of battery being
loose, or electrolyte or water spilled on battery. Such a condition
causes battery to run down.

5. Is top of case acid soaked? This is caused by leaks around posts or
between covers and jars, flooding of electrolyte due to overheating or
due to addition of too much water, or by electrolyte spilled on covers.

6. Is lower part of case acid soaked? This is caused by leaky jars.

7. Are ends of case bulged out? This may be due to battery having been
frozen.

This general inspection of the battery can be made in a few seconds,
and often shows what the condition of the battery is.

Operation Tests

Two simple tests may be made which will help considerably in the
diagnosis.

Turn on the lights. If they burn dim, battery is run down (and may be
defective) and battery needs bench charge or repairs. If they burn
bright battery is probably in a good condition.

With the lights burning, have the customer or a helper step on the
starting switch. If the lights now become very dim, the battery is run
down (and may also be defective), or else the starting motor is
drawing too much current from the battery.

Trouble Charts

For the convenience of the repairman, the battery troubles which may
be found when a car is brought in, are summarized in the following
tables:

All Cells Show Low Gravity or Low Voltage

A. Look for the following conditions:

1. Loose or dirty terminals or cell connectors. This may reduce
charging rate, or open charging circuit entirely. Remedy: Tighten and
clean connections.

2. Corrosion on terminals or cell connectors caused by acid on top of
battery due to over-filling, flooding, defective sealing, lead scraped
from lead-coated terminals, and copper wires attached directly to
battery. A badly corroded battery terminal may cause the generator,
ignition coil, and lamps to burn out because of the high resistance
which the corroded terminal causes in the charging line. It may reduce
charging rate, or open charging circuit entirely. Remedy: Remove cause
of corrosion. Clean corroded parts and give coating of vaseline.

3. Broken terminals or cell connectors. These may reduce charging rate
or open charging circuit entirely. Remedy: Install new parts.

4. Generator not charging. Remedy: Find and remove cause of generator
not charging (see page 284).

5. Charging rate too low. Remedy: If due to generator trouble, repair
generator. If due to incorrect generator sett