Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-02
NEWS AAD l7P<HRIM4A1hz dN5s1 15A sa5sas
AUTOMOBILE OWNERS SHOULD

ed 10 give the motor1st the knowledge
necessary to enable him to care for
and repair any and all OF the electri
cal features of his car, no matter what
make or model II may be. The ar.
ticles are reprinted by special permis.
sion from Motor Age, for which publ.
cation they have been prepared by
David Penn Moreton and Darwin S.
Hatch.
In order that a storage battery may
give the best service II is possible for
IL to give ii is necessary that Il re-
ceive a reasonable amount of care and
attention rather than TO wait until il
is exhausted before the motorist
knows there is such a thing as a bat.
terry on his car, or how to take care OF
II. IL the following general rules are
followed with reasonable care the ope-
ration OF any good make Of lead stor-
age battery should be quite satisfac.
tory:
I.--Add nothing but pure water or
sulphuric acid electrolyte of the pro-
per specific gravity to the cells. I'm.
der no condition try to operate your
battery by adding a non-freezing solu-
ton Of any kind. Water must be ad-
ded frequently enough to keep the
plates covered, as they may be seri.
ously damaged II allowed to be ex.
posed for any length of time Ii will
be found necessary to add water more
frequently in warm weather than in
cool or cold weather, and for this rea-
son II is best to make it a rule to
remove the vent plugs and add the
water once week.
In freezing or very cold weather the
water should be added just before the
car is started in order that the water
and electrolyte In the cell may become
thoroughly mixed while the battery is
charging. The water is lighter than
the acid and would remain at the top
of the cell and probably freeze. but If
charged Immediately the bubbles. of
gas formed when the cell is charging
VIII serve thoroughly to mix the wa
ter and the electrolyte. Be careful not
10 add too much water, as the cell will
Doll over when 1t starts to gas and
some OF the electrolyte will be lost
and IT should be replaced with new
electrolyte rather than water in order
that the specific gravity of the cleo.
trolyte In. the cell may remain practi.
caily constant for a fully charged con.
dftion OF the cell.
Specific Gravity Should Be Watched
n-The speeific gravity of the diff. 1
Ierent cells should be determined at
frequent and regular. intervals in or.
ger to determine n the battery Is be.
ing properly charged. These HYDRO
meter readings should be taken be.
lore adding the water to the electro
yte. In some cases the electrolyte
may be SO low in the ceH that n is
Impossible to get enough electrolyte
up into the hydrometer syringe TO
iioat the hydrometer Water must
tnen be added and the cell charged for
some time in order that the water and
eiectrolyte may mix thoroughly be-
Tore a hydrometer reading Is taken. r.
the cell is completely discharged or
exhausted il should be removed from
the ear and given special charge. In
some cases 1t VIII be impossible to in
crease the specific gravity Of the cleo
trolyte regardless Of the time of
charge, which is an indication that
tnere probably is a short circuit In.
SIDE the cell. and in such case II
peeds the attention of an experienced
battery man.
II occasionally happens that the
specific gravity of the electrolyte tests
IN the neighborhood of perhaps 300
although the battery appears to be
almost completely discharged. as de-
termined by voltmeter or dim lights
Tbs condition is due to acid having
Oeen added to the various cells to re-
place evaporation instead OF adding
Just pure water, and In addition there
is probably some trouble within the
cell, such. as plates in partial contact,
ETC.. The battery should be given
complete charge-that is, il should be
charged until the voltage and specific
gravity OF each cell shows no change
in value for period OF several hours.
At the end Of this charge take the
specific gravity OF each cell, and If Ii
is above 1900 draw off some of the
electrolyte and add pure water until
the specific gravity of all the cells test
the same. which should be somewhere
between 1910 and 1900. If the specific
gravity OF the electrelyte tests low
withdraw some Of it from the cell by
means OF the hydrometer syringe and
add electrolyte having specific gary
ity of about 1900 until the gravity of
the electrolyte in the cell has been
raised to the desired value. Remem-
Der that the cell should be charged
for period after water or electrolyte
is added in order that the electrolyte
may be mixed thoroughly.
III-Care should be exercised in
keeping the outside Of the battery
clean. II should be wiped off occar
sionally, and the compartment in
which it is placed should be examined
for excessive corr0sion due to acid
2s-om a leaky cell or perhaps from
I cid which has run out of the vent
hole at the top of the cell.
Be careful in cleaning the battery
not to get any impurities into the
various cells. The. connections to the
battery should be examined thorough
~ly at regular intervals to see that
Athey are not working loose or becom
ing corroded. A rag dampened with
weak ammonia may be used to coun-