14
BatteryCareELECTRICVEHICLE-BATTERIES
BATTERYCARE
SeeGeneralWarningsonpage1-2.
WATERQUALITY
Waterpurityisthemostimportantfactorintheperformanceandlifespanofthevehiclebatteries.ClubCaris,
therefore,placingincreasedimportanceonbatterywaterquality.
Outlinedbelowarefourbatterywateringprocedures,groupedintotwocategories:PreferredandAlternatemethods.
ClubCarrecommendstheuseofadeionizerordistilledwater.Alternatemethodsofreverseosmosisortapwater
areallowablebutshouldbeavoidedsincewaterqualitycanchangefromdaytodaydependingonadditives,water
mainleaks,etc.
PreferredMethod
•DistilledWater:Distilledwateristhemostcommontypeofwaterusedinbatteries.Distilledwateriscreatedby
boilingwater,collectingthesteam,andallowingthesteamtocondensebackintowater.Thedistillingprocess
resultsinwaterthatisfreeofmineralsthatcanleadtothedegradationofbatteryperformanceandlife.
AlternateMethods
•ReverseOsmosis:Reverseosmosisinvolvesforcingwaterthroughamembranethatallowswatertopasswhile
trappingsolids.Thechoiceofmembraneuseddeterminestheamountofsolidsorimpuritiesthatgettrappedand
hencethepurityqualityofthelteredwater.Inaddition,theusagefrequencyofthemembranecanalsocontribute
tothelteredwaterquality.Duetothevarianceinwaterqualityconsistency,ClubCarrecommendstheuseof
thedeionizerordistilledwater.
•TapWater:Whiletheuseoftapwaterwithoutlteringisanalternatemethodofbatterywatering,itsuseshouldbe
limitedduetothelevelsofdissolvedmineralsandchemicalsthatcandegradebatteryperformanceandlife.If
unlteredtapwaterisused,regularwateranalysesmustbeconductedtocheckforimpurities.Thefollowingchart
liststhemaximumallowableminerals,solids,andcontaminatesinpartspermillionandtheirimpactonbattery
performance.Watertesting,however,isexpensive,andwaterqualitycanchangefromdaytodaydependingon
additives,watermainleaks,etc.Duetothecostandlaborofperformingwaterqualitytests,ClubCarrecommends
theuseofdistilledwateroradeionizer.
_
IMPURITY
ALLOWABLECONTENT(PARTS
PERMILLION)
EFFECTSOFIMPURITY
Suspendedmatter
Trace
N/A
Totalsolids100.0
N/A
Organicandvolatilematter
50.0
Corrosionofpositiveplates
Ammonia8.0Slightself-dischargeofbothplates
Antimony5.0
Self-discharge,reduceslife,lower
on-chargevoltage
Arsenic0.5
Self-discharge,canformpoisonousgas
Calcium40.0Increaseofpositiveplateshedding
Chloride
5.0
Lossofcapacityinplates,greaterloss
inpositiveplates
TABLECONTINUEDONNEXTPAGE
Page14-62019PrecedentVillager2MaintenanceandServiceManual