Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04
STORAGE BATTERY
ON AUTO ESSENTIAL
Use of Current in Starting,
-. Lighting and for Other
{ Purposes Given.
BY II. CLIFFORD BRoKAW.
Automobile Technical Adviser.

bent on going somewhere, ne expects
to have no difficulty In getting the
machine to start. When he operates the
self-starting device he has faith in its
ability to function. This is based on
successful past experience. All goes
we'll usually as long as there is cleo
trical energy in the storage battery.
Let this important part of the automo-
bile lose its pep and the motorist can
try to exercise the self-starter in vain.
Or suppose he wants to drive at night
and needs the electric headlights. He
will get them If the battery is healthy.
If the battery is all run down from
too much drain on its system, the driver
is out of luck as far as proceeding In
the darkness is concerned. The auto
mobiles storage battery must be looked
after.
The storage battery is a device for
storing electrical energy which may be
needed for various uses. It should not
be concluded from this that the stor-
age battery actually stores electrical
current. What 1t really does is to gen.
crate electricity chemically and when
the chemical action has run its course
, the battery is in discharge" state.
1t can be restored only by reversing
the chemical action. This is done by
passing a current of electricity through
the. battery in a direction opposite to
that in which 1t was withdrawn. With
, out a storage battery an automobile
! would be quite helpless. 1t Is used for
cranking the engine, operating the igni-
ton, lighting, the electric horn and
| sometimes the windshield wiper, cigar
lighter, etc.
Consists of Three Cells.
Fortunately it is not necessary for the
| motoriSt to understand the compli-
Gated structure and chemical action of
the battery to obtain good results from
/ its use. 1t may be of interest to know
that the battery generally consists of
three cells placed in a single receptacle,
each cell containing number of plates
of two different types, grouped to form
the positive and negative elements.
= These elements are kept from contact
with each other by wood or rubber sep
aratorS and they are immersed in
solution of sulphuric acid and water,
called the electrolyte.
The battery provided in the average
automobile is of approximately 100
ampere hour capacity. 1t must be this
large to supply the large volume of cur
rent required to operate the electric
motor which cranks the engine over in
can store enough energy to operate the
ignition, lights, ETC., for several hours
without being recharged.
To keep the battery in charged con-
dition an electric generator Is provided.
This generator, when driven by the
engine OF the automobile, sends a cur
rent Of electricity through the battery
So fna 80 hot
which it was withdrawn to operate the
various electrical devices In this way
the engine while running replaces in
the battery that which was taken out
of 1t to set engine in motion.
Describes Starting Motor.
1t must be borne in mind, however,
that the starting motor draws current
from the battery at the rate of $50
amperes or more, while the generator
sends back a current Of only 10 to Is
ampereS; therefore, to restore the bat
terry to its original condition the en-
CINE must be operated 10 times as long
as it took to start it. This indicates
the reason for the battery becoming
discharged frequently in cold weather
when engines are often hard to start
Because of the very high amperage
drawn for operating the starting motor
it is necessary to employ large con-
Quoting wire between the battery and
the motor. and the terminal at the bat
terry must be of ample size.
This terminal and its mate on the
other end of the battery is made of
lead, as this metal best resists the
action of the acid in the battery. How
ever, the acid will sometimes creep up
the post from the inside of the battery
and form a sulphate in the joint be-
tween the post and the connector, shut
ftrnev nfTk H. 20 d.
occurs the starting motor becomes half
hearted in its action and even the lights
may burn dimly when the engine is not
running. But if the condition Is very
bad the lights will get excessively bright
when the engine is speeded up, and If
the engine is run too fast they will
burn out.
Perhaps one of the most important
items of battery care is to keep these
terminals clean and also tight, as a
loose connection gives very much the
same effect as corroded terminal. If
conditions are normal the terminals
probably will not need attention more
than once or twice year, but when
they require it the need is urgent.
Where Care Is Needed.
The point which requires regular at
tention is the matter of keeping the
plates covered with liquid. Water is
lost from the electrolyte quite rapidly
in warm weather and particularly when
the car is used for long runs. 1t Is,
therefore, necessary to remove the plugs
from the tops of the cells at from one
to three weeks interval, to determine
the level of the electrolyte. If the
plates are not covered distilled water
must be supplied. There are three sep
arate cells in the average battery and
each must be inspected. And once
week is not too often to inspect them
in the Summer time.
In the Winter time there is some
danger of the battery freezing if it is
left standing in a discharged condition.
This danger is increased If water is
added to the battery without running
the engine to mix it into the electrolyte.
In general, battery that will operate
the lights will not freeze until the tenn
perature gets below Zero and freezing
does not harm unless it cracks the jar
of the battery.
The battery, like most of the other
units of the modern automobile, needs
very little attention to keep it in salts
factory operating condition, and for
this reason the owner should be on the
alert to provide the care it does require,
either through his own efforts or those
of @ service station.