Battery care, Charging the battery – DR Power 6.0 HP Pro Power Wagon (June 2002 - January 2007) User Manual
Page 15
POWERWAGON
™
Safety & Operating Instructions
15
Battery Care
Electric-Starting Models
Proper care can lengthen the life of a battery. Follow these recommendations to ensure your battery's
best performance and long life:
• Do not allow the battery charge to get too low. If the machine is not used, the battery should be
charged every 4 – 6 weeks.
• Store an unused battery in a dry area that does not freeze.
• Do not charge an already charged battery. In theory, our battery can not be overcharged with a
trickle charger; however, when a battery is fully charged and the charger is still on, it generates
heat that could be harmful to the battery. A fully charged battery will read 12V-13.2V with a
voltmeter.
• Do not continue to crank your engine when the battery charge is low.
Symptoms of a battery needing a charge:
• The machine won’t start with the key, but will start with the recoil starter.
• A whirring noise coming from the starter.
• A grinding noise and a whirring noise coming from the starter.
• No noise at all.
Charging the Battery
If the battery loses its charge, you'll need to use a trickle charger (like the DR
®
Battery Charger) to
recharge it. The charger should have an output of 12 volts at no more than 6-8 amps.
• At 1 amp the battery may need to be charged for as much as 48 hours.
• At 2 amps the battery may need to be charged for as much as 24 hours.
• At 6-8 amps the battery will be charged in 2 to 3 hours.
Caution: At 6-8 amps a battery can overcharge.
Note: Using the recoil starter and then running the engine will not recharge a dead battery.
1. On the wiring harness, disconnect the red and black wires from the battery.
2. Attach the red (+) battery charger wire to the red (+) battery tab, and the black (-) battery charger
wire to the black (-) battery tab.
3. Plug the battery charger into an outlet.
!
CAUTION: When you are finished charging the battery, disconnect the battery charger
wires from the battery first, then disconnect the charger from the outlet. If the battery charger
wires are left connected to the battery, the battery will discharge itself back into the charger.
Note: We have modified the battery wire clips and extension tabs to accommodate different wiring
connections. If you need to adapt your charger to your equipment, please call one of our Customer
Service Representatives for more information.