After the break-in period, the battery maintains a high
capacity for many cycles. The number of cycles that a
battery performs depends on the following:
•
Battery maintenance—improper maintenance
severely reduces the life of the batteries.
•
Depth of discharge between charge cycles—the
deeper the batteries are discharged on a
regular basis between charges, the shorter the
service life the batteries will have.
•
Charge frequency—fully charge the batteries
whenever possible.
Important:
Fully discharging the batteries
damages them and reduces their life.
•
Low water levels—if the lead plates become
exposed, it may permanently damage the
batteries. Perform the following to maintain the
electrolyte level:
After fully charging the batteries, fill the
batteries with distilled or deionized water; refer to
Checking the Water Level of the Batteries (page
36)
and
Adding Distilled or Deionized Water to the
Batteries (page
37).
Important:
Fully charge the batteries before
adding the water to the batteries. While
charging, the electrolyte increases in volume,
and filling a low battery before fully charging
the batteries can cause the electrolyte to
overflow and leak out of the vent.
At the end of the battery life, the batteries gradually
lose electric capacity.
Using the Battery System
When your batteries are fully charged, the tenth
bar (far right) illuminates on the battery-discharge
indicator
(Figure
18).
1. Battery-discharge
indicator
As you use the machine, the bars disappear as the
electrical capacity of the batteries is used.
23
Figure 18
2. Charge-indicator bars
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