Honda Civic/Acura Integra

since 1994 release

Repair and operation of the car

Check, service and charging of the rechargeable battery (each 12 000 km of a run or time in 6 months)

Service

Tools and materials necessary at service of the rechargeable battery

1. A front board / goggles — during removal of a rigid brush of traces of corrosion the crystallized acid particles easily can get into eyes. 2. Baking soda — water solution of baking soda is used for neutralization of traces of corrosion. 3. Acid-free vaseline — greasing of plugs of the battery will help to avoid corrosion development in the future. 4. The device for cleaning of plugs of batteries/tips of wires — a special form brush nozzles from a rigid wire will help to smooth out effectively plugs of the battery and terminal clips. 5. The impregnated felt washers — installation of such washer directly under a terminal clip will allow to avoid corrosion development. 6. A stripper — sometimes clips are put on plugs very densely and do not give in to removal even of a full otpuskaniye of fixture. 7. The device for cleaning of plugs of batteries/tips of wires — in spite of the fact that differs on a design mentioned in point 4, is intended for performance of the same tasks. 8. Rubber gloves — should not be neglected uses of this protectant – do not forget that the battery contains sulfuric acid!

PERFORMANCE ORDER

1. The conscientious attitude to performing procedures of the routine preventive maintenance of the rechargeable battery is the only key to bystry and trouble-free start of the engine. Before undertaking service of the battery, make sure available near at hand all necessary materials and tools guaranteeing safety of work (see an illustration above). 2. There are some more additional precautionary measures which have to be observed when carrying out service of the battery. Before starting performance of work, without fail kill the engine and switch off everything consumers of the electric power. Disconnect a negative wire from the battery. 3. Remember that in banks of the battery the hydrogen which is not only easily flammable, but also to explosive gases is emitted. Do not approach the venue of works with naked flame or the lit cigarette at all, try to use only the neiskroobrazuyushchy tool. You make battery charging in well ventilated room. 4. Electrolyte represents solution of the sulfuric acid relating not only to the category poisonous, but also to extremely chemically aggressive connections. Do not allow hit of electrolyte in eyes, on open parts of the body and articles of clothing. Carrying out service of the battery, put on goggles and gloves, do not allow children to approach the venue of works. 5. Study an external condition of the battery. If the positive plug of the battery with the clip which is put on it are equipped with the rubber protection cover, make sure that the last is not damaged. The casing has to cover metal components of terminal connection completely. Check a state and reliability of fastening of terminal connections, examine a casing and a cover of the battery on existence of cracks and other damages. Make sure of reliability of fastening of clamping bolts. Estimate a condition of isolation of wires of the battery on all length of the last. 6. On some models the batteries of tight type equipped with the charge level indicator are installed (see an accompanying illustration). Compare color of an indicator spot in an observation port to the card of states applied on the special label pasted on the battery case. Regularly check a condition of the battery, in case of need in due time you make charging. 7a. In case of detection on the surface of the battery of traces of corrosion in the form of a white powdery raid (see an accompanying illustration), in particular near an arrangement of plugs, it is necessary to remove the battery from the car for carrying out careful external cleaning. 7b. Weaken a wrench bolts of terminal clips (at first negative!) (see an accompanying illustration) and carefully disconnect from the wire battery. Give fixture of a clamping level, lift the last and take the battery from a motive compartment. 8a. Carefully smooth out contact surfaces of terminal clips and polar plugs of the battery a special brush with use of solution of baking soda (see accompanying illustrations). 8b. The same solution smooth out plugs of the battery and wash out a surface of its cover – you watch that solution did not get in cans. You make cleaning in a protective mask / glasses and rubber gloves in order to avoid hit of particles of acid in eyes and on hands. Try to pick up also the corresponding clothes which will not be a pity for throwing out then. Having finished cleaning, rinse the processed surfaces with clear water. 9. Check a condition of the pallet of the battery and hairpins of fastening of a clamping level. Wash out the pallet solution of baking soda, process the sites damaged by corrosion primer on a zinc basis. 10. Before installation of the battery make sure that on the pallet no tools and materials are left. 11. Do not draw excessively a nut of a clamping level. 12. For protection of terminal connections against corrosion put on polar plugs of the battery in a special way the processed felt washers, having connected wires, cover terminal knots with acid-free vaseline. 13. Track reliability of tightening of fixture of clips.

Charging

During exercises in banks of the battery there is an allocation in the highest measure of easily flammable and flammable hydrogen! You do not smoke and do not approach the place of charging with naked flame. Approaching a battery installation site, put on goggles. Before connecting the battery to the charger, or to disconnect it make sure that the device is switched-off from food.

Authors of the present manual recommend to make battery charging out of the car as the gas which is emitted during the procedure is chemically aggressive in relation to paint and varnish coverings. Performance of bystry recharge without detachment from the battery of wires can lead to failure of components of electric equipment of the car.

In the best way of restoration of level of a charge of the battery which sat down to such an extent when it becomes incapable to provide start of the engine, its slow charging is. This way of charging is also optimum for batteries of the cars used in the mode of short trips. Preservation of level of a charge of the battery is of particular importance in winter season when the most adverse conditions from the point of view of load of the accumulator are created during the complicated starts of the engine and the increased intensity of functioning of consumers of the electric power.

It is the best of all to use the device for continuous recharge by small current (1÷2 A) sometimes called by also drop zaryazhatel). Such chargers provide the optimum mode of battery charging with the minimum load of the last. For more bystry recharge of the battery it is possible to use the power supply of bigger current, you remember however that the maximum admissible force of charging current should not exceed 1/10 from the battery capacity size (its ampere sentry of the characteristic). At the forced charging, according to some users allowing to restore charge level in one-two hours, load of the battery becomes so high that quite often there is its irreversible exit out of operation, – try to avoid such way of recharge, resorting to it only in extraordinary emergencies.

The average duration of the period of battery charging has to be specified in the instruction attached in a set to the charger. Usually it makes from 12 to 16 hours.

Uncover mouths of all cans of the battery (if those are provided) and an opening zakuporta pure rags in order to avoid electrolyte slopping. Disconnect a negative wire from the battery and, observing polarity, connect clips of tips of wires of the charger to battery plugs (positive – to positive, negative – to negative). Turn on the charger in network. If the device is equipped with the selector switch, make sure that the last is established in situation for 12 Century.

When using the power supply with charging current over two amperes regularly check the battery, watching that there was no its overheat. During slow charging after initial two-hour control it is possible to leave the battery safely to be loaded without supervision on all night long.

If banks of the charged battery are equipped with jellied mouths with removable covers, try to check hourly within the first several hours of charging the specific weight of electrolyte. Many producers especially for this purpose release rather cheap devices called by areometers which can be bought practically in any shop of automobile accessories. When using of the areometer follow the instructions of manufacturers attached to it. Continue battery charging until during the last two hour measurements change of density of electrolyte on condition of its free "boiling" (puzyreniye) in banks does not stop. Remember that in the serviceable battery the difference between the specific weight of electrolyte in all banks has to be very small.

Some batteries are placed in the soldered case, and equipped with the built-in areometer allowing to determine visually battery charge level by coloring of a color spot in an observation port of the case. Usual bright coloring of a color spot testifies to the high level of a charge of the battery. Dark color of a spot says that the battery still needs recharge.

In batteries with the tight case without the built-in areometer (the charge level indicator) check of level of a charge can be carried out by connection to voltmeter battery plugs. The output tension of completely charged battery has to make not lower than 12.6 In the ambassador of removal of a superficial charge.