Sears 200.71212 - Manual (Page 6)

Preparing your battery to be charged
It is important that you read and follow these guidelines
while you are preparing to charge your battery.
• Make sure that you have a 12 volt lead-acid battery.
• Clean the battery terminals. Be careful to keep
corrosion from getting in or around your eyes.
• If you have a battery with removable cell caps, if
required, add distilled water to each cell until the
battery acid reaches the level recommended by the
manufacturer. This will help purge excessive gases
from the cells. Be careful not to overfill. If you have
a sealed battery without cell caps, no action is
necessary. Continue to the next step listed below.
• Take time to read all battery manufacturer's specific
precautions, such as removing or not removing cell
caps while charging, and recommended rates of
charge.
• Wear safety glasses. See additional "Personal Safety
Precautions" on page 2.
• Be sure that the area around the battery is well-
ventilated while it is being charged. If ventilation is
poor, gas can be manually blown away by using a
piece of cardboard or other non-metailic material as
a fan.
• If it is necessary to remove the battery from the
vehicle to charge it, always remove the grounded
terminal from the battery first. A spark may be
caused if all accessories in the vehicle are not
completely turned off.
NOTE: A marine battery installed in a boat must be
removed and charged on shore.