Information on servicing and charging the battery is given in Chapter Current service.
General information
Vehicle-mounted 12-volt battery consists of six cells containing positive and negative plates (lamellas), dipped into a solution of sulfuric acid. The task of the battery is to generate current for starting the car, ignition, lighting, as well as for other consumers of electricity.
The battery is 100% efficient at an air temperature of 27°C. At -18°C, efficiency drops to 40 percent - starting the engine will require twice as much energy as it is consumed at 27°C.
starting power (starting current) indicates the battery's ability to start the engine in very cold weather. It is customary to understand this characteristic as the current in amperes, which the battery is capable of delivering for 30 seconds at an air temperature of -18°C without a voltage drop below 7.2 V (minimum level required for reliable starting). The higher this figure, the greater the starting power of the battery.
Reserve power shows the time in minutes during which the battery delivers a current of 25 A at a temperature of 27°C, i.e. the time during which the battery ensures the operation of all auxiliary consumers of the vehicle's electricity at night and in bad weather with a faulty generator.
In winter conditions, at an air temperature of -18°C and below, the battery recharging efficiency drops sharply due to an increase in internal resistance. During short trips in winter, the energy spent on starting is not restored, as a result of which the battery begins to wear out, eventually completely wasting its charge.
During the summer months, after long trips, the engine becomes very hot and it often happens that it is difficult to start it again. Such «hot starts» sometimes they require as much power as in cold weather, and sometimes even more. This is especially true for high-compression engines with large displacement and models equipped with air conditioning.
This once again emphasizes the importance of choosing the right battery in accordance with the requirements of the engine installed on the car.
Examination
1. Disconnect both wires from the battery.
The negative wire should always be disconnected first and connected last. If the stereo system installed in the car is equipped with a security code, before disconnecting the battery, make sure that you have the correct combination to activate the equipment!
2. Check the electrolyte level in the battery (only applies to batteries equipped with removable covers that require maintenance) - the electrolyte must completely hide the lamellae, otherwise the corresponding amount of distilled water should be put into the jars. DO NOT OVERFLOW - excess electrolyte will begin to overflow over the edges of the necks when the battery is overcharged! With a hydrometer (ask at car accessories stores) measure the specific gravity of the electrolyte. Remove the caps from the filler necks and take a sample of the electrolyte with a hydrometer one by one from each of the battery cans. Following the manufacturer's instructions, determine the specific gravity of the electrolyte from the position of the instrument's measuring float. At a normal charge level, the specific gravity of the electrolyte should be 1.270 units (green area of the measuring scale). If the density of the electrolyte is too low (red zone of the scale) battery needs to be charged (see chapter Current service). Maintenance-free batteries are usually equipped with a special color indicator. When the spot in the viewing window of the indicator turns black, the battery should be charged without delay. After checking the density of the electrolyte, you should measure the output voltage of the battery using a digital voltmeter.
Measuring the output voltage of a disconnected battery with a voltmeter
1. Before connecting the voltmeter to the battery, remove the surface charge - turn on the high beam for about 10 seconds, then turn off all on-board electrical consumers and wait about two minutes. With the engine off and consumers disconnected, connect the black voltmeter probe to the negative battery terminal. Connect the red probe to the positive terminal. Battery output voltage should be 11.5-12.5V, depending on ambient temperature
The nominal value of the density of the electrolyte is determined depending on the ambient temperature (and is directly proportional to it), - use the temperature chart supplied by the manufacturers with the battery.
With positive results of the above checks, the need to test the battery under load (see below) disappears.
A more accurate check of the battery condition can be made using a universal meter (ask at car accessories stores). The device allows you to determine the battery's ability to crank the starter and supply power to on-board consumers of electricity at increased engine loads. Connect the meter to the battery terminals. Follow the manufacturer's instructions - when the load is turned on for 15 seconds, the battery voltage must not drop below 9.6 V, otherwise the battery must be replaced.
At ambient temperatures below 0°C, the minimum allowable reading is reduced to 9.1 V.
Replacement
Disconnecting the battery
The negative wire is always disconnected first and connected last!
There are several systems installed on the car that require a constant power supply. Disconnecting the battery inevitably leads to the erasure of the information stored in the memory of the engine management system about the optimal settings, turning off the clock, destroying the security code entered into the radio receiver, etc. Please read the following guidelines carefully before disconnecting the battery:
- On models equipped with a single lock, do not forget to remove the key from the ignition and put the key in your pocket - when the battery is connected, all doors will automatically lock.
- Disconnecting the battery will erase all accumulated tuning parameters from the ECM memory (except for basic settings). These parameters include: idle speed, maximum speed and fault codes of the self-diagnosis system. Before disconnecting the battery, read the diagnostic (see Electronic ignition control system (and injection) gasoline engines). After connecting, all lost settings will be restored automatically, however, this will require some time for the control system, during which the engine may operate unstably in various modes. To speed up the recovery process, start the engine and warm it up to normal operating temperature at idle, then raise the engine speed to 1200 rpm for 2 minutes, then drive it for a short time (about 7 kilometers), constantly changing engine operating modes - as a result, all settings should be restored.
- If the battery was disconnected while the anti-theft alarm was on, the system will remain in the same mode even after the battery is connected - with the appropriate configuration, the above also applies to the standard engine immobilizer.
- On trip computer-equipped models, disconnecting the battery will also erase any user data that has been added to the trip computer.
- If the car stereo is equipped with a security code, before disconnecting the battery, make sure you have the correct combination to activate the equipment. Details of entering the code and instructions for using the radio tape recorder are given in the Chapter Manual. In case of loss of the combination, seek help from the specialists of the Opel branded service station.
You can avoid the unpleasant consequences of disconnecting the battery using an external power source - detailed rules for using such devices are usually given in their operating instructions. As a rule, such power sources are connected to the cigarette lighter socket, after which the standard battery can be safely disconnected. The current generated by the source should be enough to power the memory of the control module, prevent blocking the radio and keep the clock working.
Some of these devices can supply enough current to the system for normal operation of other energy consumers. Before servicing electrical components, make sure that the corresponding consumer is completely de-energized!
Purchasing a new battery
Probably the most important thing a buyer should pay attention to is battery performance. There are three such characteristics.
- First - Rated voltage, - it is the same for all batteries, and it is impossible to make a mistake. When buying, it is advisable to check the battery with a load plug.
- Second - capacity, measured in ampere/hours (Ah - A / h), and, roughly speaking, determining the amount of electricity stored in the battery. It depends on the capacity how long you can turn the engine with a starter, more precisely, how many attempts to start the engine can be made. The price of a battery is mainly determined by its capacity.
- And the third feature is starting current (measured in amperes), i.e. current supplied to the starter when starting the engine. This parameter can be indicated on batteries in four different ways: in accordance with the requirements of domestic standards (GOST), according to the standards of the United Europe (EN), American standard (SAE), or according to the German standard (DIN). The DIN standard is closest to the domestic GOST and is used on most European-made batteries «default», i.e. without specifying the system. The higher the starting current, the faster and with higher torque the starter will crank the engine.
It is most correct to purchase a battery with the characteristics that are indicated in the car's operating instructions: so, in this case, it will last longer and at minimal cost. It is possible, for reasons of economy, to purchase a battery that is lower than the required capacity, but it will last less and bring much more trouble during cold starts in the winter season. The purchase of a battery larger than the nominal capacity does not give a gain in terms of its service life, because. constant undercharging will lead to sulfation of the plates. Using a battery with an excessively high starting current is fraught with burning the starter windings - an elementary replacement of impellent oil is much more effective in combating difficult starts.
Recently, the country's market is full of low-quality goods and fakes. Batteries are no exception. There are several signs by which it is possible to distinguish the original from a fake with a fairly high accuracy. First and, perhaps, most importantly, the country of manufacture and the producing plant must be indicated on the battery, it is better if with an address. Secondly, the date of manufacture must be indicated, which is especially true for maintenance-free sealed batteries. Each battery must be accompanied by a technical data sheet, but the presence of instructions is optional. This is due to the fact that batteries are almost never sold at retail in the West - they are installed by specialists at service stations. Third: a high-quality battery is inconceivable without a high-quality case, good plugs and smooth output terminals, often coated with a special lubricant to protect against oxidation and covered with colored plastic caps on top.
Removal and installation
Please read the above instructions carefully before disconnecting the battery.
Removing
1. The battery is installed in the left front corner of the engine compartment and on some models can be placed in a protective casing.
2. If equipped, open the cover of the protective cover, loosen the nut of the terminal lug and disconnect the negative wire from the pole terminal.
Battery connection diagram
1 - Positive terminal
2 - Positive wire
3 - Negative wire
4 - Negative terminal
To avoid triggering the alarm, the wire must be disconnected no later than 15 seconds after the ignition is turned off.
3. If applicable, lift the protective cover and disconnect the positive cable.
4. Turn out a fixing bolt, remove an assembly bracket and take the battery from an impellent compartment.
5. If necessary, unscrew the mounting bolts and remove the support bracket (installation tray) batteries, - do not forget to release the electrical wiring from all intermediate clamps.
Installation
Installation is carried out in the reverse order to the dismantling of the components.
1. After connecting the wires, lubricate the terminal blocks with petroleum jelly.
The negative wire is always disconnected first and connected last!
Storage and commissioning
If you plan to stop using the car for more than two months, the battery should be removed and stored. The optimum battery storage temperature is between 0 and 27°C. At these temperatures, battery self-discharge is minimal. In order to avoid irreversible destruction of the lamellas, it is necessary to charge the stored battery at least once a month.
In addition to discharging, an unused battery is subject to sulfation. If you charge such a battery with a fast charger, it will not accept the charging current, or, as a result of sulfation, it will be recharged and not subject to further use.
Before discarding a failed battery, perform the following checks:
- Measure the density of the electrolyte (see chapter Current service), - if the difference between the densities in individual banks does not exceed 0.04 g / ml, then it is necessary to charge the battery with a normal charger.
- After charging, test the battery under load - if the battery performance is below the nominal (see Specifications), the battery must be replaced.
- If the density of the electrolyte in one or two adjacent banks differs markedly (for example, in five sections it is 1.16 g / ml, and in the sixth - 1.08 g / ml), the battery has a short circuit and its further use is impractical.
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