Battery — check and charge (Opel Astra G)

General information and precautions

Attention! The engine electrical equipment consists of the battery charging system and the ignition system. Since the operation of these systems is related to the operation of the engine, they are described separately from the body electrical equipment.

The electrical system has an operating voltage of 12 volts.

Maintenance-free or low-maintenance rechargeable battery (hermetically sealed for life) recharged by a generator.

Precautions:When working with an electrical system, you must be especially careful not to damage the semiconductor elements (diodes and transistors) and avoid injury, it is necessary to observe the following rules when working with the electrical system:

Always remove rings, watches, etc. before working on an electrical system. Even after the battery is disconnected, the charge stored in any electrical component may be discharged if you touch the terminals of that component with a metal object. You may receive an electric shock or a nasty burn.

Observe the correct polarity when connecting the battery. Electrical components such as the generator, electronic engine control unit or any other devices containing semiconductor elements may be damaged if connected incorrectly.

When starting the engine using a second battery and jumper cables, connect the batteries plus to plus and minus to minus. The battery charger must be connected in the same way.



Never disconnect battery, alternator or any other wires or devices while the engine is running.

Do not allow the engine to rotate the generator armature when the generator is not connected.

Never test the generator by touching the generator output wire to the vehicle ground.

Do not use an ohmmeter with a mechanical current generator to test the continuity of circuits.

Always disconnect the negative battery cable before working on the electrical system.

Before using electric welding to repair a vehicle, disconnect the battery, alternator and other electrical components such as electronic control units to prevent damage.

The standard radio/stereo has a theft deterrent code system. If the power to the unit is cut off, the anti-theft system is activated. Even if the power is restored immediately, the radio/stereo will not function until the correct secret code is entered. Therefore, if you do not know the correct radio/stereo code, do not disconnect the negative battery cable or remove the radio/stereo from the vehicle. See Section "Radio/Stereo Player Coding System - Precautions" at the beginning of this guide.

1. If the vehicle has a low mileage, it is recommended to check the density of the electrolyte every 3 months and compare it with the table.



2. If you suspect a battery malfunction, compare the density of the electrolyte in the cells, which should differ by no more than 0.04. Otherwise, the plates are damaged or there is an electrolyte leak.



3. If the density differs within the specified limits and the battery is discharged, it must be charged.

Maintenance free batteries

4. The battery condition is determined by a voltmeter or indicator.

5. The battery status is determined by the color of the built-in indicator (see photo), which depends on the type of battery. As a rule, the green color of the indicator corresponds to the normal state of the battery, black - to the need for charging, yellow or transparent - indicates that the battery is out of order and should be replaced.



6. When checking the voltage with a voltmeter, at least 6 hours must pass after the last trip (it is also permissible to turn on the high beam headlights for 30 seconds before checking).

7. The battery is completely discharged if the voltage is below 12.2 V.

8. Remove the discharged battery and charge it.

Charging a maintenance free battery

9. Batteries of this type require a long time to charge (up to three days depending on the level of discharge).

10. A partially discharged battery can be charged with a stabilized source with a voltage of 13.9-14.9 V, usually within 3 hours to a voltage of 12.5 V.



11. A completely discharged battery (with voltage below 12.2 V) it is recommended to charge in a specialized workshop, since constant monitoring is required during the long-term charging process.

Charging a serviceable battery

12. The battery is charged with a current equal to 0.1 of the capacity until the density of the electrolyte stops changing for at least 4 hours.

13. The battery can also be charged with a low current of 1.5 A, leaving it overnight.

14. Forced charging of the battery is highly discouraged.

15. The temperature of the electrolyte during charging should not be higher than 37.8°C.