E-Z-GO FREEDOM RXV 2+2 - Manual (Page 38)

Page 18
OPERATION AND SERVICE INFORMATION
Owner’s Guide
Read all of manual to become familiar with this vehicle. Pay attention to all NOTICES, CAUTIONS, WARNINGS and DANGERS.
B
BATTERIES AND CHARGING
SAFETY
Always observe the following warnings when working on or
near batteries:
To prevent battery explosion that could result
in severe personal injury or death, keep all
smoking materials, open flames or sparks
away from the batteries.
Hydrogen gas is formed when charging bat-
teries. Do not charge batteries without ade-
quate ventilation. A 4% concentration of
hydrogen gas is explosive.
Be sure that the key switch is off and all
electrical accessories are turned off before
starting work on the vehicle.
Never disconnect a circuit under load at a
battery terminal.
Batteries are heavy.
Use proper lifting
techniques when
moving them.
Always lift the bat-
tery with a commer-
cially available
battery lifting device.
Use care not to tip batteries when removing
or installing them; spilled electrolyte can
cause burns and damage.
The electrolyte in a storage battery is an acid
solution which can cause severe burns to the
skin and eyes. Treat all electrolyte spills to the
body and eyes with extended flushing with
clear water. Contact a physician immediately.
Always wear a safety
shield or approved safe-
ty goggles when adding
water or charging bat-
teries.
Any electrolyte spills should be neutralized
with a solution of 1/4 cup (60 ml) sodium
bicarbonate (baking soda) dissolved in 1 1/
2 gallons (6 liters) of water and flushed with
water.
Overfilling batteries may result in electrolyte
being spilled from the battery during the
charge cycle. Expelled electrolyte may
cause damage to the vehicle and storage
facility.
Aerosol containers of battery terminal pro-
tectant must be used with extreme care.
Insulate metal container to prevent can
from contacting battery terminals which
could result in an explosion.
Wrap wrenches with vinyl
tape to prevent the possi-
bility of a dropped wrench
from ’shorting out’ a bat-
tery, which could result in
an explosion and severe personal injury or
death.
BATTERY
A battery is defined as two dissimilar metals immersed
in an acid. If the acid is absent or if the metals are not
dissimilar, a battery has not been created. The batteries
most commonly used in these vehicles are lead acid.
A battery does not store electricity, but is able to pro-
duce electricity as the result of a chemical reaction
which releases stored chemical energy in the form of
electrical energy. The chemical reaction takes place
faster in warm conditions and slower in cold conditions.
Temperature is important when conducting tests on a
battery and test results must be corrected to compen-
sate for temperature differences.
As a battery ages, it still performs adequately except
that its capacity is diminished. Capacity describes the
time that a battery can continue to provide its design
amperes from a full charge.
A battery has a maximum life, therefore good mainte-
nance is designed to maximize the available life and
reduce the factors that can reduce the life of the battery.
NOTICE