battery until the hydrometer has a green dot.
7. Inspect the battery every half hour after starting the battery charger.
8. Tap the hydrometer lightly to dislodge any air bubbles. The bubbles cause a false indication.
9. Load test the battery after charging. Refer to Battery Load Test. Testing and Inspection