Usage:
Reference: Special Instruction 01, "Battery Test Procedure ", Page 8.
Two major changes are now in effect regarding installing a new maintenance free battery. Add a note to the referenced Special Instructions referring to this article. These two changes are:
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- ... Do NOT sell a battery as a new battery if its open circuit voltage (OCV) is less than 12.00 volts.
All activated batteries slowly self-discharge while in stock at a rate closely related to ambient temperature. As the storage temperature increases, the rate of discharge increases. If, however, during storage the OCV has been allowed to fall below 12.00 volts, the batteries should NOT be sold as new and supported with warranty. The reason is the internal effect (sulfation and grid corrosion) of being in a low state of charge for a long period of time. Avoid this by stock turnover, especially when storage temperatures exceed 27 °C (80°F).
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- ... New charging rates and times.
These have been changed because Caterpillar no longer recommends boost charging, and the previous recommendations were insufficient for all instances where the OCV had fallen below 12.40 volts. Recharge at the rates and times shown in Step 4 of the following instructions.
These two new recommendations are applied by using the procedure in the following topic.
NOTE: Whenever measuring the OCV, always use a digital type voltmeter such as 6V7070 or 6V7800 Multimeter to ensure the required accuracy. A moving coil-type voltmeter does not have sufficient accuracy.
Using The New Recommendations
A new maintenance-free battery can normally be installed in a machine without charging and load testing. However, if a battery has been in storage for a long time, it can be partially discharged. Do the following steps before installing a maintenance free battery.
1. Measure open circuit voltage with a 6V7070 Multimeter with the selector on the 20 volt DC scale.
2. If open circuit voltage is 12.40 volts or more, the battery can be installed.
3. If open circuit voltage is less than 12.00 volts, do NOT sell the battery as a new battery.
4. If open circuit voltage is 12.00 to 12.39 volts, charge the battery. Select the amps charge rate and the charging time from the following tables.
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During charging, on-charge voltage must not exceed 16.0 volts. In order to keep on-charge voltage below 16.0 volts, charging amps may need to be reduced near the end of charging.
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5. After charging, load test the battery at one-half the cold cranking amp (CCA) rating of the battery. Refer to PEKP9100 for CCA rating. If the voltage at 15 seconds is 9.5 volts or more, install the battery. If the voltage at 15 seconds is less than 9.5 volts, do NOT sell the battery as a new battery.