Dodge Caliber. Manual - part 277

1. Measure the voltage at the battery posts with a

voltmeter, accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt. Refer to Bat-
tery Removal and Installation for access instruc-
tions. 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 bat-
tery chargers.

2. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.

Connect the OTC One Step Battery Analyzer and
Charger special tool number OT-3641 or equiva-
lent.

NOTE: Some battery chargers are equipped with
polarity-sensing circuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger and the battery from being damaged if
they are improperly 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
current. See the instructions provided by the manufacturer 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 bat-

tery to accept measurable charging current at various voltages is shown in the Charge Rate Table. If the charg-
ing current is still not measurable at the end of the charging time, the battery is faulty and must be replaced. If
the charging current is measurable during the charging time, the battery may be good and the charging should
be completed in the normal manner.

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 battery 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 battery charges, the specific gravity of the electrolyte will gradually rise.

The Battery Charging Time Table gives an indication of the time required to charge a typical battery at room tem-
perature based upon the battery state-of-charge and the charger capacity.

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 13

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

CAUTION: Vehicles equipped with a diesel engine utilize a unique spiral cell battery. This battery has a max-
imum charging voltage that must be used in order to restore the battery to its full potential, failure to use
the spiral cell battery charging procedure could result in damage to the battery or personal injury. (Refer to
8 - ELECTRICAL/BATTERY SYSTEM/BATTERY - STANDARD PROCEDURE - SPIRAL CELL BATTERY CHARG-
ING) for the appropriate procedure.

Battery charging is the means by which the battery 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 battery. Personal injury and/or vehicle damage 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 service. Personal injury and/or vehicle damage may result
from loose or missing cell caps.

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

CAUTION: Battery electrolyte will bubble inside the battery case during normal battery charging. Electrolyte
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.

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 continuing the charging operation. Damage to the battery may result.

After the battery has been charged to an open-circuit 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 8 - ELECTRICAL/

8F - 14

BATTERY SYSTEM

BATTERY SYSTEM/BATTERY - STANDARD PROCEDURE - USING MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER) for the
proper battery test procedures. If the battery passes a load test, return the battery to service. If the battery fails 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 8 - ELECTRICAL/BATTERY SYSTEM - CLEANING) for the proper battery system cleaning procedures. (Refer to
8 - ELECTRICAL/BATTERY SYSTEM - INSPECTION) for the proper battery system inspection procedures.

CHARGING A COMPLETELY DISCHARGED CONVENTIONAL BATTERY

The following procedure should be used to recharge a completely discharged battery. Unless this procedure is prop-
erly 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. If the read-
ing is below ten volts, the battery charging current
will be low. It could take some time before the bat-
tery 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 cable.

Connect the battery charger leads. Some battery
chargers are equipped with polarity-sensing cir-
cuitry. This circuitry protects the battery charger
and the battery from being damaged if they are
improperly 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 bat-

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.

•

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 charging time.

•

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 15

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.

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

USING MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER (GASOLINE ENGINES)

NOTE: The Micro 420 Battery Tester should only
be used to test vehicles equipped with gasoline
engines. If the vehicle being tested has a diesel
engine the OTC One Step Battery Analyzer and
Charger special tool number OT-3641 or equivalent
should be used to test the battery.

Always use the Micro 420 Instruction Manual that was
supplied with the tester as a reference. If the Instruc-
tion Manual is not available the following procedure
can be used:

WARNING: Always wear appropriate eye protection and use extreme caution when working with batteries.

BATTERY TESTING

1. If testing the battery OUT-OF-VEHICLE, clean the battery terminals with a wire brush before testing. If the battery

is equipped with side post terminals, install and tighten the supplied lead terminal stud adapters. Do not use steel
bolts. Failure to properly install the stud adapters, or using stud adapters that are dirty or worn-out may result in
false test readings.

2. If testing the battery IN-THE-VEHICLE, make certain all of the vehicle accessory loads are OFF, including the

ignition.

3. Connect the tester to the battery, the red clamp to the positive (+) terminal and the black clamp to the negative

(–) terminal.

NOTE: Multiple batteries connected in parallel must have the ground cable disconnected to perform a bat-
tery test. Failure to disconnect may result in false battery test readings.

8F - 16

BATTERY SYSTEM

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