Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Battery Protection)
Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Battery Protection)
Caution: Follow all safety precautions on the battery. Failure to do so may result in personal injury.
Some electronic devices on the vehicle impose small continuous current drains on the battery. This condition is commonly called parasitic current drain. If the vehicle is not used for an extended time, these parasitic loads can discharge and eventually cause permanent damage to the battery. Discharged batteries can also freeze in cold weather. Refer to Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Causes of Battery Failure) Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Causes of Battery Failure)Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Electrolyte Freezing) Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Electrolyte Freezing)Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Carrier Hold-down) Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Carrier Hold-down)Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Battery Protection) Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Built in Hydrometer) Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Built in Hydrometer).
Notice: Always turn off the engine control switch when connecting or disconnecting battery cables, battery chargers, or jumper cables. Failure to do so may damage the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) or other electronic components.
Perform the following actions if the vehicle is likely to be stored for over 30 days:
* Verify that the built-in hydrometer's green dot is visible, then disconnect the negative batter cable from the battery. This action will protect the battery from being discharged by parasitic current drain from the vehicle's electrical system.
* If the battery cable cannot be disconnected, establish a regular schedule of recharging the battery every 20-45 days in order to maintain a high state of charge. Any time a battery is found with the green dot not visible in the hydrometer, promptly recharge the battery.
* Use a battery charger that is capable of providing a charging voltage of at least 16 volts. Keep the charge time low. Charge rates of 50 amps or more will not damage original equipment maintenance free batteries if the battery does not exhibit the following conditions:
- Excessive gassing of electrolyte from the vents
- Excessive battery temperature
Any temperature over 52°C (125°F) is excessive.
* Inspect the battery being charged every 45-60 minutes. Stop or reduce the charge rate as necessary. Be sure to stop charging within one hour after the green dot appears in the hydrometer in order to avoid overcharging the battery.
* Allow ample charging time. Refer to Battery Charging Battery Charging.
A battery that remains in a discharged state for a long period of time will be difficult to recharge. The battery may even be permanently damaged if the battery remains discharged.
Use the following procedure when reconnecting the battery:
1. Use a wire brush in order to lightly clean any oxidation from the contact face of the battery terminal before reattaching the cable.
2. Tighten the battery cable.
3. Reset the clock, push-button radio tuning, etc., before the vehicle returns to service.