Caution: Clean the surface of the cap only when the plugs are tightly screwed in to avoid contamination of the electrolyte.
Make sure that the stoppers are always tightly screwed into the necks of the jars. At least once every two weeks, check the cleanliness of the gas outlet holes in the stoppers (if they are made in them) or the side walls of the lid, since clogging of these holes will cause an increase in gas pressure inside the battery, which can lead to its damage.
To prevent oxidation of the battery terminals and wire tips, regularly clean the terminals and tips, lubricate them with technical petroleum jelly or consistent grease. Monitor the tightness of the connection of the wire tips and terminals.
Note: Instead of technical petroleum jelly or regular greases, it is best to use commercially available conductive copper-containing greases to protect the terminals and tips from oxidation.
Periodically check the reliability of the battery mount on the car, tighten it if necessary to avoid cracks in the monoblock.
Note: To reduce vibrations transmitted to the battery monoblock and to avoid damage to the paintwork in the event of electrolyte leakage from the battery, install the battery on a mat made of acid-resistant rubber.
The wires must be connected to the battery terminals with slack, since tension on the wires can cause the terminals in the cover to become loose and electrolyte to leak.
Periodically, at least once every two weeks, check the electrolyte level in the battery cells.
Note: For batteries with a common lid for all elements, equipped with a capacitor cavity, it is permissible to check the electrolyte level once every 2 months.
The electrolyte level in all elements should be 5–10 mm above the upper edge of the separators, which corresponds to the level being between the "MIN" and "MAX" marks on the wall of the translucent battery case.
Note: It is convenient to check the electrolyte level above the upper edge of the separators using a glass tube: lower it into the element until it stops in the separator and, closing the free end of the tube with your finger, remove it from the element.
To restore the electrolyte level, add only distilled water. If it is definitely established that the cause of the low level is splashing, then add electrolyte of the same density as the one remaining in the battery element. If the level is above the norm, pump out the electrolyte with a rubber bulb with an ebonite tip.
Warning! It is strictly forbidden to add concentrated acid to the battery!
If during operation there are difficulties with starting the engine, check the charge level battery by the density of the electrolyte or the voltage at its terminals in an unloaded state (Table 4.5). To check the density of the electrolyte, use a hydrometer or a commercially available float indicator of the electrolyte density. The voltage at the battery terminals can be measured with any DC voltmeter with a measurement limit of 20 V (a similar voltmeter is included in all commercially available auto testers).
If the battery charge level is 75% or lower, it must be removed from the vehicle and charged using a battery charger (see "Charging the battery").
Table 4.5. Parameters for checking the battery charge level
