Vehicle Electrics

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Vehicle Electrics

1. Lead connecting
g strip
p 2. Splash
p g
guard
3. Plastic separator insulates each plate 4. Grid to hold lead paste
5. Active material (positive plate) 6. Active material (negative plate)
7. Sediment trap

BATTERIES
A battery is a device that stores chemical energy and converts the chemical energy
into electricity. The amount of the electrical energy that a battery can supply, i.e. its
capacity, depends mainly on its size, and is measured in Amps per hour (A/h).
The rate at which a battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy varies
according to temperature: the colder the battery, the lower the rate.
Two different kinds of batteries are fitted, depending on the series:
.Lead-Antinomies
.Lead-Calcium
The Lead-Calcium batteries have better characteristics in terms of low electrolyte
usage and less topping up of water required: they're also referred to as low
maintenance batteries.
It is important not to forget that some machines are seasonal machines, and that there
is always a key-off power drained by the radio memory and either the transmission or
the EDC module.
Any battery that has been allowed to become completely discharged is hard to
recover, but the situation is much worse for Lead-Calcium batteries. If a Lead-Calcium
battery is flat, it is hard to recover it with the vehicle charging system or with a
standard battery charger: a different type of charging cycle must be used, due to the
chemical
h i l characteristics
h i i off the
h bbattery. A computer-controlled
ll d charger
h must b
be used
d ffor
this purpose, whose cost is at present extremely high.
Every battery has a CCA (cold cranking amperage) capacity, which is the amount of
current the battery can provide to the starter motor at -30¡C. The CCA rating has to be
specified by every supplier.
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Vehicle Electrics

A batteryy is a chemical store of electrical energy.

gy

A battery is two or more cells joined together. Each cell when charged
develops 2.1 volts of Electro-Motive Force (EMF. Is the ‘push’ of the
battery, pushing the current around a circuit). So a 12volt battery
consists of 6 x 2.1v cells.

A cell has multiple plates in it. There is normally one extra positive
plate, this is because a higher current drain is possible for a given size
of battery.
y The cells are p
placed in series in the battery
y case. The output
p
of a cell is determined by the area of the plates. Therefore to increase
the output either make the plates bigger (increase the surface area) or
increase the number of plates.

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Vehicle Electrics

A battery is a chemical store of electrical energy. It works by electrical

energy being feed into it causing a chemical reaction to occur. This
chemical reaction can only y be reversed by y connectingg the to battery
y
terminals together.
Discharging
Sulphate leaves the electrolyte and combines with lead on the positive
and negative plates to form white deposits of lead sulphate. The lead
hardens.
Charging
Sulphate leaves the positive and negative plates to combine with
water in the electrolyte and produces a stronger sulphuric acid.

As the electrolyte tends to change to water when the battery

discharges, a check on the specific gravity can be made Specific
gravity (sometimes known as relative density) compares the mass of
pure water with the mass of another liquid, in this case sulphuric acid.
Pure water compared with pure water R.D. = 1.000
Pure water compared
p with p
pure sulphuric
p acid R.D. = 1.640
Therefore the sulphuric acid is more dense / heavier than the water.
A battery with a specific gravity of 1.280 is charged. A battery with a
specific gravity of 1.110 is discharged. A difference of 0.040 between
cells indicates a dead cell.
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Vehicle Electrics

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Vehicle Electrics

Batteries g
give off hydrogen
y g gas g when charging.
g g This is highly
g y
explosive!
DO NOT smoke, grind, weld, gas cut or do anything else that
might cause a spark near a battery.

Be careful when using tools around the battery terminals

don’t cause a short between the positive & negative posts of
the battery or between the positive post and the chassis
while the earth is connected.
When disconnecting the battery terminals always disconnect
the earth first followed by the live. When reconnecting fit the
li fi
live firstt ffollowed
ll dbby th
the earth.
th

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Vehicle Electrics

On machines fitted with the IVECO Cursor engine

g ((largest
g
combines). The starter motor requires 24volts to operate.
The rest of the system works with 12 volts.
When Start charging or jump starting always connect up to
the rear battery. This battery is only ever at 12volts. When
the engine is cranked the front battery becomes 24volts
which will cause damage to any 12volt equipment connected
to it.

OBSERVE THE WARNING STICKER ON THE BATTEY COVER OF

THESE MACHINES.

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Vehicle Electrics

This was a battery y fitted to a tractor that exploded

p on a
training course. One of the centre cells had a fault in it, it was
put under stress and exploded. The clamps holding the
battery in position prevented the top coming off the outside
cells. There was no warning that this was going to happen!

Moral of this story?……... Treat batteries with respect.

Always wear the appropriate Personal Protection

Equipment.
Safety
yggoggles
gg are a must around batteries yyou only
y have
one pair of eyes.

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Vehicle Electrics

Battery
y testing
g
There are two reasons for testing a battery:
1.To determine the battery’s state of charge.
2.Assessing the serviceability of the battery, i.e. if it is faulty or worn
out
Note: The quickest and simplest method of testing a battery’s
battery s state of
charge is to conduct
Test 1 & test2these tests can be used to determine the batteries state
of charge and also the general serviceability of the battery.
Before commencing battery tests check the battery for clogged vents,
corrosion raised vent plugs or a cracked case
corrosion, case.

Test 1 – State of charge

Operate the vehicle headlights for 1 minute or apply a heavy
discharge load for 15 seconds. Leave the battery to recover for 5
minutes Measure the voltage across the battery
minutes. battery.

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Vehicle Electrics

Note: If the battery electrolyte level is too low to test

test, add water to the
recommended level of 17mm above the plates. Recharge for two hours then
leave for 15 minutes before testing.
Test procedure:
1/ Using the hydrometer bulb, siphon sufficient electrolyte to enable the
float to float freely.
freely
2/ With the float in the vertical position record the specific gravity, colour
and clarity of the electrolyte.
3/ Return the electrolyte to the same cell then repeat the test on each cell.
Adjust the hydrometer reading for electrolyte temperature variations by
subtracting 4 points (0.004
(0 004 specific gravity) for every 5
5.5°C
5°C (10°F) below the
temperature at which the hydrometer is calibrated and by adding 4 points
(0.004 specific gravity) for every 5.5°C (10°F) above this temperature.
Use the table to determine the state of charge:
Note: Specific gravity should not vary more than 0.025 points between cells.
If the battery has been charged under static conditions
conditions, denser electrolyte
will accumulate at the bottom of the cells. The battery should be shaken
periodically to mix the electrolyte, this will improve the charge rate and
provide a more accurate hydrometer reading when tested
If the readings from each cell are different or zero the battery is
unserviceable.
If the electrolyte is noticeably discoloured (the plate material is
disintegrating) or crystal clear (the plates are over sulphated) the battery is
unserviceable.

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Vehicle Electrics

If tests 1 and 2 show the battery is charged then it is ok to proceed to

test 3. If the test shows the battery is part charged but still serviceable
recharge it and then proceed to test 3.
Note. The voltage reading should be more than 12.5 volts.
This test should be carried out to ensure the battery is capable of
supplying the heavy current required when operating the starter motor
motor.
Use a suitable heavy discharge tester. If the tester has an adjustable
load control the load should be set to half the Cold Cranking Ability
(CCA) of the battery.
Test Procedure:
1.Connect
1 Connect the tester positive leads to the battery positive terminal and
the negative leads to the negative battery terminal.
2. Apply the tester to the battery for 15 seconds then disconnect and
leave for 5 minutes this first test is to remove the surface charge.
3. Apply the same test again for 15 seconds and record the voltage
just before disconnecting the tester
Results:
If the reading is 9.6 volts or more after 15 seconds the battery is
serviceable.
If the reading is below 9.6 volts the battery performance is low and
should be replaced
replaced.
Caution: Do not leave the high discharge load on the battery for
periods longer than 15 seconds.

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