Starter Battery - Description

DESCRIPTION

The starter battery (also referred to as the main vehicle battery) is located in a floor well forward of the driver seat. A second auxiliary battery may be installed in the left engine compartment for running additional electrical equipment. A metal cover retained by four screws protects the top of the starter battery. To access the battery and battery cover the left floor covering must be removed. A breather line runs from the battery through the bottom of the recess well to the outside of the vehicle.

Male post type terminals made of a soft lead material protrude from the top of the molded plastic battery case to provide the means for connecting the battery to the vehicle electrical system. The battery positive terminal post is physically larger in diameter than the negative terminal post to ensure proper battery connection. The letters POS and NEG are also molded into the top of the battery case adjacent to their respective positive and negative terminal posts for identification confirmation.

The battery is made up of six individual cells that are connected in series. Each cell contains positively charged plate groups that are connected with lead straps to the positive terminal post, and negatively charged plate groups that are connected with lead straps to the negative terminal post. Each plate consists of a stiff mesh framework or grid coated with lead dioxide (positive plate) or sponge lead (negative plate). Insulators or plate separators made of a non-conductive material are inserted between the positive and negative plates to prevent them from contacting or shorting against one another. These dissimilar metal plates are submerged in a sulfuric acid and water solution called an electrolyte.

A 300 amp melting fuse is incorporated into the battery positive cable. If the fuse melts, the battery positive cable must be replaced. The main reason this fuse would melt is from reversing polarity while jump starting the vehicle.

The battery negative cable is routed out of the well to a isolating connector on the left side of the instrument panel center stack, above the accelerator pedal. When vehicle service requires disconnecting the battery this connector provides a convenient method of isolation.

NOTE: Removing this isolating connector only disconnects power to the starter battery. If the vehicle is equipped with an auxiliary battery, that must also be disconnected prior to vehicle service.

When optional equipment is installed, the standard 12-volt 100Amp battery may be replaced with a 12-volt 95Amp Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery.