Troy-Bilt 8 HP - Manual (Page 58)

Battery care and
maintenance
The follow ing guidelines w ill help
to protect your battery w hile it is in
service during seasonal use and
during extended periods of stor­
age. To ensure m axim um battery
life and perform ance, these guide­
lines should be follow ed carefully.
A
DANGER
POISON-CAUSES SEVERE BURNS
• E lectrolyte is a sulfuric acid
solution.
• A void contact w ith skin, eyes and
clothing.
• To prevent accidents, w ear pro­
tective clothing, rubber gloves, and
shield eyes w ith safety goggles.
• N eutralize acid spills w ith baking
soda and w ater solution. N eutral­
ize em pty container w ith baking
soda and rinse w ith w ater.
A N TID O TE ; E xternal— Flush w ith
w ater. E yes— Flush w ith w ater for
15 m inutes and get prom pt m edi­
cal attention.
A N TID O TE : Internal— D rink large
quantities of w ater or m ilk. Follow
w ith m ilk of m agnesia, beaten
eggs, or vegetable oil. C all physi­
cian im m ediately.
K EE P O U T O F R EA C H O F C H ILD R E N
DANGER-BATTERIES
PRODUCE EXPLOSIVE GASES
• K eep sparks, flam e, cigarettes
aw ay.
• V entilate area w hen charging or
using battery in an enclosed space.
• M ake sure venting path (vent
tube) of battery is alw ays open.
A
DANGER
N ever touch the positive (-I-) bat­
tery post and any other surround­
ing m etal w ith tools, jew elry, or
other m etal objects. D oing so can
cause a short circuit that could
result in electrical burns, an elec­
trical shock, or an explosion of
battery gases.
A. Battery care in service
1. O nce a m onth or every 10 oper­
ating hours, w hichever occurs first,
check the level of the electrolyte;
(a) If the battery has “U PP E R ” and
“LO W E R ” level lines m arked
on one side of its case, the
electrolyte level should be at
the “U PP E R ” level line. (B e
sure battery is level w hen
checking the electrolyte level.)
(b) If the battery does not have
“U PP E R ” and “LO W E R ” level
lines m arked on one side of its
case, the electrolyte level
should just touch the low est
part of the filler w ell in each
cell. S ee Figure 6-63. (B e sure
battery is level w hen checking
the electrolyte level.)
If necessary, use distilled or dem in­
eralized w ater (D O N O T U S E B A T­
TER Y A C ID ) to refill each cell to the
proper level. A fter filling, replace
the battery caps and w ash off any
spilled electrolyte w ith a baking
soda and w ater solution. N ext, run
the engine outdoors for about 20
m inutes at ® /4 throttle speed to help
recharge and recirculate the elec­
trolyte solution. For safety, do not
leave the tiller unattended w hile
the engine is running.
2. K eep the battery clean. If the
term inals are corroded, rem ove the
battery and clean the term inals
w ith a w ire brush, sandpaper, or
steel w ool. A V O ID G E TTIN G TH E
C O R R O SIVE M A TE R IA L (W H IC H IS
A C ID O X ID A TIO N ) O N YO U R S K IN
O R IN Y O U R EY E S . Then rinse the
battery w ith a baking soda and
w ater solution (be sure the battery
caps are securely tightened before
rinsing). C oat the term inals w ith
petroleum jelly or silicone grease
to prevent further corrosion.
3. P eriodically check the entire
electrical system for loose or dirty
connections.
4. P eriodically check that the bat­
tery clam p is tight enough to keep
the battery firm ly in place. D o not
overtighten the clam p as it could
dam age the battery case or clam p.
5. P eriodically check that the vent
tube is not crim ped or pinched
anyw here along its length.
6-63: K eep battery filled to bottom of
filler w ells.
A
WARNING
To help avoid personal injury, m ake
certain that the battery vent tube is
not crim ped, pinched, or folded
anyw here along its length. Im ­
proper venting could result in a
battery explosion.
B. Battery care in storage
Y our engine has a recharging
circuit that w ill properly m aintain
the battery’s state of charge during
the norm al tilling season. W hen
the tiller w ill not be used for an
extended period of tim e, w e rec­
om m end that the battery be fully
charged before placing it in stor­
age. B efore reinstalling the battery
after storage, it should again be
given a thorough recharge.
1. R em ove the battery from the
tiller (see “B attery R em oval” in­
structions) and place it on a level
surface.
A
DANGER
• W hile the battery is being
charged, do not leave it unat­
tended. The charging tim e does
not have to be continuous.
• C arefully follow all charging in­
structions and safety rules pro­
vided by the m anufacturer of the
charging equipm ent.
• N ever attem pt to “jum p start” the
battery w ith an autom obile battery
or its charging system . D oing so
could result in serious personal
injury or property dam age from
such causes as a battery explo­
sion, or acid or electrical burns.
56