Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-26
MOTOR BATTERIES
NEEDCARE IN USE
Producers Estimate Loss of
0ne-Third Service Through
Neglect.
COST OF MANY MILLIONS

tWo-thirds of the service out of their
batteries that they could have if
| these vitality important devices re-
ceived the care and attention that
they need. In the aggregate this
waste amounts to many millions OF
dollars taken out of American mo-
torists' pockets every year
AS a matter of fact, the care needed
by the battery in winter differs little
| from that of summer, except that the
| engine always functions sluggishly in
| cold weather, the gasoline is, heavy
| and there must be the best possible
spark all the time or combustion is
faulty. This added care demanded by
| the battery not only brings added
efficiency, but it serves to extend the
life of the battery, thereby adding
money to the owners bank account.
Requires Systematic Attention.
| In brief, the care needed by the
| battery may be summed up about as
| follows: 1t must be kept charged
and the cells must be maintained to
the proper level with distilled water.
| Not a very onerous task after all,
especially when the immediate divi-
| dendS returned are considered. But
| to insure continual maintenance of
| the battery it is necessary that these
| simple operations should be carried
| out Systematically and at stated in
tervals. The trouble with most own
| ers is that they fill the battery up
| today, skip week or two and then
| wonder why the battery begins to
show early signs of deterioration.
The storage battery that is univer-
sally used in automobile service to-
| day is commonly known as the lead
| type. This consists of rubber jar in
which a set of plates is completely
| covered by solution of sulphuric
acid and water. of specific gravity
| of 100 at 70 degrees Fahrenheit Ihe
plates are of two varieties. positive
and negative. The positive plates are
| in the form of grids. filled with
| composition of lead peroxide. while
| the negative plates are filled with
spongy composition of lead. varying
| in formula among the different manu-
| facturers, each one guarding his own
| formula as a trade secret.
| The average car owner probably
does not realize that his storage bat
terry works all the time. When the
current is being used the action is in
| tensified, but even when the battery
| is not being used the action is still
going on. This is the reason why
regular attention is so vitality neces-
sary. Even if your battery has been
lying idle for month the chemical
action has been going on inside it and
| the care needed must be given it or
| trouble follows.
Tends to Hasten Evaporation.
| The action between the electrolyte
and the plates generates electric cur
| rent, and in doing SO creates a GER
| tain amount of heat. This tends to
hasten, evaporation of the fluid. AS
I =
plates are exposed to the air. the
heating is accelerated and soon the
grids are warped. the separators fall
out, the lead composition crumbles,
| short circuits take place. and soon
the battery is entirely ruined.
| One of the by-products of the chem
fcal action in the battery is lead sui
phate, which is deposited on the
| plates This substance takes the form
| Of white salt and as the deposit
The fact is the acid in the solution
has been driven out in the form Of
lead sulphate on the plates. It hap
pens also that as the deposit Of lead
! sulphate grows 1t is, harder for the
e1ectrolyte to act on the plates. Thus
mulative. As the sulphate deposit
| grows the solution weakens, and also
1t becomes harder for TIE weakened
solution to perform it's function.
! A0 PIOpCE IdE0 VI LILO DdIIGIy COu-
sists primarily of weekly inspec-
ton and test with a hydrometer.
This is an instrument in the form of
q big syringe inside which is a grad
uated cylinder. 1t is used by drawing
i'some battery fluid up into the body
of the device, where the cylinder
floats in it and indicates the specific
gravity. If this latter falls far be-
low 1.2S. say to 1.20. the battery
should be recharged without delay
~ a WI ry -. a. = =
! or near that figure the battery is dis
charged. and II it is not attended to
1t will quickly be ruined. At the same
time that the battery fluid is tested
the cells should be brought up to the
indicated level with distilled water,
This may be purchased in a drug
| shop or may be made by melting
snow, and first-class garages gener-
ally have supply on hand.
Differing Specific Gravity.
It will often be found that the spe-
cific gravity of the different cells OF
the battery differs fraction of a
point. This variation is natural and
need cause no alarm. II one of the
cells develops a chronic tendency to
show lower level Of fluid than its
fellows 1t may be assumed that the
Jar Is cracked and must be replaced.
| ..SAS SOaAAC VI pdllSEy So
luton has been spilled the amount
must be made up by fresh-mixed So
luton, since both. acid and water
have been lost. but in replacing for
evaporation plain distilled water is
all that is needed
On modern cars provision is made
Tor Charging the battery as the car
runs. When no generator is in
stalled it is necessary to have the
battery recharged from an outside
source. 1t sometimes happens that
the charging rate as provided in the
system installed on the car is not
quite right for the service that the
owner demands of his car. Thus, one
owner may run good deal at night
and use his lights for long periods,
while running little by day. The
result Is that the battery is under
charged. On the other hand, a sec
ond owner may seldom use his car at
night and may not call on his starter
often, with the result that the bat
terry Is overcharged. 1t is a simple
matter after the car has been in or
binary service for short time to
get the charging rate just right for
the use to which the vehicle is to
be put.
When the lamps burn dimly, in
spite Of the fact that the battery
fluid Is up to the proper level, it Is
sign that the electrolyte is weak.