Battery maintenance skill

Battery Charger Maintenance

USE CHARGER ONLY ON BATTERY SYSTEMS WITH AN ALGORITHM SELECTED THAT IS APPROPRIATE TO THE SPECIFIC BATTERY TYPE. OTHER USAGE MAY CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE.

LEAD ACID BATTERIES MAY GENERATE EXPLOSIVE HYDROGEN GAS DURING NORMAL OPERATION. KEEP SPARKS, FLAMES, AND SMOKING MATERIALS AWAY FROM BATTERIES. PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION DURING CHARGING.

NEVER CHARGE A FROZEN BATTERY.

STUDY ALL BATTERY MANUFACTURERS’ SPECIFIC PRECAUTIONS SUCH AS RECOMMENDED RATES OF CHARGE AND REMOVING OR NOT REMOVING CELL CAPS WHILE CHARGING.

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK. CONNECT CHARGER POWER CORD TO AN OUTLET THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED AND GROUNDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL LOCAL CODES AND ORDINANCES. A GROUNDED OUTLET IS REQUIRED TO REDUCE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK – DO NOT USE GROUND ADAPTERS OR MODIFY PLUG. DO NOT TOUCH UN-INSULATED PORTION OF OUTPUT CONNECTOR OR UN-INSULATED BATTERY TERMINAL. DISCONNECT THE AC SUPPLY BEFORE MAKING OR BREAKING THE CONNECTIONS TO THE BATTERY WHILE CHARGING. DO NOT OPEN OR DISASSEMBLE CHARGER. DO NOT OPERATE CHARGER IF THE AC SUPPLY CORD IS DAMAGED OR IF THE CHARGER HAS RECEIVED A SHARP BLOW, BEEN DROPPED, OR OTHERWISE DAMAGED IN ANY WAY – REFER ALL REPAIR WORK TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. NOT FOR USE BY CHILDREN.

1. For flooded lead-acid batteries, regularly check water levels of each battery cell after charging and add dis- tilled water as required to level specified by battery manufacturer. Follow the safety instructions recom- mended by the battery manufacturer.
2. Make sure charger connections to battery terminals are tight and clean.
3. Do not expose charger to oil or to direct heavy water spraying when cleaning vehicle.

Battery Charger Troubleshooting

No Lights at all

No lights at all indicate that AC power to the charger is not connected or that the AC voltage is too low. It could also indi- cate an internal failure in the charger.

1. Check the connections to AC power. Check for AC volt- age between 90 and 260 VAC at the charger.
2. If the AC voltage is verified to be correct at the connec- tion to the charger, and the charger still displays no lights at all, return the charger for service.

FAULT LED Flashing

The Fault LED flashes to indicate the micro-controller inside the battery charger has detected a fault. The fault detected is indicated by the number of flashes. Count the number of flashes to determine the fault.

With any battery system, the most common problem will be a faulty battery connection. Because of the high likelihood of a battery connection problem, it is always worthwhile to con- firm that all connections are good before checking for any other problems.

[1 Flash] – High Battery Voltage

1. Indicates a high battery voltage. Check that the battery charger voltage is consistent with the battery pack volt- age. The first two digits of the four digit model name indicate the battery voltage the charger supports.

2. Check for wiring errors.
3. This fault will automatically clear and the charger will

restart charging when this problem is removed.

4. High battery voltage could also occur if there is another source charging the battery. Disconnect any other sources during charging.

5. If this problem does not clear after the battery voltage is confirmed to be less than 2.4V per cell, return the char- ger for service.

[2 Flashes] – Low Battery Voltage

1. Indicates either a battery failure, no battery connected, or a lower than expected battery voltage. Check the bat- tery and battery connections.
2. Check the nominal battery voltage. The first two digits of the four digit model name indicate the battery volt- age the charger supports. Confirm that a nominal bat- tery voltage is the same as the charger voltage.
3. This fault will clear automatically when the low battery voltage problem is rectified.
4. If this problem does not clear after the battery voltage is confirmed to be higher than 1.0V per cell and all con- nections are good, return the charger for service.

[3 Flashes] – Charge Time-out

Indicates the battery failed to charge within the allowed time. This could occur if the battery is of larger capacity than the algorithm is intended for. In unusual cases it could mean char- ger output is reduced due to high ambient temperature. It can also occur if the battery is damaged, old, or in poor condition.

1. Check the battery for damage such as shorted cells and insufficient water. Try the charger on a good battery.
2. If the same fault occurs on a good battery, check the connections on the battery and connection to AC, and the AC voltage itself.
3. Confirm that the nominal battery pack voltage is the same as the battery charger voltage.
4. This fault must be cleared manually by unplugging the AC, waiting 30 seconds and reconnecting the AC power.
5. If a charger displays this fault on a battery pack, and the pack is of questionable status, reset the charger by dis- connecting AC for 30 seconds, and then reconnect the AC to start a new charge cycle. After a few charge cycles, this problem could stop occurring as the pack “recovers.”

[4 Flashes] – Check Battery

This fault indicates the battery pack could not be trickle charged up to the minimum level required for the normal charge cycle to be started.

1. Check that none of the battery pack connections between modules are reversed or incorrectly connected.
2. Check that one or more cells in the battery are no shorted.
3. Confirm that the nominal battery pack voltage is the same as the battery charger voltage.
4. Try the charger on a good battery.
5. If this fault occurs, the battery is likely in poor condition. Try to recover the pack with a charger that can charge the individual cells – such as an automotive charger. Be sure to set this charger to the appropriate voltage – 6V per 6V battery, 12V per 12V string/battery.

[5 Flashes] – Over Temperature

This fault indicates the charger has become too hot during operation. Though not damaging to the charger, charge time will be extended significantly.

1. This fault indication will not clear automatically, but the charger will restart charging automatically when the temperature drops. The fault indication must be cleared manually by unplugging the AC, waiting 30 seconds and reconnecting the AC power.

2. If possible, move the machine to a cooler location.

3. Confirm that dirt or mud is not blocking the cooling fins of the charger. Clean the charger. Rinse the charger with a low pressure hose if required. Do not use high pres- sure. Do not use a pressure washer.

[6 Flashes] – Over Load/Over Temperature

This fault indicates that the batteries will not accept charge current, or an internal fault has been detected in the charger. This fault will nearly always be set within the first 30 seconds of operation. If it occurs after the charger has started charging normally, be sure to make a note of it.

Remove excessive AC loads from inverter if installed.

Try to clear the fault by unplugging the AC, waiting 30 seconds and reconnecting the ac power.

Check all battery connections. Look for a high resistance connection.The most likely reason for this fault is a fault in the battery such as a bad battery connection, an open cell, or insufficient water.

This fault will occur if an internal fuse inside the charger blows. If the green wire is shorted to ground even momentarily, this fuse will blow. To check the fuse, mea- sure with an ohmmeter between the green and red wires with the AC disconnected. If a short circuit is not measured, the fuse has blown. Return unit to a service depot to have this fuse replaced.

If this fault occurs after battery charging has started, confirm that AC power was not interrupted and that all battery connections are good.

If all battery connections are good, an internal fault has been detected and the charger must be brought to a qualified service depot.

Excessive Battery Watering Requirements or Strong Sulphur (Rotten Egg) Smell

These symptoms indicate over-charging or high battery tem- perature. These symptoms are unlikely to be caused by too high a charge current since the maximum charge current of the charger will be small compared to even a moderately sized battery pack. The most likely cause for this problem is incor- rect charge algorithm setting and/or high ambient tempera- tures.

1. Confirm that the battery pack is not too small – usually > 50Ah.
2. Confirm that the nominal battery voltage matches the charger output voltage.
3. Confirm the correct battery charge algorithm. If the bat- tery pack is new, the algorithm will need to be changed if the pack is not the same as the old one. for instruc- tions on how to determine and change the battery charge algorithm see the following sub-section.
4. If the output voltage of the charger seems excessive, return the charger for service. Contact JLG to get the expected battery voltage settings for the charger in question. Be sure to have the charger’s serial number and charge algorithm setting available when calling.

Checking – Changing the Battery Charger Algorithm

The charger is pre-loaded with programming algorithms for the specific batteries detailed in Table 3-3, Battery Algorithms. Contact JLG if your specific battery model is not listed.
Each time AC power is applied with the battery pack not con- nected, the charger enters an algorithm select/display mode for approximately 11 seconds. During this time, the current Algorithm # is indicated on the Yellow Charging LED. A single digit Algorithm # is indicated by the number of blinks sepa- rated by a pause. A two digit Algorithm # is indicated by the number of blinks for the first digit followed by a short pause, then the number of blinks for the second digit followed by a longer pause.

To check / change the charging algorithm:

1. Disconnect the charger positive connector from the bat- tery pack. Apply AC power and after the LED test, the Algorithm # will display for 11 seconds.

2. To change the algorithm, touch the connector to the battery’s positive terminal for 3 seconds during the 11 second display period and then remove. The Algorithm # will advance after 3 seconds. Repeat this procedure until the desired Algorithm # is displayed. A 30 second time-out is extended for every increment. Incrementing beyond the last Algorithm will recycle back to the first Algorithm. When the desired Algorithm is displayed, touch the charger connector to the battery positive ter- minal until the output relay makes a clicking noise (approx. 10 seconds). The algorithm is now in the per- manent memory.

3. Remove the AC power from the charger and reconnect the charger’s positive connector to the battery.

NOTE: It is recommended to check a newly changed algorithm by repeating the above steps

Battery Temperature Sensor

Machines equipped with the Delta-Q battery charger include a battery temperature sensor. The sensor is mounted to the neg- ative terminal post of the inboard, front battery on the machine’s left side mounted battery pack. (See Figure 3-6.) The sensor is wired directly to the battery charger.

Removing the Battery To remove the battery box, perform the following steps.

1. Pull the handle on the battery disconnect to disconnect the batteries.
2. Remove the two attachment bolts that secure the bat- tery box to the frame.

3. Using a forklift, lift the battery box up enough to clear the brackets on the back of the battery box and remove the battery box from the machine.

NOTE: To make battery box removal easier, when possible, raise the arms of the machine and install the safety prop.

NOTE:

The battery box and batteries complete weigh approxi- mately 670 lb (304 kg).