Jeep Cherokee XJ 1999 Manual - page 7
Refer to Load Test in the Diagnosis and Testing sec-
tion of this group for more information.
WARNING:
•
IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF FREEZ-
ING, LEAKING, LOOSE POSTS, OR LOW ELECTRO-
LYTE LEVEL, DO NOT TEST, ASSIST-BOOST, OR
CHARGE. THE BATTERY MAY ARC INTERNALLY
AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHI-
CLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.
•
EXPLOSIVE HYDROGEN GAS FORMS IN AND
AROUND THE BATTERY. DO NOT SMOKE, USE
FLAME, OR CREATE SPARKS NEAR THE BATTERY.
PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE
MAY RESULT.
•
THE BATTERY CONTAINS SULFURIC ACID,
WHICH IS POISONOUS AND CAUSTIC. AVOID CON-
TACT WITH THE SKIN, EYES, OR CLOTHING. IN
THE EVENT OF CONTACT, FLUSH WITH WATER
AND CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY. KEEP OUT
OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
•
IF THE BATTERY IS EQUIPPED WITH REMOV-
ABLE CELL CAPS, BE CERTAIN THAT EACH OF
THE CELL CAPS IS IN PLACE AND TIGHT BEFORE
THE BATTERY IS RETURNED TO SERVICE. PER-
SONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY
RESULT FROM LOOSE OR MISSING CELL CAPS.
Before testing, visually inspect the battery for any
damage (a cracked case or cover, loose posts, etc.)
that would cause the battery to be faulty. In order to
obtain correct indications from the built-in test indi-
cator, it is important that the battery be level and
have a clean sight glass. Additional light may be
required to view the indicator. Do not use open
flame as a source of additional light.
To read the built-in test indicator, look into the
sight glass and note the color of the indicator (Fig. 3).
The battery condition that each color indicates is
described in the following list:
•
Green - indicates 75% to 100% state-of-charge.
The battery is adequately charged for further testing
or return to use. If the starter will not crank for a
minimum of fifteen seconds with a fully-charged bat-
tery, the battery must be load tested. Refer to Load
Test in the Diagnosis and Testing section of this
group for more information.
•
Black or Dark - indicates 0% to 75% state-of-
charge. The battery is inadequately charged and
must be charged until a green indication is visible in
the sight glass (12.4 volts or more), before the bat-
tery is tested further or returned to service. Refer to
Battery Charging in the Service Procedures section
of this group for more information. Also refer to
Abnormal Battery Discharging in the Diagnosis
and Testing section of this group for possible causes
of the discharged condition.
•
Clear or Bright - indicates a low electrolyte
level. The electrolyte level in the battery is below the
test indicator. A maintenance-free battery with non-
removable cell caps must be replaced if the electro-
lyte level is low. Water must be added to a low-
maintenance battery with removable cell caps before
it is charged. Refer to Battery Charging in the Ser-
vice Procedures section of this group for more infor-
mation. A low electrolyte level may be caused by an
overcharging condition. Refer to Charging System
in the Diagnosis and Testing section of Group 8C -
Charging System to diagnose an overcharging condi-
tion.
HYDROMETER TEST
The hydrometer test reveals the battery state-of-
charge by measuring the specific gravity of the elec-
trolyte.
This
test
cannot
be
performed
on
maintenance-free batteries with non-removable
cell caps. If the battery has non-removable cell caps,
refer to Built-In Test Indicator or Open-Circuit
Voltage Test in the Diagnosis and Testing section of
this group.
Specific gravity is a comparison of the density of
the electrolyte to the density of pure water. Pure
water has a specific gravity of 1.000, and sulfuric
acid has a specific gravity of 1.835. Sulfuric acid
makes up approximately 35% of the electrolyte by
weight, or 24% by volume.
Fig. 2 Built-In Test Indicator
Fig. 3 Built-In Test Indicator Sight Glass
XJ
BATTERY
8A - 7
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING (Continued)