Routine maintenance, Batteries, Battery care – Wesley BC-6200-8SA User Manual
Page 20: Maintenance, Instructions, Warning caution
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Owner’s Manual and Service Guide – BCG Series
20
WARNING
CAUTION
MAINTENANCE
INSTRUCTIONS
R
OUTINE
M
AINTENANCE
Before
performing
any
maintenance
or
repair
work,
isolate the batteries from the
motor and electronics by opening the circuit breaker in
(Figure 17). Simply push the red push button until the
red side lever fully opens (Figure 18). To close the
circuit breaker, simply push the red side lever to its
original closed position. (Figure 17)
F
IGURE
17
F
IGURE
18
B
ATTERIES
The standard batteries used on Pack Mule vehicles are a 36
or 48 industrial battery pack. This manual is written around
lead acid batteries. Batteries have a maximum life.
Therefore, good maintenance is important to maximize the
available life of the vehicle’s batteries.
Always wear approved safety goggles or
face shield when handling or working
around batteries.
B
ATTERY SAFETY
Always observe the following warnings when working on or
near batteries:
To prevent burns or battery explosion that could result
in severe personal injury or death, keep all smoking
materials, open flame or sparks away the batteries.
Hydrogen gas forms when charging batteries. Do NOT
charge batteries without adequate ventilation. Seat must
be raised when charging batteries. Only a 4%
concentration of hydrogen gas is explosive.
Be sure the key switch or on/off switch is in the OFF
position and all electrical accessories are off before
starting work on the vehicle. Open the vehicl
e’s circuit
switch (Figure 18) before starting work on the vehicle.
The electrolyte in a lead acid battery is an acid solution
which can cause severe burns to the skin and eyes.
Treat all spills to the body and eyes with extended
flushing with clear water. Then contact a physician
immediately.
Electrolyte spills will corrode the vehicle’s structural
frame and body if not properly treated immediately. In
the event of a spill, wear proper protective clothing,
gloves, and eye wear. Thoroughly clean all affected
areas with a neutralizing solution of ¼ cup (60 mL)
sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) dissolved in 1 ½
gallons (6 L) of water.
It
is
highly
recommended
that
insulated wrenches be used when
working on our electric vehicles.
Alternatively, wrap wrenches with vinyl
tape to prevent the possibility of a
dropped wrench onto the batteries
terminals, which can short the battery, which could
result in an explosion and severe personal injury or
death.
B
ATTERY
C
ARE
1) Place battery into service and complete a full discharge
and charge cycle. Check and add approved water only
(never acid) if needed only after this first cycle is
completed.
2) Never discharge battery beyond 80% and do not
operate battery if the specific gravity is below 1.150
3) If above 115
o
F (46
o
C) allow battery to cool before
charging or operating