Peterbilt Medium Duty Truck Owner's Manual - Peterbilt Motors

Electrical System
WARNING! Always shield your eyes and avoid
leaning over the battery whenever possible.
Electrolyte in batteries could splash up into your
eyes causing severe burns and/or serious personal
injury.
• Battery terminals should not be coated with improper
grease. Use petroleum jelly or commercially available,
noncorrosive, nonconductive terminal coatings.
• Battery acid that may spill during charging should be
washed off with a solution of warm water and baking
soda to neutralize the acid. If you accidentally get acid in
your eyes or on your skin, immediately rinse with cold
water for several minutes and call a doctor.
• Do not charge a frozen battery; allow it to thaw out first.
And always allow the battery to thaw gradually—do not
apply direct heat. Gas trapped in the ice may cause an
explosion.
• Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine.
This can seriously damage sensitive electronic components
such as relays, radio, etc., as well as the battery
charger. Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent mechanic with
the proper equipment.
Slow Battery Charging
Preventive Maintenance
NOTE: Follow the instructions that come with your
battery charger.
• It is not necessary to remove the battery from the compartment.
WARNING! Charger cables must be connected
positive to positive (+ to +) and negative to negative
(– to –). If connected improperly, batteries
could explode causing death or serious personal
injury.
•Always make sure the battery charger is OFF
before connecting or disconnecting the cable
clamps. To reduce the danger of explosions and
resulting death or serious personal injury, do
not connect or disconnect charger cables while
the charger is operating.
1. Make sure the electrolyte level in each cell is between
the “MIN” and “MAX” marks. If the fluid level is below the
“MIN” mark, correct the condition.
2. Disconnect the battery cables.
3. Connect charger cables.
4. Start charging the battery at a rate not over 6 amperes.
Normally, a battery should be charged at no more than
10 percent of its rated capacity.
– 226 – Y53-6027 Medium Duty (R05/09)