HOW TO REPLACE A BATTERY

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Emtrac Plus is a MF (maintenance free battery). It is factory filled with acid and water and sealed to avoid spillage. The batteries are also fully charged with extended shelf life. Such batteries are convenient to change by your self.

If the battery you are replacing was not a MF battery, care should be taken not to spill the mixture of acid and water inside the battery. Some cheaper MF batteries develop cracks on the plastic container towards the end of life. It is advisable to look for possible cracks and leaks.

If you get the liquid on your skin, wash it off immediately with soap and water.

If you get it in your eyes, flush your eyes with water and head to the doctor's office.

If you get the fluid on your clothing, try rinsing it out right away, but don't be surprised if the spot deteriorates and the hole becomes larger each time your shirt or pants are laundered.

 

Always disconnect the negative battery cable first and reconnect it last. If you loosen the positive cable clamp while the negative cable is still connected, and your wrench touches something metal on the vehicle, it will spark, resulting in burns, damage to tools or even a battery explosion.

 

If you don't know which is the negative cable, let someone else do the work.

 

Remember to reset the clock and radio station after changing the batter.

 

Safety Precautions

 

Before you do anything with a battery, you need to wear eye protection and keep any open flames away from the battery. This includes cigarettes and other smoking products. Batteries produce hydrogen gas that is extremely flammable. Batteries contain sulfuric acid so it is also recommended to wear latex gloves to keep battery acid from burning your hands.

 

HOW TO JUMPSTART A BATTERY

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READ SAFETY PRECAUTIONS BEFORE YOU START!

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Check car batteries for cracks or corrosion as recommended by the manufacturer.

 

Equipment to safely jump-start a vehicle

Jumper cables: You should have jumper cables tested and approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and are at least 12-feet long and color coded. Damaged cables (with rust, corrosion or exposed wires) may produce sparks, which can lead to battery explosion. Never use electrical tape to cover exposed wires.

Safety goggles: ANSI approved, splash proof, and polycarbonate.

Flashlight: for low light situations.

Jump-starting do’s and don’ts

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DO

Turn off lights, heater and other electrical loads on vehicles.

Set parking brakes.

Make sure batteries are the same voltage.

Cover the vent caps of both batteries with a damp cloth.

Know the difference between the negative and positive battery terminals and the negative and positive clamps of the jumper cables. Positive is indicated by a (+) sign, the words "POS" and the color red; negative is marked by a (-) sign, the words "NEG" and the color black. The colors may vary but are red (+) and black (-) in most instances.

Call a professional if you think there might be trouble you can’t handle, or you can’t remember how to jump-start a vehicle.

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DON’T

Attempt to jump-start a vehicle with a frozen battery.

Allow the two vehicles to touch each other.

Allow the jumper cables to touch each other.

Lean over the battery when making connections.

Smoke or operate anything that may cause a spark when working on a battery.

Jumper cable and starting steps

Follow the do’s and don’ts

Clamp one cable to the positive (+) terminal of the dead battery. Don’t let the positive cable touch anything metal other than the battery terminal.

Connect the other end of the positive cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.

Connect one end of the negative (-) cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.

Connect the other end of the negative cable to metal on the engine block on the car with the dead battery. Don’t connect it to the dead battery, carburetor, fuel lines or moving parts.

Start the car with the good battery.

Start the stalled car.

Remove the cables in reverse order.

Required safety equipment in the battery recharging area

Plumbed tepid water safety shower and eyewash station.

Personal or Portable eyewash stations may be installed in the area immediate to the battery charging, if plumbed units cannot be installed. However, plumbed tepid water wash stations must be installed nearby to facilitate the required flushing of the eyes and skin.

Non-vented safety goggles

Face shield (considered secondary safety protection)

Acid resistant gloves (neoprene is sufficient)

Apron (If there is a potential to spill acid)

Steel-toe boots or foot guards if the battery is lifted

 

HOW TO MEASURE CHARGE LEVEL

 

A Hydrometer can be used to test the specific gravity of each cell as a measure of its state of charge.

Because the electrolyte takes part in the charge-discharge reaction, it is relatively simple to determine the state of charge by merely measuring the relative density or Specific Gravity (S.G.) of the electrolyte; the S.G. falls as the battery discharges. Some battery designs include a simple Hydrometer using colored floating balls of differing density.

Emtrac Plus Zero Maintenance Batteries come with a built-in “Magic Eye” Hydrometer, which measures the State-of-Charge in ONE of its six cells. It is a transparent tube with a float immersed in the electrolyte visible through a window. When the battery is charged, the specific gravity of the electrolyte increases (since all the sulfate ions are in the electrolyte, not combined with the plates), and the colored top of the float is visible in the window. When the battery is discharged, or the electrolyte level is too low, the float sinks and the window appears yellow (or black). If the built-in indicator is clear, light yellow, or red, then the battery has a low electrolyte level.

Emtrac Plus Battery patented Best-In-Class (BIC) vent system allows for the vent covers to be removed and topped up with distilled water for an extra lease of life. It is advisable to take the help of the battery retailer for topping up the distilled water in Emtrac Plus Batteries.   

If Sealed MF Batteries, without BIC vent system, the battery is bad and should be replaced.

 

DO’S & DON’TS

 

Battery Do's

Think Safety First.

Do read entire tutorial and safety norms.

Do regular inspection and maintenance especially in hot weather.

Do recharge batteries immediately after discharge.

Do buy the highest RC reserve capacity or AH amp hour battery that will fit your configuration.

 

Battery Don'ts

Don't forget safety first.

Don't add new electrolyte (acid) into the battery.

Don't use unregulated high output battery chargers to charge batteries.

Don't disconnect battery cables while the engine is running (your battery acts as a filter).

Don't put off recharging batteries.

Don't add tap water as it may contain minerals that will contaminate the electrolyte.

Don't discharge a battery any deeper than you possibly have to.

Don't let a battery get hot to the touch and boil violently when charging.

Don't mix size and types of batteries.

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STANDARD PRECAUTIONS

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Always store or recharge batteries in a well-ventilated area away from sparks or open flames

Damaged lead acid batteries shall be kept in properly labeled acid-resistant secondary containment structures.

Use only chargers that are designed for the battery being charged.

Always keep lead acid battery vent caps securely in place.

Do not store acid in hot locations or in direct sunlight.

Pour concentrated acid SLOWLY into water; do not add water into acid.

Use nonmetallic containers and funnels.

If acid gets into your eyes, flush immediately with water for 15 minutes, and then promptly seek medical attention.

If acid gets on your skin, rinse the affected area immediately with large amounts of water. Seek medical attention if the chemical burns appears to be a second degree or greater.

Never over charge a lead acid battery and only replenish fluid with distilled water.

Emergency wash stations should be located near lead-acid battery storage and charging areas.

Prevent open flames, sparks or electric arcs in charging areas.

Lead-acid storage and charging areas should be posted with "Flammable - No Smoking" signs.

Neutralize spilled or splashed sulfuric acid solution with a baking soda solution, and rinse the spill area with clean water.

 

WHAT TO DO WHEN SERVICING BATTERIES

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Keep metal tools and jewelry away from the battery.

Inspect for defective cables, loose connections, corroded cable connectors or battery terminals, cracked cases or covers, loose hold-down clamps and deformed or loosed terminal posts.

Replace worn or unserviceable parts.

Check the state of charge of non-sealed and sealed batteries with an accurate digital voltmeter while the engine is not running, and lights and other electrically-powered equipment are turned off. Also check the electrolyte levels and specific gravity in each cell of non-sealed batteries.

When checking the electrolyte liquid levels of the batteries use a rated flashlight that is intrinsically safe. In the event one is not available, Use a plastic/non-metallic flashlight, turn on the flash light prior to getting near the battery when checking cell levels and turn off the flash light when you are away from the batteries. 

Follow the battery manufacturer's recommendations about when to recharge or replace batteries.

Tighten cable clamp nuts with the proper size wrench. Avoid subjecting battery terminals to excessive twisting forces.

Use a cable puller to remove a cable clamp from the battery terminal.

Remove corrosion on the terminal posts, hold-down tray and hold-down parts.

Use a tapered brush to clean battery terminals and the cable clamps.

Wash and clean the battery, battery terminals, and case or tray with water. The corrosive acid can be neutralized by brushing on some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) solution. If the solution does not bubble, the acid is probably neutralized. Rinse the battery with water to remove the baking soda solution.

To prevent shocks, never touch or come in contact with both terminals at the same time. If baking soda solution is applied with a cloth, remember that these solutions can conduct electricity.

When battery cables are removed, ensure that they are clearly marked "positive" and "negative" so that they are reconnected with the correct polarity.

Use a battery carrier to lift a battery, or place hands at opposite corners. Remember, batteries can weigh 30 to 60 pounds, so practice safe lifting and carrying procedures to prevent back injuries.

Use a self-leveling filler that automatically fills the battery to a predetermined level. Never fill battery cells about the level indicator.

Do not squeeze the syringe so hard that the water splashes acid from the cell opening.