CARE OF THE BATTERY

Matamata Record, Volume XX, Issue 2014, 6 March 1939, Page 6

CARE OF THE BATTERY

EFFECT ON THE CAR \ Need for Regular Attention As all the current for ignition, starting and lighting is derived from the battery, it is a unit exercising a profound effect on a car’s efficiency. It is important that it receives some, attention at very frequent intervals. The first care is that the cells be ,v topped up” with distilled water regularly every fortnight. This little job is performed quite willingly free of charge by most service stations, and in the best organised establishments is part and parcel of the regular greasing and oiling routine. But if the motorist does this job himself it is important to remember that the cells should not be overfilled. Only sufficient water -to cover the plates should be put in, leaving an air space between the water and the top of the battery case. If this work is neglected, the battery will soon be ruined. The distilled water mixes with the acid inside the battery and forms the electrolyte. In service the water boils away and has to be replaced. The acid stays there and it- is never necessary to add to it unless some of it has been spilled accidentally. In that case, the task should be left to an electrical service station, because only a certain amount of acid, which may vary with different batteries, is allowable.

Keep Free From Corrosion There are several other points which require attention. The battery terminals must be kept free of corrosion, caused by fumes of the electrolyte collecting round the terminal posts and eating into them and the cable ends. If allowed to proceed unchecked, this corrosion will eventually eat right through the copper cables and destroy the electrical circuit. When signs of cori’oslon are noticed, scrape the deposits away, check the tightness of the terminals, and smear them liberally with vaseline. This is the most effective means known of preventing corrosion developing to, the danger point. It is important that the battery be held very tightly within its cradle. To ensure this, it is provided with screw-down clips, or is gripped by a metal strap. Should these clips or the strap slacken, the battei*y will be able to jolt about in its cradle, which will shatter the comparatively delicate interior structure.

Hard Starting

If' for any reason a car proves hard to start, do not keep the starting motor running continuously, but stop it after a few seconds before starting it again. Continuous use of the starting, motor places a heavy drain on the battery. Intermittent use allows the battery to recuperate. Most modern cars are fitted with a device known as the constant voltage regulator, a comparatively recent improvement which graduates the current from the generator, exactly. to the battery’s needs. Formerly the output was set at an arbitrary rate. But the newer method has certain pecularities, which may cause unnecessary apprehension. On a long' daylight journey with little use of the starter, the battery may attain the rare state of being fully charged. The generator then stops charging and the ammeter needle will point to the zero mark. This position by the old method indicated that something was wrong - a break in the circuit somewhere or a dirty generator. With the new, it can still mean the same thing, but generally the explanation given above covers the case. ,

Impossible to Overcharge

It may not, however, so the best thing to do is to switch the engine off and restart with the starter.. This will take current from the battery, and if the generator is in good order, it will immediately commence to replace it. The ammeter needle will move from zero to the positive side of the scale, where it will stay until the battery is again fully charged. An important feature of the new method is that it is impossible to over-charge the battery, which could be done with the old method. The traditional precaution of burning the headlights in daylight on a long >’un is no longer necessary. If a battery in a reasonably new car constantly becomes under-charg-ed, the rate of charge from the gen- I erator is insufficient for the amount of work it has to do. A service station should be called upon to increase the rate. In these days, a battery should never fail to turp the engine over, even though ■ the car is used only intermittently during the

week. If it does lose its charge fairly rapidly, and an inspection shows everything to be in order, then that charging rate should receive attention.

It is possible, of course, for the battery to suffer from some internal derangement which will permit it holding its charge. The rectification of that is a matter for an expert.