Chrysler Town, Dodge Caravan. Manual - part 88

STANDARD PROCEDURE

STANDARD PROCEDURE - SPIRAL PLATE
BATTERY CHARGING

Vehicles equipped with a diesel engine utilize a

unique spiral plate battery. This battery has a maxi-
mum charging voltage that must not be exceeded in
order to restore the battery to its full potential, fail-
ure to use the following spiral plate battery charging
procedure could result in damage to the battery or
personal injury.

Battery charging is the means by which the bat-

tery can be restored to its full voltage potential. A
battery is fully-charged when:

• Micro 420 battery tester indicates battery is OK.

• Open-circuit voltage of the battery is 12.65 volts

or above.

• Battery passes Load Test multiple times.

WARNING: IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF
FREEZING, LEAKING, LOOSE POSTS OR LOW
ELECTROLYTE LEVEL, DO NOT TEST, ASSIST-
BOOST, OR CHARGE. THE BATTERY MAY ARC
INTERNALLY AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL INJURY
AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.

CAUTION: Always disconnect and isolate the bat-
tery negative cable before charging a battery.
Charge the battery directly at the battery terminals.
Do not exceed 14.4 volts while charging a battery.

CAUTION: The battery should not be hot to the
touch. If the battery feels hot to the touch, turn off
the charger and let the battery cool before continu-
ing the charging operation. Damage to the battery
may result.

After the battery has been charged to 12.6 volts or

greater, perform a load test to determine the battery
cranking capacity. Refer to Battery Diagnosis and
Testing for the proper battery test procedures. If the
battery will endure a load test, return the battery to
service. If the battery will not pass a load test, it is
faulty and must be replaced.

Clean and inspect the battery hold downs, tray,

terminals, posts, and top before completing battery
service. Refer to Battery System Cleaning for the
proper battery system cleaning procedures, and Bat-
tery System Inspection for the proper battery system
inspection procedures.

CHARGING A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED
BATTERY – SPIRAL PLATE BATTERY

The following procedure should be used to recharge

a completely discharged battery. Unless this proce-
dure is properly followed, a good battery may be
needlessly replaced.

(1) Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a

voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt (Fig. 7). Refer
to Battery Removal and Installation for access
instructions. If the reading is below ten volts, the
battery charging current will be low. It could take
several hours before the battery accepts a current
greater than a few milliamperes. Such low current
may not be detectable on the ammeters built into
many battery chargers.

(2) Disconnect and isolate the battery negative

cable. Connect the battery charger leads. Some bat-
tery chargers are equipped with polarity-sensing cir-
cuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger and
the battery from being damaged if they are improp-
erly connected. If the battery state-of-charge is too
low for the polarity-sensing circuitry to detect, the
battery charger will not operate. This makes it
appear that the battery will not accept charging cur-
rent. See the instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the battery charger for details on how to
bypass the polarity-sensing circuitry.

(3) Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage

and current they provide. The amount of time
required for a battery to accept measurable charging
current at various voltages is shown in the Charge
Rate Table. If the charging current is still not mea-
surable at the end of the charging time, the battery
is faulty and must be replaced. If the charging cur-
rent is measurable during the charging time, the bat-
tery may be good and the charging should be
completed in the normal manner.

Fig. 7 Voltmeter - Typical

8F - 10

BATTERY SYSTEM

BATTERY (Continued)

SPIRAL-PLATE BATTERY CHARGE RATE TABLE

Voltage

Minutes

14.4 volts maximum

up to 10 minutes

13.0 to 14 volts

up to 20 minutes

12.9 volts or less

up to 30 minutes

CHARGING TIME REQUIRED

The time required to charge a battery will vary,

depending upon the following factors:

• Battery Capacity - A completely discharged

heavy-duty battery requires twice the charging time
of a small capacity battery.

• Temperature - A longer time will be needed to

charge a battery at -18° C (0° F) than at 27° C
(80° F). When a fast battery charger is connected to a
cold battery, the current accepted by the battery will
be very low at first. As the battery warms, it will
accept a higher charging current rate (amperage).

• Charger Capacity - A battery charger that

supplies only five amperes will require a longer
charging time. A battery charger that supplies eight
amperes will require a shorter charging time.

• State-Of-Charge - A completely discharged bat-

tery requires more charging time than a partially
discharged battery. Electrolyte is nearly pure water
in a completely discharged battery. At first, the
charging current (amperage) will be low. As the bat-
tery charges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte
will gradually rise.

The Battery Charging Time Table gives an indica-

tion of the time required to charge a typical battery
at room temperature based upon the battery state-of-
charge and the charger capacity.

SPIRAL-PLATE BATTERY CHARGING TIME

TABLE

Charging

Amperage

5 Amps

8 Amps

Open Circuit

Voltage

Hours Charging @ 21° C

(70° F)

12.25 to 12.49

6 hours

3 hours

12.00 to 12.24

10 hours

5 hours

10.00 to 11.99

14 hours

7 hours

Below 10.00

18 hours

9 hours

STANDARD PROCEDURE - CONVENTIONAL
BATTERY CHARGING

Vehicles equipped with a diesel engine utilize a

unique spiral plate battery. This battery has a maxi-
mum charging voltage that must be used in order to
restore the battery to its full potential, failure to use

the spiral plate battery charging procedure could
result in damage to the battery or personal injury.

Battery charging is the means by which the bat-

tery can be restored to its full voltage potential. A
battery is fully-charged when:

• Micro 420 battery tester indicates battery is OK.

• Open-circuit voltage of the battery is 12.65 volts

or above.

• Battery passes Load Test multiple times.

WARNING: IF THE BATTERY SHOWS SIGNS OF
FREEZING, LEAKING, LOOSE POSTS, DO NOT
TEST, ASSIST-BOOST, OR CHARGE. THE BATTERY
MAY ARC INTERNALLY AND EXPLODE. PERSONAL
INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAMAGE MAY RESULT.

WARNING: EXPLOSIVE HYDROGEN GAS FORMS IN
AND AROUND THE BATTERY. DO NOT SMOKE,
USE FLAME, OR CREATE SPARKS NEAR THE BAT-
TERY. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAM-
AGE MAY RESULT.

WARNING: THE BATTERY CONTAINS SULFURIC
ACID, WHICH IS POISONOUS AND CAUSTIC. AVOID
CONTACT 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.

WARNING: IF THE BATTERY IS EQUIPPED WITH
REMOVABLE CELL CAPS, BE CERTAIN THAT EACH
OF THE CELL CAPS IS IN PLACE AND TIGHT
BEFORE THE BATTERY IS RETURNED TO SER-
VICE. PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE DAM-
AGE MAY RESULT FROM LOOSE OR MISSING
CELL CAPS.

CAUTION: Always disconnect and isolate the bat-
tery negative cable before charging a battery. Do
not exceed sixteen volts while charging a battery.
Damage to the vehicle electrical system compo-
nents may result.

CAUTION: Battery electrolyte will bubble inside the
battery case during normal battery charging. Elec-
trolyte boiling or being discharged from the battery
vents indicates a battery overcharging condition.
Immediately reduce the charging rate or turn off the
charger to evaluate the battery condition. Damage
to the battery may result from overcharging.

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 11

BATTERY (Continued)

After the battery has been charged to an open-cir-

cuit voltage reading of 12.4 volts or greater, retest
the battery with the Micro 420 tester or perform a
load test to determine the battery cranking capacity.
Refer to Standard Procedures for the proper battery
load test procedures. If the battery will pass a load
test, return the battery to service. If the battery will
not pass a load test, it is faulty and must be
replaced.

Clean and inspect the battery hold downs, tray,

CHARGING A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED
CONVENTIONAL BATTERY

The following procedure should be used to recharge

a completely discharged battery. Unless this proce-
dure is properly followed, a good battery may be
needlessly replaced.

(1) Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a

voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt (Fig. 8). If the
reading is below ten volts, the battery charging cur-
rent will be low. It could take some time before the
battery accepts a current greater than a few milliam-
peres. Such low current may not be detectable on the
ammeters built into many battery chargers.

(2) Disconnect and isolate the battery negative

erly connected. If the battery state-of-charge is too
low for the polarity-sensing circuitry to detect, the
battery charger will not operate. This makes it
appear that the battery will not accept charging cur-
rent. See the instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the battery charger for details on how to
bypass the polarity-sensing circuitry.

(3) Battery chargers vary in the amount of voltage

CONVENTIONAL BATTERY CHARGE RATE TABLE

Voltage

Minutes

16.0 volts maximum

up to 10 min.

14.0 to 15.9 volts

up to 20 min.

13.9 volts or less

up to 30 min.

CHARGING TIME REQUIRED

The time required to charge a battery will vary,

depending upon the following factors:

• Battery Capacity - A completely discharged

heavy-duty battery requires twice the charging time
of a small capacity battery.

• Temperature - A longer time will be needed to

• Charger Capacity - A battery charger that

supplies only five amperes will require a longer
charging time. A battery charger that supplies
twenty amperes or more will require a shorter charg-
ing time.

• State-Of-Charge - A completely discharged bat-

The Conventional Battery Charging Time Table

gives an indication of the time required to charge a
typical battery at room temperature based upon the
battery state-of-charge and the charger capacity.

Fig. 8 Voltmeter - Typical

8F - 12

BATTERY SYSTEM

BATTERY (Continued)

CONVENTIONAL BATTERY CHARGING TIME TABLE

Charging

Amperage

5 Amps

Amps

20 Amps

Open Circuit

Voltage

Hours Charging @ 21° C

(70° F)

12.25 to 12.49

6 hours

3 hours

1.5

hours

12.00 to 12.24

10 hours

5 hours

2.5

hours

10.00 to 11.99

14 hours

7 hours

3.5

hours

Below 10.00

18 hours

9 hours

4.5

hours

STANDARD PROCEDURE - OPEN-CIRCUIT
VOLTAGE TEST

A battery open-circuit voltage (no load) test will

show the approximate state-of-charge of a battery.
This test can be used if no other battery tester is
available.

Before proceeding with this test, completely charge

the battery. Refer to Standard Procedures for the
proper battery charging procedures.

(1) Before measuring the open-circuit voltage, the

surface charge must be removed from the battery.
Turn on the headlamps for fifteen seconds, then
allow up to five minutes for the battery voltage to
stabilize.

(2) Disconnect and isolate both battery cables, neg-

ative cable first.

(3) Using a voltmeter connected to the battery

posts (see the instructions provided by the manufac-
turer of the voltmeter), measure the open-circuit volt-
age (Fig. 9).

See the Open-Circuit Voltage Table. This voltage

reading will indicate the battery state-of-charge, but
will not reveal its cranking capacity. If a battery has
an open-circuit voltage reading of 12.4 volts or

greater, it may be load tested to reveal its cranking
capacity. Refer to Standard Procedures for the proper
battery load test procedures.

OPEN CIRCUIT VOLTAGE TABLE

Open Circuit Voltage

Charge Percentage

11.7 volts or less

12.0 volts

25%

12.2 volts

50%

12.45 volts

75%

12.65 volts or more

100%

STANDARD PROCEDURE - IGNITION-OFF
DRAW TEST

The term Ignition-Off Draw (IOD) identifies a nor-

mal condition where power is being drained from the
battery with the ignition switch in the Off position. A
normal vehicle electrical system will draw from fif-
teen to twenty-five milliamperes (0.015 to 0.025
ampere) with the ignition switch in the Off position,
and all non-ignition controlled circuits in proper
working order. Up to twenty-five milliamperes are
needed to enable the memory functions for the Pow-
ertrain Control Module (PCM), digital clock, electron-
ically tuned radio, and other modules which may
vary with the vehicle equipment.

A vehicle that has not been operated for approxi-

mately twenty-one days, may discharge the battery
to an inadequate level. When a vehicle will not be
used for twenty-one days or more (stored), remove
the IOD fuse from the Integrated Power Module
(IPM). This will reduce battery discharging.

Excessive IOD can be caused by:
• Electrical items left on.

• Faulty or improperly adjusted switches.

• Faulty or shorted electronic modules and compo-

nents.

• An internally shorted generator.

• Intermittent shorts in the wiring.
If the IOD is over twenty-five milliamperes, the

problem must be found and corrected before replac-
ing a battery. In most cases, the battery can be
charged and returned to service after the excessive
IOD condition has been corrected.

(1) Verify that all electrical accessories are off.

Turn off all lamps, remove the ignition key, and close
all doors. If the vehicle is equipped with an illumi-
nated entry system or an electronically tuned radio,
allow the electronic timer function of these systems
to automatically shut off (time out). This may take
up to twenty minutes.

(2) Disconnect the battery negative cable.
(3) Set an electronic digital multi-meter to its

highest amperage scale. Connect the multi-meter

Fig. 9 Testing Open-Circuit Voltage - Typical

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 13

BATTERY (Continued)

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