Battery - General

WARNING: It is essential that a period of 2 minutes elapses after the battery is disconnected before any work is undertaken on any part of the SRS system.

CAUTION: A discharged battery condition may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. If this condition exists there will be an apparently live circuit on the vehicle even when all normal circuits are switched off. This can cause arcing when the jumper cables are connected.

Caution: Prior to carrying out any procedures which involve disconnecting/ or connecting the battery, refer to the Electrical Section of this information - Battery disconnection/connection. Refer to Refer to Specifications information

Jump Starting a Vehicle

CAUTION: While it is not recommended that a vehicle is jump started, it is recognized that this may occasionally be the only practical way to mobilize a vehicle. Reference should be made to the following and also to the Electrical Section of this information - Jump Starting.

CAUTION: It is advisable not to use starter/charger sets for jump starting but if this is unavoidable, make sure that the sets are not used in the 'START' mode.

Always make sure that the jumper cables are adequate for the task.
Always make sure that the slave battery is of the same voltage (12 volts) as the vehicle battery. The batteries must be connected in parallel.
Make sure that the battery terminals of both batteries are fully tightened.
Where another vehicle is used to jump start a disabled vehicle, make sure that the two vehicles are not touching.
It is advisable that the engine of the donor vehicle is switched off during jump starting; take care to make sure that the battery of the donor vehicle does not also become discharged.
Always make sure that switchable electric circuits are OFF before connecting jump cables. This reduces the risk of arcing occurring when the final connection is made.

Following jump starting of a disabled vehicle, the discharged battery must be checked for serviceability and recharged as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage.

Do not rely on the generator to restore a discharged battery. For a generator to recharge a battery, it would take in excess of eight hours continuous driving with no additional loads placed on the battery.

Trickle charging (defined as voltages <16 volts) may be carried out with the battery connected. Make sure that the battery terminals are fully tightened prior to trickle charging.

CAUTION: Boost charging may only be carried out with the battery disconnected from the vehicle.