Remember that you should lose no time after you have steamed the
battery. Hot compound is soft and does not stick to the covers, jars,
and posts and may therefore be removed quickly and easily. Cold
compound is hard, and sticks to the covers. Draw out the plates of
only one cell at a time, and clean the compound from the cover, posts
and jar of that one cell before you draw out the plates of the other
cells. In this way, the compound on the covers of the other cells will
remain hotter than if all the plates of the battery were drawn out of
the jars before any of the compound was removed from the covers. You
should have all the plates drawn out, and all the compound removed
within five minutes after you draw up the plates.

[Fig. 199 Removing sealing compound from double cover]

Throw away the old compound. If is very likely acid-soaked and not fit
for further use.

What Must Be Done with the Battery?

The battery is now open, and in a condition to be examined and
judgment pronounced upon it. The question now arises, "What must be
done with it!" In deciding upon this, be honest with your customer,
put yourself in his place, and do just what you would like to have him
do if he were the repairman and you the car owner. The best battery
men occasionally make mistakes in their diagnosis of the battery's
condition, and the repairs necessary. Experience is the best teacher
in this respect, and you will in time learn to analyze the condition
of a battery quickly.

Handle every cell of a battery that comes in for repairs in the same
way, even though only one dead cell is found, and the others are
apparently in good condition. Each cell must be overhauled, for all
cells are of the same age, and the active materials are in about the
same condition in all the cells, and one cell just happened to give
out before the others. If you overhaul only the dead cell, the others
cells are quite likely to give out soon after the battery is put into
service again.

[Fig. 200 Removing compound from top of jar]

It is absolutely necessary for you to have a standard method in
working on battery plates. You must divide your work into a number of
definite steps, and always perform these steps, and in the same order
each time. If you have a different method of procedure for every
battery, you will never be successful. Without a definite, tangible
method of procedure for your work you will be working in the dark, and
groping around